We spend years, and some times our entire lifetime, thinking we know the people in our lives; the ones closest to our hearts. But what if we tell you that a single card game has the power to make you start all over again? There is, in fact, a way you can get to know them to the core (for real this time), and it’s called Al Ra2y Al Talet.

Al Ra2y Al Talet is an Arabic card game that sparks disruptive debates revolving around gender and sex. Karim Karim, the game’s creator, filled it all with questions and role-plays about controversial topics; such as gender roles, sexual harassment, and marriage, that are all considered taboos in modern-day Egypt. The interesting thing about this game is that it all started as Karim’s graduation project.

The former AUCian, who studied graphic design and film, knew exactly what he wanted to do for his thesis when everyone else had no clue. He might not have had a fully-rounded idea at the beginning, but he knew for sure he wanted to discuss something disruptive and controversial. 

“I wanted to push boundaries,” he told us. Karim thinks that his generation underwent the most cultural and religious dilemmas. He even opened up about how growing up was very confusing, especially that he went from an Islamic school to a very liberal one. His continuous quest for answers was the main driver that pushed him to come up with this game.

“I wanted people to really start questioning their beliefs,” he said. “Why do we think the way we do? How does the way we’re raised affect the way we think? What makes me who I am today? Would I be a different person if I grew up in a different household? And this is where I started”, he explained.

After coming up with the idea of the card game aimed at promoting critical thinking, he narrowed it down to gender and sex topics; things that, in spite of their major influence on our society, are frowned upon. He then carried on and did some research for his paper, which caused him to witness real-life experiences where people have been put in “cruel situations”, as he described.

As the game was all about role-play, Karim had to come up with situational questions, which he admitted was very difficult for him as he had to let go of his bias. “I didn’t want to ask the question in a way that directs the player,” Karim told us. “Some questions are very specific, and others are very vague to take the discussion a further step.” 

The final step in his project was the design. Inspired by the iconic shield of Mars and mirror of Venus, Karim came up with a fun, edgy design that had an arabesque-like feel.

When Karim’s friends started asking him about Al Ra2y Al Talet, and then they told their friends, and their friends told their friends, he thought to himself that he could turn it into something. Of course, at the time, turning it into a project wasn’t an idea that crossed his mind. But when people showed interest, he thought about giving it a shot as a side project. To his surprise, the card game boomed all of a sudden and people started sending him videos of them playing it.

“Two of my friends actually almost broke up after the game because they realised how different their mindsets are,” he told us. “Some might say that it’s a bad thing, but I think it’s amazing to get to know the people around you on a different level, especially because of the booming divorce rates that result from not talking about subjects like the ones in the game. I’ve played it with people I’ve known my entire life, and we were all shocked to see how we are so different when it comes to certain things.”

If Al Ra2y Al Talet tickles your fancy and sounds like something you’d like to try on game night. You can order yours now via Instagram.