Discomfort: A Conversational Card Game for Deeper Relationships and Conversations
Do you yearn to have deeper relationships or conversations with your loved ones or those you care about? Now you can do so, with Discomfort, a conversational card game. What is it, and what is the story behind the game? Let's delve in with the creators to find out more.
Meet the Creators and House of Many Moons
House of Many Moons is a close-knit group of friends united by a shared mission: to make the world a better place while enjoying the process of creating games together. Their foundation is built on the belief that everyone deserves a sanctuary, filled with love and support, throughout life's various phases.
At the heart of their endeavor lies their conversational card game, "Discomfort." This unique game is designed to provoke thoughtful discussions and challenge perspectives within a respectful and secure environment. It provides a platform for like-minded individuals to engage in deep, meaningful conversations. The questions in "Discomfort" delve into the intricate and often difficult aspects of our society, addressing challenging topics that encourage you and those around you to initiate conversations about ourselves and the world we inhabit.
The Journey of Creation
House of Many Moons consists of J, At, Hong, and Al. While each member has their specialties, they collaborated very closely and contributed meaningfully to the whole process of creating Discomfort. J takes care of all things admin and logistics, At is in charge of the financials and design, Hong is the photographer and videographer, and Al handles marketing and social media.
The group of them met through volunteering back in 2015, and have been friends ever since. As they got closer, they shared more about their lives, experiences, and got to know each other better. Meanwhile, they were also introduced to conversational card games. Through those, they found themselves talking about things that did not usually come up in casual conversation, adding another layer of understanding and mutual respect to their friendship.
Over lockdown back in 2020, these conversations continued through Zoom, and through this shared love of games came the idea that they could turn these conversations into an unconventional card game that touched on topics that they found to be increasingly important to talk about in our society. This intersection of their love for games and passion for social causes became Discomfort - the conversational card game that they learned a lot from while making, and hoped that they could share that learning experience with others in a local context.
The Creation Process
As a passion project, House of Many Moons spent evenings after work and weekends having meetings either online or over a meal. They started coming up with all the questions that they felt would foster important conversations and covered a multitude of topics, went through all of them and either eliminated, rephrased, or combined them. After that came figuring out the game mechanics - whether they wanted to have more traditional game elements to it like rolling a die to determine the topic, or to keep it as simple as drawing a card and talking about the question on it.
They ended up having 48 “THINK” cards and 9 "REFLECT” cards, meaning that playtesting involved making sure every single “THINK” card matched every single “REFLECT” card. It was a tiring but rewarding process, helping them to further refine not just the phrasing of the questions, but also the intention behind Discomfort.
Reaching Out to the Audience
House of Many Moons believes that Discomfort can and should be played by anyone, as it helps you learn more about yourself, those around you, and the world we all share.
Their initial promotion and launch was through Instagram, and they concurrently released a video series that showcased the different topics Discomfort covered, and the different types of people that can play the game together. You can find them at @houseofmanymoons on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
Challenges and Aspirations
Creating Discomfort as their inaugural venture into the world of game development presented challenges, especially when it came to production, manufacturing, and distribution. Connecting with industry contacts was a formidable challenge, but they resolved to be proactive and immersed themselves in booths and fairs, where they had the privilege of encountering fellow local game creators and distributors who not only embraced their vision but also shared their profound enthusiasm for nurturing the local board game community.
The Future of House of Many Moons
House of Many Moons has plans for future games and hopes to continue making games. They would also love to hold workshops based on their game Discomfort. Likewise, they hope to encourage the rest of the world to have these tough conversations, be better listeners, and grow to have a better understanding of our diverse world.
Favorite Games and Where to Find Discomfort
House of Many Moons enjoys a wide range of games and genres, from online multiplayer games to tabletop games. They appreciate cooperative and competitive games alike, finding joy in both teamwork and friendly competition.
If you're interested in getting your own copy of Discomfort, you can find it online on Shopee or their Instagram, and physically at TableMinis.
In conclusion, Discomfort is more than just a game; it's a tool for fostering deeper relationships and meaningful conversations. House of Many Moons has crafted a unique and engaging way to broach sensitive topics and bring people closer together through thoughtful dialogue. So, why not give it a try and embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection with Discomfort? Your next meaningful conversation might be just a card away.
