Among the many creative ways that one can propose marriage to their loved one, using a beautifully crafted custom tabletop game easily gets our vote. Now that’s not an easy task, yet a man recruited South African illustrator (and fellow tabletop gaming enthusiast) Megan Bird to design and construct a game in order to express the journey of his relationship with his girlfriend — and viola, it all ended in a proposal. Bird notes that The Story of Us was divided into five different areas that represented a significant time in the couple’s history together, and involved them each recalling and reflecting on memories as well as engaging in fantastical role play toward the end.
HOW DID IT WORK?
According to Bird, it was a basic D6 roll and move game where the couple took on the characters of a “drum-playing, axe-wielding bard and his hopefully soon to be fiancé, the fierce archer warrior woman.” Upon entering a new area, each player would receive a magical object meant to recall specific memories, “notably the bride received a companion animal her trusty llama.” Some spaces would require the use of Action/Distraction cards which referenced the couple’s idiosyncrasies, “things like her inability to escape the charms of any and every puppy that crosses her path, her fondness for sour worms and her passion for creativity.”
ANY RULES?
Yes of course, it’s a game! The Story of Us came complete with a rule book that explained the main icons on the map and outlined a few simple rules about when to pick up Action/Distraction cards, when to advance, and when to backtrack.
WHAT ABOUT THE PROPOSAL?
That element came in at the end of the game, where the two characters found themselves in the middle of the board at the Spider King’s mountain lair. “She had to battle the Spider King and rescue the Bard, who had been kidnapped earlier in the game,” Bird told us. “Upon her arrival at his mountain lair she realized she had just moments to defeat the evil King using the arsenal of magical objects she had collected on the way. And as she stood outside the mountain lair with her trusty spirit animal by her side, the Bard, having witnessed her bravery and triumph over all the obstacles, had only one question to ask.”
LET’S SEE THE WHOLE THING
Aside from the obvious thought that went into designing such a unique and romantic game, one of the most practical thoughtful elements is the packaging. It was designed to keep the game safe and display it on the wall as an artwork, together with the cards and character pieces.
Wow. This certainly made our day, and here’s to more custom board game making! The imagination, scope, simplicity, and attention to detail that went into The Story of Us is inspiring. Now, be sure to check out more of Megan Bird’s story-driven illustrations via her website and Instagram account.
What’s your favorite game to play with your significant other? Tell us in the comments!
Image Credits: Nicole Olwagen