First Looks: Family Talk

I just learned about a game called Family Talk, published by Around the Table games. It’s an extremely simple concept and really can only loosely be classified as a game. The game consists of cards attached to a ring (really more like a carabiner). Each card has a question written on it and then the whole family can discuss it.

Here are some example questions:

• “If your house caught on fire, how would you escape and where would you meet once outside?”
• “What was dinnertime like when you were young?”
• “What is one thing about each of your family members that makes you proud?”
• “What makes you feel the most welcomed when you come home?”

While the concept as a game might seem a little bland, I actually love the general concept of having a set of questions to spark a conversation. My wife and I own a book called The Book of Questions which is essentially the same concept, but the questions aren’t necessarily focused on the family. Instead they often are outlandish questions that are entertaining in and of themselves. For example, “For a person you loved deeply, would you be willing to move to a distant country knowing there would be little chance of seeing your friends and family again?” We love to pull out this book while traveling or on vacation and start discussing them. It’s a great way to get to know someone better and we always have an enjoyable time.

The great thing about the Family Talk game is that it gets your kids to talk. I’ve heard that with teenage kids, there’s often a feeling that the parents have nothing in common with them. This could be a great way to start up conversations that are non-threatening and could help to open up the lines of communication.

This could also be a great game for road trips since it requires no board or pieces. It can be played virtually anywhere.

Around the Table Games actually has several versions of this game; for friends, camping, teens, and grandparents. They also have a second edition of the core Family Talk game.

Family Talk retails for $9.99 and is available at Amazon.com or the publishers website. The other games in the line can be found at the publishers website.