Where truth meets play, a game built for connection

One evening on Vashon, a small group of islanders gathered to test a game they’d never played before.

No one knew what to expect, but within two hours, players witnessed an impression of an Australian fitness instructor, participated in a thumb war competition and listened intently as a player shared about a time someone made a difference in their life.

Between these hilarious antics and vulnerable moments, each islander left with a new perspective on their fellow community members — all prompted by the game they were testing, Truth or Play.

The idea for the card game came to longtime Vashon resident and Journeymen director Alex Craighead in an unlikely moment — during the eighth day of a silent meditation retreat in the Philippines.

“It was like I hit download on my computer and the name came to me and the rules came to me, and the cards came to me,” Craighead said. “I know that technically that was bad meditation because I’m supposed to rid my mind of thoughts, but I just was having all these ideas and I decided not to block it.”

In 2023, Craighead decided to step away from his role as program director at Journeymen to take a nine-month sabbatical to further explore how his personal mission could apply outside the organization. Part of that time was spent in the Philippines, where he attended a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat.

The regimen of the retreat was strict: Craighead would meditate from 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with no phones, no speaking and no eye contact. After leaving the retreat, Craighead locked himself in a hotel room for two days to capture everything he thought of during his meditation. This storm of ideas eventually became the card game Truth or Play.

Truth or Play is a game in the style of truth or dare where players take turns drawing instructional cards. If a player draws a truth card, they answer an insightful question, such as sharing something they’re proud of recently. If a player draws a play card, they complete a ridiculous activity, like challenging another player to an arm wrestle.

The game is designed to create opportunities for connection through a balance of vulnerability and play, Craighead said.

The philosophy behind Truth or Play was heavily informed by the insight he gained during his time as a P.E. teacher, education consultant and camp leader at Journeymen, Craighead said.

Craighead founded the nonprofit Journeymen in 2016 with his longtime friend as a way to build connections for kids. The organization is now a staple of life on Vashon, running camps every summer and mentorship groups throughout the year. Journeymen offers a safe space where young people can learn how to express their emotions in healthy ways through a mix of playful games and reflective activities, Craighead said.

Years of experience leading Journeymen proved to Craighead that play was a crucial part of forming connections, but he realized that he wanted to apply this finding beyond the organization, he said.

“One of the things I was walking with on that trip was a question that relates to my personal mission in life, which is to create a safe, fun and loving world for all people,” Craighead said. “It’s a big pie-in-the-sky dream and I don’t think I’ll be able to do it alone or even see it in my lifetime, but that’s the type of world that I’m striving to create through my work.”

The answer to that question for Craighead was Truth or Play. During the yearlong creation process — including thinking up 100 different cards, connecting with manufacturers and advertisers and designing the box — Craighead knew the next step was to put the game to the test.

As a longtime Vashon resident, Craighead knew from the beginning that the perspective of his community on the island was integral to the success of his game.

The first group Craighead introduced the game to were adults in their 20s and 30s. He gathered friends and introduced them to his game, asking them for feedback on everything from the design to the format to the cards themselves.

Some of the greatest insight into the game’s success came from just watching the range of emotions that each player experienced as the game challenged them to get out of their comfort zones.

“Reconnecting to that childlike wonder and play has been like medicine for a lot of adults and it’s been cool to watch them reconnect with that part of themselves,” Craighead said.

One of these early playtesters, Craighead’s friend and collaborator Connor Martin, suggested to Craighead that this game could also be a unique opportunity for parents to connect with their kids on an emotional level that is sometimes difficult to achieve.

“My big realization as a father of three kids who lives in suburbia was that this is amazing for families,” Martin said. “Getting them to connect and be more vulnerable in the spirit of play … could be very impactful for families and amazing for parents.”

Craighead took this realization to heart and began to tweak the game to focus on an audience of all ages.

“We’re very segmented by age in our culture, and there’s so much lost in that,” Craighead said. “There’s wisdom that’s lost from our elders, there’s inspiration and energy and joy that’s missed from our youth when we don’t bring them to the experiences. Part of my hope is that this game can help bring and weave generations together again.”

Some of the later testing sessions focused on bringing together players of all ages, according to Vashon resident and playtester Richard Hazzard. What Hazzard remembers most is how the game sparked connections with people he wouldn’t normally interact with.

“I loved playing it with young people,” Hazzard said. “Navigating my day to day, that’s not an experience I have. The game itself feels very equitable, like we’re all on the same level.”

After months of playtesting, Craighead launched an online crowdfunding campaign for the game on Oct. 1. The original goal was $10,000, which Craighead admits was set lower than his actual goal of $25,000. But they hit their goal in less than 24 hours, Craighead said.

“It felt like a breath of fresh air,” Craighead said. “I wasn’t just making this up in my mind that this is going to work. I was just overwhelmed with gratitude to see how quickly that happened.”

The online fundraiser for Truth or Play is open until Oct. 29. After a successful fundraiser, game production is underway. Stay tuned for an official release date. Learn more at tinyurl.com/4vzztr3h.

Alexa Meyer is a journalism student at the University of Washington.