Do you remember the days of Coke or Pepsi? Those little books where you asked your friends questions and compared your answers? They were bright, and colorful, and, from my memory, very surface level. But what if I told you someone created a card game that was the grown up, mature version of that? And I don’t mean “mature” as in explicit or “after dark”. I’m talking about a game that gives you permission to ask your friends, and yourself, the deeper questions. That game exists: How You See The World, the debut game frpm Authentic Agility Games, and the centerpiece of their mission to educate and empower.
There are five types of questions available on the cards. Each one corresponds to a side on the die. One of the faces, the sixth, lets you choose the question. The categories are extremely wide, with some questions even seeming to mirror previous ones from a different category. In the case of a seemingly repeated question, I recommend viewing it through the lens of its section. Fears regarding your ambitions are very different from fears regarding your relationship—or maybe to you they are the same, and that is an insightful and acceptable answer.
When I first asked my friends to play this game with me, they were skeptical. And to be fair to them, it is quite different from other games. Sure, you roll a die, and then you answer the indicated question. But there’s some unique aspects to the game that set it apart.
The base ruleset does not have points. There is no winning or losing. While there are alternate rule sets for groups that are more competetive or used to the HDYSTW? experience, I wanted to experience the game without those changes. And while it did, indeed, not play like a normal game, we all had fun. We sat together, we learned, we joked, we bonded. We had great food. And we left that evening feeling closer.
Now, this does not mean that every play through is going to go that smoothly. Depending on the people at your table, the relationships between them, and the questions drawn, there is a possibility for discomfort. That does not speak to the game itself, however. In a game as social as this one, the experience will differ for every possible social situation. If you’ve played games like Cards Against Humanity, you probably have people in mind that you would never sit down to play with. That does not take away from the fun times had in other groups.
How Do You See The World? is a unique experience that asks you to get real with yourself and your friends. For players who seek to change up the experience, there are many variant rule options included and on Authentic Agility’s website. These can change who answers questions or add points to create more of a traditional game atmosphere. Expansions to the game are also in development, including a “Political And Religious” version, one for Young Adults, one aimed exclusively at women, and one for coworkers. One last bonus? If you see the world and want to make a difference, part of the proceeds from each purchase go to charities that promote education and entrepreneurship. Authentic Agility Games is more than a game company, and it hopes to use it’s game to change the world. Originally created as a way to get people to disconnect from technology, it grew into something much greater than that.
“In a world that’s so divided with increasing dissension and disagreement, it’s time we start really listening to one other,” says creator Cathy Cranberg.”By truly listening, we can develop a better understanding of someone’s point of view, and hopefully learn to empathize instead of judge, regardless of whether we agree. How Do You See The World? is meant to encourage real authenticity among our beautifully diverse and greatly divided world, and do so in a playful, fun and engaging manner.”
You can currently pick up How Do You See The World? on Amazon, where it retails for $24.99. Authentic Agility also plans to release their expansions this year, so keep an eye on The Fandomentals for updates and more!
All Images via Authentic Agility Games