I ran across Sneaky Cards at Mischief, a geeky toy shop in St. Paul that is something wonderful in and of itself. The blurb on the box describes the game as an interactive scavenger hunt, and the sample card instructs “Take a selfie with a total stranger. When you do: Hand them this card.” I’m an introvert, and I hate selfies, but because I like to challenge myself, I had to buy this deck of cards.
I love it.
The deck includes six different categories:
- Surprise: The easiest cards for introverts, these generally ask you to leave the card someplace where it will be found, such as in a library book or near a famous landmark.
- Connect: These cards do require interaction, such as picking a random word from the dictionary and then giving the card to the next person who says that word. I’ve failed to notice my word, although it is not all that esoteric.
- Care: The cards in this category encourage you to brighten someone’s day by doing things like leaving a generous tip or baking something for a friend.
- Grow: In this group of cards, you’ll be instructed to do things like cracking a code.
- Create: This is the category that artistic people will love best, since it requires you to do things like designing a new sneaky card.
- Engage: I consider this the most daunting group. For example, if I am to complete this deck of cards, I’m going to have to give a speech to at least three strangers in an elevator. That will stretch me more than any of the “Grow” cards will!
No matter what a card tells you to do, when you have completed the challenge, you will give that card to someone or leave it someplace to be discovered.
There are two ways you can play this game. I’m doing it the noncompetitive way: my challenge is simply to give away all of my cards. You also can play with a group of friends, each trying to be the first to get rid of his or her deck.
Whichever way you play, there is an online component that may enhance the experience, though that really depends on the people who receive your cards. Your deck has a unique number, and each card in the deck features your deck number plus a number that represents that particular card. People who get a card from you may go online and register the card so that you can track it. If you’ve participated in BookCrossing, the principle is very much the same. Only one of the six books I “released” through BookCrossing was registered online by its finder, and if he or she re-released that book, it has never turned up in the tracking system again. I’ve played 11 Sneaky Cards, and none of them have been registered yet. This doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the game, but if that sort of thing matters to you, I wouldn’t count on much online feedback as you distribute the cards from your deck.
If you relish a good challenge, seek out a deck of Sneaky Cards and start playing!