First up in the 12 Days of (Weird) Self Help: the Relationship Reveal Card Game!

12 Days of (Weird) Self Help

I get a few emails a week in the Self Help Hipster.com Inbox from publishers, publicists and people in Nowhere, Idaho (or Inpronouncable, Somewhere). These are lovely people who ask me to review their books. I don’t usually take the time. I don’t really know why not, I just didn’t. 

But in November I got to think about it. What if I started to accept these invitations? After all, it’s one of the unique opportunities my particular blog offers. People want me to read their books, look at their stuff and have an opinion. 

Ya’ll know I love self help (and I LOVE to have opinions). So I figured it might be fun to accept these submissions! 

And thus, I decided to start saying ‘yes’ to pretty much all of it. So far, it’s been really fun. The authors, publicists and publishers I’ve been in contact with have all been really cool and I’m excited to feature them and share them with you.  

Let’s get this show on the road. shall we?

Please note: I am not getting paid for any of this. Some of the items I’m featuring were sent to me, and hilariously some I bought myself after I realized I had expressed interest but never followed through on the other person’s question on how I’d like to receive the review copy. 

Eh. I am what I am.  

RELATIONSHIP REVEAL CARD GAME 

So, Sandra Fischer, who is a writer, communication specialist and consultant, created this game — with a team of psychologists.

Sandra designed this interactive, 64-card game for couples (or friends, couldn’t hurt) to further connect with your boy- or girlfriend. In the game you explore important relationship themes and talk out your relationship goals and challenges.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!!!! (Se7en Reference) 

The game consists of:

• a double stack of 64 cards, with Skills in 4 different Relationship Areas (Communication, Engage, Intimacy, Self)

• a Quick Start Guide, that contains some basics AND the 3 quick games you can play with the cards

• an Activity Map, mapping out the 64 skills in the 4 areas

• a Guidebook, containing more information about how to play the game, variations of the game you can play beyond the 3 basic games, and more elaborate explanations of the 64 Relationship Skills on the cards.

THE CARDS

There’s two stacks of the 64 cards with the Skills on them. The Skill is printed on the front, and on the more elaborate explanation of the skill is on the back.

THE GAME

There are a few different ways you could play this game, varying in degree of playfulness and seriousness.

There’s a version where you pick the skills you celebrate in each other and the relationship, a variation where you guess each other’s selection based on the other person giving examples of the practiced skill, and one where you create a vision for your relationship (for the next year of being together, for example).

What all versions of the game have in common is that in each one you talk to each other about your relationship, but without making it into this big serious thing where you have to “talk” about your relationship.

Instead it’s just an open and fun exercise, aided by the Relationship Reveal card game, where you get to know each other better.

PLAYING THE GAME: MY EXPERIENCE  

(For this game life, you kinda need a boy- or girlfriend who likes to talk to you.)

I was having date night anyway -we had gone to the museum and then out for sushi- so I suggested we’d play a round of the basic game: Reveal 101.

In this one you each select 16 cards from the 64 of the skills most important to you in a relationship. You then rank these from 1-16, pick the top 4 and share these with the other person, explaining why they are important to you. We also asked each other the suggested questions in the game.

So basically, Vin and I were sprawled out on the living room floor, SURROUNDED by cards, chatting and figuring out what we felt represented the skills important to us in our relationship.

What followed was a very cute Show ‘n Tell about the skills we picked.

For example, we both had picked the skill ‘Appreciate’ because we like to express our gratitude and appreciation for the other person.

Vincent had ‘Inspiration’: he really enjoys that I inspire him and help him focus on personal long-term goals. I don’t really think he needed me for that at all (the man had been doing pretty well for himself before I came around) but hey, I don’t look a gifted compliment in the mouth.

One of the things I picked was ‘Be Curious’. I need for the person I’m with to be genuinely interested in me and curious about how I’m feeling and what I’m doing. If I feel like the other person couldn’t give a shit about what’s going on with me, I sort of wilt away.

We spent about an hour talking. About what’s important to us in a relationship, what we’re doing right, and what challenges we foresee in our relationship in the future.

It was kinda awesome. Even though we talk on the regular, you start a more in-depth conversation through this game than you’d otherwise have on a random Thursday night.

OTHER INFO

Basically, I really like this game, and believe many couples could benefit from playing it! As said, you kinda need a boy- or girlfriend who doesn’t freak out at the idea of “talking” and “feelings” who likes to play a game and get real with you at the same time.

The Relationship Reveal card game is 35$ (exc shipping, which is 3,99$) and you can buy it through Amazon here*

If you HAVE one of those? This might actually be a really fun gift. To explore, talk, and take with you to 2017 to be all sorts f #relationshipgoals together.

*Affiliate link, so if you do decide to buy the game, I get a small commission.