Introverse Comes to SF - A Party Game for Introverts With Rich Inner Worlds
We had a great play session at Unbound, a new bookstore in San Fransisco's Chinatown
Hello from Thailand!
About a week ago, we went to a new bookstore called Unbound to host a soft pre-opening event for their grand opening next year.
We advertised the event as 'a party game for introverts.' 18 people came and played in three groups. By the end of the night, more than 40% of the participants bought a copy.
We were scared at the beginning; this was the first play session we hosted after producing the game. Would people be able to follow the rules? Would they have fun with the prompts on the cards? All doubts vanished by the end of the game - people had non-stop fun for 2 hours.
Most of the people who came to the event were, of course, self-identified introverts. When we created the group chat for this event, I asked two questions: What's your expectation for this event? Why do you want to play Introverse? Here are some of the answers:
'Want to hear the inner worlds of other people'
'Want to learn how to host gatherings for introverted people and make them vibe'
'Super introverted but want to get out of comfort zone a little bit'
'Want to have authentic conversations and get energy from being around people'
'Want to explore, make new friends'
'Know each other in a fun and engaging way'
'Want to know how introverts make friends, and want to make some friends'
As an introvert myself, I've always felt out of place at most parties and gatherings.
For example, there was one time when I was in a room with 20 other people discussing an interesting topic, and one person talked for 2 hours without stopping. Other people... just let them do that? I immediately sensed that person was an extrovert and the others were probably more introverted.
Introverts have a lot going on in their minds. They probably have many cool and interesting opinions to share - but they often choose not to, or let other people talk. I think this is usually because of one of the following reasons:
The feeling that my opinion is probably not worth sharing
I'm very uncomfortable being in the spotlight
What if the thing I say isn't interesting? I'm scared of wasting everyone's time
However, I know the above points aren't true - I can literally talk with my partner for hours about philosophical problems or topics we’re passionate about, and we make each other laugh so much every time.
Here's the thing: introverts need objectives in any form of gathering. If we don’t have objectives, our minds will get bored easily, as there's usually not much information from just a bunch of small talk and dancing around each other. We want intellectual and authentic conversations, or something we could do together to make us feel more connected to each other than before we came to the event.
So why not create an opportunity where everyone is pleasantly "forced" into sharing their opinions? This is what Introverse is for.
I realize that we haven't really talked about what makes Introverse so special—especially compared to other connection games. Here’s why we’re different:
We divided the game into three levels. The first level is more informational: you get to talk about yourself using a unique, open-ended prompt so everyone can learn a bit about you. Then we move on to a more relational level, which digs deeper into who you really are. This level challenges you to ask for help, listen to others' struggles, and ensure that everyone feels seen and heard. Finally, in level three, the whole group works together to solve issues. For example, we might ask you to name a fear, and the group would come up with a cute name and shape for that fear. This level takes more time, allowing the group to bond and engage in deep conversations about personal philosophies as reflected in the game—emphasizing that you're not alone; we’re all on this Earth together.
After the event, the bookstore owner was excited to feature our game in their store—they loved it and had a lot of fun playing.
Here are some asks:
If you know someone who can help us distribute our game, please let us know!
If you or someone you know needs help facilitating team-building, we’d love to assist. We can host online team-building sessions using our game. The price is $200 for a 1.5-2 hour session, with a maximum of 6 participants.
Our next steps: We’re planning a bigger print run, either by the end of this year or early next year. We’re also considering running another Kickstarter campaign or something similar, and attending various board game conventions. We’ll keep you informed!
Lastly, if you'd like to buy a copy of Introverse, please check out this link. We have about 20 copies left right now.
I’ve also started an Instagram where I post cute manga related to Introverse, and you can follow it here.
Love ❤️,
BCAD from Thailand