Description
Nicaragua in the 1970s had no form of sign language. In 1977, something happened. Fifty deaf children from across the country were brought together to an experimental school in Managua. Without a shared language to express themselves, the children did the only thing they could — they created one. In Sign, we follow a small piece of their journey.
Sign: A Game About Being Understood celebrates the unique circumstances around the birth of Nicaraguan Sign Language. It is half empathy-building exercise and half improv card game. Draw a character from the deck – you’re a deaf kid on your first day of school and your classmates are other kids just like you. At first, you’ll have no way to communicate – no common language – but together, over time, you’ll create one. Rules-lite and with minimal setup, curiosity and a sense of playfulness go a long way in this game. Includes student profile cards, game cards in seven categories, and a facilitator’s guide disguised as the teachers’ lesson plans.
Sign is a card-based storytelling game. In 2015, it was runner up for the Indie RPG Awards’ Most Innovative Game. In 2017, it was runner up for the Indie Game Developer Network’s Game of the Year. It’s historical role-playing themed around the human desire to express one’s self. It is based on the experience of a specific group of people – its focus is not on Deaf culture or American Sign Language.
- For 4-7 players
- Play time: 2 hours
- Includes 72 cards (3.5″ x 6″) and a 32-page facilitator’s guide in a storage box
