Architects have been known to dabble in product design, but what about board game design? A team of Washington, D.C.-based architects, urban planners, and designers have come together to create a game with a comedic (yet somewhat serious) take on the nuances of city living. Cards Against Urbanity, a parody on the wildly successful Cards Against Humanity, is simultaneously a critical and satirical game designed to open a dialogue about the development of cities among those who influence them.
The premise of the game is simple: a player draws a topic card bearing a statement, such as "My city's latest economic plan includes: (blank)" - and each player contributes a card to create the funniest and most appropriate combination. Thousands of combinations are available in the game, creating ample opportunity for humour and genuine discussion on urban issues. Speaking to Architect Magazine, Game co-creator Lisa Nisenson describes her motive for creating a game to enable discussion on urban planning, saying: “there’s a hunger for translating some of the topics and getting them more to the public in a way that’s fun and engaging.”
The project has been funded entirely through Kickstarter and has already exceeded its initial goal of $7,500, raising over $12,600 from 389 contributors. A $30 donation to the fund buys a copy of the game complete with 234 cards covering the topics of architecture, city planning, pop culture, public transportation, and sociology. Find out more about the game in Cards Against Urbanity: Getting Snarky About Cities by Chelsea Blahut in Architect Magazine.
