Before you draw it
Death is one of the sensitive cards in the 16+ deck. Every card has two sides, so a player who draws Death can turn it over and play the Phone instead. A player can also pass. Agree together how passing works before the game starts, so nobody has to explain a pass when it happens.
Why Death is in the deck
Death is the one thing every player will face, and one of the hardest to talk about at a dinner table. It can bring a story about a grandparent, a pet or a first funeral. With the pass rule in place, it’s allowed in the 16+ box.
How people read it differently
A long forum thread asked people who aren’t scared of death to give their reasons (Mumsnet). Some described it as natural, no different from the time before they were born. Others said the fear isn’t about their own end. It’s about leaving the people they love.
Those two readings change the story a player tells. One talks about calm. The other talks about someone they’d leave behind, or someone who left them. Both are full answers.
The other side: Phone
The back of the card is a Phone. It was picked for trust, checking and being always reachable. A study of couples found that trust gets read two ways: as open access to each other’s phones, or as never needing to look (arXiv 2024).
The Phone side is a lighter way to play this card. It can bring a first phone, a call that changed a day, or the person whose number is still saved.
How to play this card
Draw the card. Choose a side: Death or Phone. Roll the die. Look at the word from that side.
The die has six faces: MEMORIES, BODY, PEOPLE, VALUES, CHILDHOOD, FUTURE. Say as much or as little as feels right. A short answer is a full answer.
The others ask what they’re curious about, gently, without judging. Good questions are short and open: What did that feel like? Who else was there? Has it always meant that to you?
What is said at the table stays at the table.
Related words
Death sits in the Values cluster with Luck, Fairness, Honesty and Freedom. Read about the deck and the rules, or try a round online. The sources are on the research page.