Title: Finding Calm
Manufacturer: Rabble
Medium: Card Game
Ages: 14+
Players: 1-4
Game Length: 15 Minutes
Price: $24.99
Most games you play have a genre, story, and sometimes rigorous gameplay and it has one goal in mind to come out on top and win. Well, though not traditional to some of these guidelines, the card game Finding Calm has one thing right, and that’s to win. Not win, the campaign or hit end credits, but to win a better you.
Finding Calm was created with you, the player, in mind. To bring some clarity and sound insight on how you can better yourself, the surroundings you inhabit, and the people entering your space. With the goal of leading, you into a more peaceful and mindful life than the one you may currently reside in.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of Finding Calm. Rabble made no stipulations upon review, nor read it prior to publication.
Analysis
Finding Calm is an oracle inspired card game that was developed alongside Dr. Silvi Guerra. She is a licensed psychologist as well as an author. She utilizes techniques and games to use at her private practice to help make her treatments more positive and engaging. I can attest that after playing this a few times through it definitely creates a more thought-provoking stance on how you might perceive yourself and how you can potentially improve it in a more constructive and positive manner.
What’s Included
Inside the box:
- Guidebook
- 15 Cards
- 3 Separate Envelopes Containing 12 Unlockable Cards
Gameplay
The player will shuffle the cards and begin by deciding what to do.
Actions you can take:
- Flip a card and decide where you want to place the card on a 3 x 3 grid.
- Discard a card
- Move a card to another spot that is vacant or has a card that has been flipped.
Once you have a card you look at the symbols on each side. You will either have a moon or a sun present. If you have a moon, you will take no action and if you have a sun, you will flip the card directly on that boarder in which the card encounters. So, if you had a sun on the top and on the bottom of the card and moons on the right and the left and you placed the card in the middle of the 3 x 3 grid, the cards located above and below it would flip only. You will continue playing cards until you either run out or are satisfied with the results. Your goal is to try and have one card remaining up, but multiple can still be present.
You will then consult the guidebook for answers. You will read the card name and locate it in the book. Once located, you will have 3 different choices for that card based on location in the 3 x 3 grid. Top row, middle row, or bottom row will determine the page you will read from. These words will provide you with something to reflect on during your day. The more you play the more potential secrets can be unlock in the unopened envelopes with additional cards.
If you play with more people instead of on your own, you take turns laying down your cards. Once you are done you can choose from any of the face up cards to read from the guidebook to receive something to reflect on for the day. The game is very simple in rules and light on gameplay. It’s like playing a very cozy game versus a high action intense game. Anyone can easily maneuver through setup and gameplay.
My Example
An example of my first playthrough gave me a card called, “The Arrow,” and that card was in the bottom row. I grabbed the guidebook to find this card and the intention it had to offer me. It was entitled, “Workspace that Works,” which gave me thoughts about the spaces I occupy and how different environments can change me in various ways. It was thought-provoking and made me look at the places I frequent and how its space defines me. These little topic starters are laced throughout and are a welcomed notion in my busy life.
Final Score
Final Thoughts:
If you were looking for an intense or competitive card game this is definitely not for you, but if you seek to improve your lifestyle, your mental state, reduce stress or anxiety, or give yourself some self-motivation this is a game that could help you strive for that. Sometimes games are about winning in your own life not just for pure entertainment. So, if you want an easy going card game that helps give you intentions to keep you focused and aware of your actions and thoughts Finding Calm may be the right candidate for you.
I also wanted to mention that I have played another game made by Rabble in which I had an interview with George the owner of Rabble Games. It is a series about my Kickstarter adventures so please check out the article as well as the game Lovestruck.
Share your reactions below or join the conversation on the Boss Rush Discord.
Shane Kelley is a Senior writer for Boss Rush Network, as well as a writer for Another Zelda Podcast. His favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You can find him on X or Bluesky to talk video games, Marvel, cribbage, and axe throwing.
Featured Image: RabbleGame.com
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