GOSHEN — There’s a new card game making the rounds in Goshen aimed at shaking people out of their comfort zones and building community connections, all while providing as much fun as possible in the process.

The brainchild of Goshen City Council member Julia King, the game, coined “Play-it-Forward Goshen,” is a local take on the Gamewright “Sneaky Cards” Play-it-Forward card game that sends players out into the community to complete individual mission objectives that inspire fun, quirky and engaging social interactions.

“This community-wide game is meant to be played with family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances and, yes, even strangers,” King said of her vision for the game. “It’s the perfect excuse to reach out beyond your usual circles.”

To play the game, participants are provided cards — written in both English and Spanish — that contain a specific task, or “mission,” which can include anything from visiting a religious service they don’t normally attend to eating at a local restaurant they’ve never been to before. Once the task is complete, the player is then asked to “Play-it-Forward” by giving the card to someone else.

According to King, who launched the local project in late May, the idea to take the Sneaky Cards game and give it a local spin was in large part a reaction to the recently implemented Vibrant Communities initiative, which seeks to bring together each of Elkhart County’s various cities and towns to define and implement the top projects, policies and relationships they feel will best improve their communities.

“I basically just stumbled upon these cards, this Sneaky Card game, and it caught my attention,” King said. “It’s the kind of thing I love, and then a friend saw them in my house and got as excited as I was, and it just kind of grew from there.”

While some of the cards are loosely based on the Sneaky Cards game, many of the cards draw from specific situations or locations unique to Goshen, such as asking players to visit one of Goshen’s many parks, then pass the card on to someone else at that park and encourage them to visit a different Goshen park.

Players are encouraged to keep track of and share their game experience by joining the Play-it-Forward Goshen Facebook group. Members of the group will also have the chance to share any questions or concerns they may have about the game or a particular game card, and even share ideas for new game cards.

“The overall goal is really just to have fun and build connections in Goshen and make this an even greater place to live and play,” King said. “We know that play is good for our minds and bodies, and we know communities benefit when relationships within communities are strong. So hopefully people will really embrace this and reach out beyond their usual circles.”

Evan Bontrager, one of the first Goshenites to jump on the Play-it-Forward Goshen bandwagon, echoed King’s comments.

“It’s just a great opportunity to meet strangers and do something fun,” Bontrager said. “I think a lot of times people are out and about physically, but maybe a little anonymous, not really engaging. So I think this is a perfect opportunity while you’re out to really interface with others, make some connections, and have a little fun in the process.”

All those interested in participating in the game are asked to join the Play-it-Forward Facebook group and post a request to the discussion board.

Source: Goshen News