Lan Rahne, Author at Coupling, the Game

Get Ready! The Calm Before Coupling

By Lan Rahne / May 7, 2021 May 9, 2021

Get Ready! We’re preparing something big for you! Firstly, a complete remodel of our digital look. Not just that, though! You’ll finally be able to see how Coupling, the Game looks like!

Just a few more weeks

After months of setbacks and issues, it’s finally just around the corner. You may have noticed that the style of pictures on our blogposts has been changing. There has been lots of visual development going on in the background for the last few months. The development was long, but we’re almost there now. We’re going to lay low for a while, so that we get the last touches right. Then, we’re coming out with major changes! Sit tight until then!

Are you missing a deeper connection with people?

By Lan Rahne / April 30, 2021 May 4, 2021

Has this ever happened to you?

You’re hanging out with a friend. You’re talking about various things, and there isn’t really anything wrong with the conversation itself. But, you find yourself wanting something more. You can’t quite put a finger on what it is. When the hangout is over, you feel a bit empty. As if what you actually wanted to get from socializing, wasn’t really there.

What’s really missing there?

Often, it’s very hard to describe what we’re feeling to others. To be honest, a lot of the time it’s hard to even understand what we feel ourselves. This can lead to a feeling of alienation that isn’t pleasant and we so often want to cover up by distracting ourselves. But distractions can only put it off for so long, and it’s much healthier to face it. So, what can you do to express yourself better?

Couple up, man!

When we manage to express ourselves to others, it’s rewarding for both parties involved. This expression is involved in making a deeper connection with the people around you. Getting to the right point in a conversation when it might feel possible to express yourself is hard, and it doesn’t always happen.

Here, Coupling can be really useful. We structured it like a game, but based it on real-life interaction. This means that you’ll be asking meaningful questions and sharing personal experiences in a relaxed and fun environment. There’s no pressure involved, and if you ever feel too uncomfortable to talk about something, you can always tone down your answers, but the opportunity is always there.

So, Couple up and express yourself! A deeper connection is within your reach.

Why are puzzle pieces the playing figures in Coupling?

By Lan Rahne / April 23, 2021 April 23, 2021

The jigsaw puzzle. It holds a special place in the hearts of millions of people around the world. There’s something relaxing and meditative about assembling those little pieces. About slowly and satisfyingly getting to a full picture. Even if so often at least a few pieces are missing!

But what do these pieces have to do with Coupling?

With Coupling, the connection with puzzles happened almost naturally. They’ve been with us since we’ve first assembled an alpha version of the game. Connecting and bonding with people seemed to us very similar to how puzzle pieces work. We can even see puzzle terminology when talking about whether we “clicked” with someone or not.

It was destined to be

So we went with it. But, we kept an open mind. We tried several different minifigure styles along the way:

We tried pieces that connect by putting one on top of the other. That made it feel like one of the two players had a leading role in the couple, which we didn’t like.
We looked at completely different designs, such as socks that connect with a bottom connector. It was way too hard to distinguish who was with who when there was a mess of (adorable looking, I might add!) socks on the playing board.
We tried abstract and more life-like faces that connect diagonally, making a single face together. Their abstract look made it for us to identify with them as our figures and again, they were hard to tell apart on the board.

We even made a survey to see if others got the same impressions as we did. And, the puzzle pieces beat the competition by a long shot! Every time, we got back to the puzzles.

And we can see why. They’re not complicated, everyone understands what they mean and they leave us a lot of free space for fun designs to make them easy to tell apart. They represent the essence of connection in the simplest of ways. It seems that they’re an inseparable part of Coupling now. That’s fine with us. We hope it’s fine with you, too.

Now for Activity… Do We Love it or Not?

By Lan Rahne / April 16, 2021 April 16, 2021

Activity is a German board game that is pretty popular throughout Europe. We remember playing it since we were teenagers. You play it in teams and try to get to the finish line first with your team. Along the way you have to compete in various challenges, from charades to describing a phrase given on a card.

What’s great about it?

It’s fast-paced. And pretty easy to learn. The rules are really not that strict. You can actually play the game without reading the rules and make them up yourself, and the game works. The challenges are funny and diverse. The concept is simple and it doesn’t take much effort to get into the game. When you do get into it, time flies by!

What’s not-so-great about it?

Well, it’s very non-personal. While you do have fun and quite a few laughs along the way, you don’t really have the opportunity to converse or bond with players in any other way than through the challenges, which are mostly non-verbal. When you’re done, you’re left with an aftertaste of nothingness. At least in the sense of communication and connection with other players. Of course, that might be due to the creators not focusing on that part of social interaction with the game.

We, on the other hand, think that connection is essential for a good party game. Just as connection is essential for a good party! Connecting, bonding with each other and having good conversations is what excites us and gives us a sense of fulfilment.

The verdict

The game is great and it really pushed the boundaries of European party games when it first came out. But it’s missing something, that special kick that you get when you have a good conversation with a friend. We still love Activity, but we think it’s time to upgrade party games to another level and bring them closer to human interaction.

Singles: When You Don’t Have A Partner

By Lan Rahne / April 12, 2021 April 12, 2021

A Single Puzzle Piece Looking At A Couple

Chances are that when you’re playing board games, you don’t always have an even number of players. That might be a problem with games that need to be played in teams – The singles are bound to feel left out. With coupling, that’s not a problem at all! Rather, it makes the game even more exciting!

At first, everything works normally…

For the first and second stage, there’s no difference in gameplay, whether you’re playing with an odd or an even number of players. In the third stage, though, Singles come into play. One of the players – the one that didn’t manage to get to the third stage with any of their stage two partners – will play by themselves.

Different rules

Playing by themselves gives the Singles certain advantages and also gives them different rules to play by. Firstly, in the third stage, other players try to find their partners out of all the answers. They move ahead when they find them. Singles, on the other hand, must write an answer that will make other players choose their answer instead of their partner’s. How they achieve that is up to them, of course.

Break up a Couple!

If a Single player makes it to the finish line, they do the same as other players. They take two Stage One cards and read the question out loud. Others must all write an answer. The Single then chooses one of the answers, and the player who wrote that answer becomes their partner – The Single goes to where their new partner is and breaks up their old couple to join them. The player that was now left out of that couple, becomes the new Single!

Relax Your Mind And Go Outside

By Lan Rahne / April 9, 2021 April 16, 2021

We’ve been quarantined for quite a while now, and it hasn’t been the easiest. Less social interaction has left a mark on many of us in the last year. Let’s look at what we can do to combat this epidemy of loneliness.

Being alone ≠ being lonely

While being by ourselves might seem like the most dreadful thing in the world, it really isn’t all that bad. Only when we’re by ourselves we can really get to know ourselves. Take this time and try to understand your thoughts. Really get to know them. No judgement, don’t try to say “this thought is good, this thought is bad” or “I shouldn’t be thinking about this!”, just let your thoughts be. Realize that your thoughts are just that: thoughts, nothing more. You’ll soon find that being on your own isn’t half as bad as you thought it was.

Connect with the nature around you

Go outside! If you live in the city, go to a park. If you live on the countryside, go to the woods. And just experience nature in all of its purity. Studies show that going outside and experiencing nature has a range of impacts on our cognitive function and health. From better memory to improvements in attention, impulse inhibition, and overall mood. So why not use this to your advantage!

And then, connect with Coupling!

And, when we finally overcome the situation we’re currently in, connect with your friends. Connect with them in a pure, non-clinging way. Really listen to them and find out more about them and how they think and feel. And here, we can help. We’ve designed Coupling especially so that you can connect with your co-players in a fun and exciting way. When it comes to it (and when the game is finally out!), give it a shot and see for yourself!

When It Seems Like You’ve Already Won: Finish Line

By Lan Rahne / April 6, 2021 April 6, 2021

You and your partner got through the third stage, and it seems like this is it: you’ve already won! Right? Well, not really. Not just yet. There is one more hurdle that you have to overcome: The Finish Line.

How do you get through the Finish Line?

First, you pick two stage one cards (they come in pairs). Now everyone playing has to answer what they think your answer to the question would be. But the real challenge falls on you: You must find your partner’s answer. If you manage to find it, you guys have won! Otherwise, you go back one step and another couple gets the chance to win.

Others might try to sabotage you and try to write something that your partner would write. Your partner, on the other hand, can try to write an obvious message that will tell you it’s them. You’ll have to prove that you and your partner have what it takes to win Coupling! Even though, you know, it’s not all about winning, it’s about having fun and all that…

Next week, we’re looking at a special type of player that appears only in games with an odd number of players – Singles!

Who Said You Need Couples To Play Coupling?

By Lan Rahne / April 2, 2021 April 3, 2021

Everyone can play Coupling, not just Couples!

Looking at its name, Coupling seems like a game made exclusively for couples. And if you look at the gameplay, it can still seem like it’s made for couples. And couples can very well enjoy the game, too! But the point of the game really isn’t just coupling in that sense of the word, though.

Play it with your neighbors, friends or family!

You might have a fun backyard party for a bunch of your friends or a small family get-together. Either way, you can be sure that Coupling will make the hangout seem almost effortless! Before you know it, your aunt Lucy will be bonding with your partner over their shared love of watching pimple popping videos on YouTube (and you’ll be asking yourself what have you gotten yourself into).

Or anyone, really!

Or, you might find yourself in a hostel with lots of new people you want to meet, or even at a company team-building party. Whip out that Coupling and you’ll soon find a way to bond with whoever you’re playing with! You can make the initial step of getting to know someone fun and completely casual.

Connection is essential.

What is essential to the whole Coupling experience, is connecting with your co-players. That can be on a romantic or a completely platonic level. It really doesn’t matter, in the end. What matters is that you get to know each other – and have lots of fun along the way!

Stage Three: Time to Get to Know Your Partner!

By Lan Rahne / March 29, 2021 April 2, 2021

And now, we’re nearing the end of the game. You are now in only one couple! There is a change of objectives in this stage: you must put yourself into your partner’s shoes.

Divide and Answer

First, every couple has to divide into groups A and B, so that half of players belong to group A, and the other half to group B. When you’re playing with an uneven amount of players, someone will have to play as a “Single” at this stage. They’ll have special rules to play by, and we’ll look into those next week.

Unite the Couple

Next, the player whose turn it is takes a card and reads it out loud. Now, let’s say that this player belongs to group A. Everyone in group A now writes down the answer to the question and hides it. Then, one of the members of group A collects the answers and reads them to the members of group B. Finally, they must now figure out the answer that belongs to their partner!

If they figure out which answer belongs to their partner, their couple can move forward. If they don’t, they stay in their place. Then, they change roles. The partner that belongs to group B answers the question, and the group A partner tries to find it!

There is More Than Just One Challenge

Similarly to stage two, stage three offers many different types of challenges while keeping the same purpose of finding your partner. You might have to choose between multiple choice answers. You might have to figure out which koala bear your partner drew or what party they wrote about. Or, you might just have to unriddle what your partner saw in a Rorschach blot.

Either way, you’re going to see if you can actually think like the partner that stayed with you for the entirety of the game. And if you can get to the Finish Line together before everyone else!

Amazing results from the Coupling survey!

By Lan Rahne / March 26, 2021 March 26, 2021

The Coupling Survey Mashup of Game Beta Looks

So pretty recently, we’ve had a bunch of possible visual representations of Coupling. But, they were quite drastically different from each other! We couldn’t decide which look we liked the most, so we issued the Coupling visual survey! We wanted to see what the so-called outside perspective on the game was. And we were surprised to find that the results were similar to what we thought of the game, already!

The two main themes were:

The Puzzles Theme (the I Think I Know You version and the Best Evening Host version)

And The Funky Feet Theme

First, everyone created an impression of every visual concept by itself.

Not just in terms of how much they like them, but also in terms of what they remind them of. The I Think I Know You concept reminded most people of a game of getting to know each other (63% of interviewees). The Best Evening Host version seemed to most a game of entertaining people (68%), and more than a half of interviewees seemed to think of The Funky Feet Theme as a mainly funny game, with some of them noting that the concept reminded them of games such as Exploding Kittens.

Then, they decided in terms of the game itself.

After that, the survey attendees had the chance to read a short presentation of the game. Then they could decide which visual concept they think is the most suitable for the game by rating them from 1 to 5. And here, it became clear which concept we would go with in the end. I Think I Know You beat the competition by a long shot, with 65% of votes rating it 4 and 5. The Best Evening Host got 49% of votes in the same range, and The Funky Feet Theme 33%.

And so, the Coupling survey mostly decided the visual look of Coupling. Just now, we’re finishing the final look of the game, which will include what we think are the best bits of every concept. Stay tuned, some major visual news are coming very soon!

Lan Rahne