starknicked (pronounced ‘stark naked’), a Singaporean startup, has launched an ‘old-school’ card game, smôl tôk (pronounced ‘small talk’), that helps to create meaningful conversations beyond small talk and random chit-chat.
Quirky naming convention aside, starknicked is serious about designing games that create personal or social change. Nick Pang, founder of starknicked, shared: “With the internet and social media, people are more connected than ever before. Ironically, people are also becoming more disconnected from each other in their everyday lives. For some, instant messaging has become easier than talking, even when one is amongst friends. This is one of the main reasons that motivated me to create smôl tôk as a tool to facilitate passionate, open, and honest conversations that deepen relationships.”
The beauty of this card game is that it cuts to the chase. No more idle chatter revolving around work or the weather (ahem, haze), punctuated with awkward silences. From straightforward questions (“What do you most like to eat in the whole wide world?”) to sentimental ones (“How do you want to be remembered?”), each question within the card game was carefully crafted, tested, and selected to evoke deeper conversations that can go on for hours. Get to know your family and friends better or break the ice between complete strangers. smôl tôk is a game for people aged 18 and above.
The duration of the game is pre-determined by players. The game is created to accommodate durations ranging from a short 30 minutes when waiting for friends to a three-hour marathon while relaxing on a holiday. Meaningful conversations do not need to take forever to build up.
The game begins with a player directing one question card to another player. Players answer questions directed at them and points
are awarded based on what was asked. The player who accumulates the most points at the end of the session wins. Having said that, players may also choose to play without keeping score.
The recommended retail price for the smôl tôk basic deck is $32.90 and is available on the online store. To celebrate the launch of smôl tôk, the game is being sold at 25% discount until the end of October 2015. Simply quote “25off” at check-out to enjoy the promotional price. For more information on smôl tôk, please visit the website.