Together We Are Strong

In our daily lives we are often faced with various problems, which may harm our contentedness and feelings of happiness. These problems may be of bodily, social and/or mental nature. To solve these issues, there are numerous solutions (or at least approaches) and helpful people covering all aspects – bodily, social and mental.

This easy-to-pick up game tries to recreate these aspects of our living reality in a more or less abstract manner. The game should be a cooperative experience, in which not one is declared winner and the others losers in the end. Not selfishness and only striving for one’s own benefit, but rather helping each other should pave the road to victory. All players win TOGETHER. Nobody should be left behind. Thus the name of the game!

In this game 2 to 4 players encounter various problems that may be of bodily, social and/or mental nature which they have to overcome together. Players draw cards from a shared card deck of 60 cards. Problem cards drawn are revealed and can be solved alone or with the help of other players through Solution cards. Helper cards support the various Solutions. If a player solves one of their problems by themselves, they get 2 Smiley Chips. If other players helped with solving a Problem, the player whose problem was solved and each player that helped get 1 Smiley Chip. When the card deck runs out, players count their Smiley Chips. Depending on the number of players each players has to collect a certain number of these Smiley Chips in order for everyone to win the game. If the cards run out and one or more players did not manage to get the required number of Smiley Chips, all players lose.

This game is an ideal tool for Therapists, Social Workers and other professionals who work with psychosocially challenged people. It was designed by a social work student and tested with social workers and their clients, including mentally handicapped and mentally ill clients of all ages.

Important Note: You will need about 50 Smiley Chips which you would have to provide yourself. Either print your own (I provided a pdf for you to download and print) or just use poker chips, spare change, buttons or other tokens you got handy.