
Friends and Strangers is out.
Friends and Strangers is a game that has been developed by åbäke and Per
Hüttner to inspire new conversations. It includes 54 cards and 108
questions or tasks to be carried out by strangers to become friends and
by friends to go deeper into friendship. Use it to turn a stranger into a
friend (by getting to know them) or turn a friend into a stranger (by
revealing unknown aspects of their inner worlds.) In order to make the
most of the experience, we invite you to try to surprise yourself and
thereby surprising others.
How it works:
There are no correct answers in this game, just an infinite number of
reflections to share. Strangers and Friends has no losers, only
players. Each card you draw has a question that
you discuss with the other players for as long as you like. Or it has
a task that you carry out if you so wish. It is designed to be used in
any situation: with your sister, at a family gathering or holiday, on a
date or on a train. When you play Strangers and Friends you are NOT your
values. You can test your own priorities. Why not try a stance that
normally isn’t your own? Opposing positions should be fun. Make it your
utmost priority to listen to the other person’s views. Agreeing is by no
means a prerequisite. Rhetoric is welcomed, but synthesis of different
opinions is not necessary. The mantra is “thesis, antithesis and
prosthesis” rather than “thesis, antithesis and synthesis.” Avoid
politics, social media and by all means polarisation between points of
view. Prioritise curiosity, discovery and sharing rather than
criticality. The goal is to have fun together, rather than striving to
appear brilliant in front of others. Listening is more important than
speaking (especially on a date!) and exchange more important than each
person’s values and opinions. If you feel that you are being attacked,
voice it. It does not mean that the other person is attacking you, it is
time to move on to the next question. You can skip any question or
activity that is not to your liking or that the circumstances make hard
to carry out.
The publication has been supported by Längmanska kulturfonden and was
published for Curatorial Mutiny’s 20th anniversary. Order your copy (12
euros + P&P) by dropping us a line on info [at] visionforum.eu.