At its core, Morbid Curiosity is simple: draw a card, respond to a question, and see where the conversation goes.

  • The two types of cards serve different rhythms. Trivia helps get people out of their heads, and keeps the game flowing. Conversation cards often open space for story, deeper sharing, and playfulness.

    White Conversation Cards
    These cards are personal, intimate, reflective, and sometimes unexpected. They often slow the pace of the game and open space for deeper conversation. Anyone may pass on a question at any time.

    Black Trivia Cards
    These cards include questions drawn from history, science, mythology, language origins, culture, and other death-adjacent curiosities. Most are multiple choice, with some true/false questions to keep play moving. Everyone can answer the trivia question. The correct answer is on the bottom of the card.

    Black All Play Cards
    These cards invite players to think creatively, make lists, or offer irreverent and imaginative responses. They add a bit of collaborative and fast-paced play.

Play is about 45 minutes up to 2 hours depending on the size of the group and how deeply the group wants to engage. Our rules are simple and easily adjustable to your group's style and available time. The game can be played by 2-10 players.

Play

  • Place the White and Black decks side by side on a table.

  • Choose a player to go first. We often start with the person wearing the most black. That’s a tough call in our group. You could also choose the person who just had a birthday.

  • That player decides which deck to draws a card from and reads the question aloud for the group to respond to. Black cards are trivia and white cards are conversation.

  • After the question has been answered, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, points can be awarded if you’re playing for points, and play continues clockwise.

  • If you are not sure how to interpret a question, the card reader has the power to decide what is being asked.

  • Sometimes it takes a question or two to warm up. That’s normal. It loosens up quickly.

  • As for when to stop, you can play a timed game, a scored game, or just keep talking until the conversation naturally winds down.

Scoring (Optional)

The winner is the first player to collect 7 cards/points and claim the title of “Most Morbid”.

Points are less about competition and more about rewarding engagement, creativity, and presence in the group. Here’s how to award them:

  • Trivia cards are awarded 1 point for a correct answer. Everyone can earn a point in this round.

  • Conversation cards are awarded 1 point by the card reader to the most unique, touching, or whatever inspires the card reader, response.

  • “All Play” add a bit of collaborative and fast-paced play and are awarded 1 point to the most entertaining or unique answers.

If experience is any guide, you’ll quickly find the competition dissolves into storytelling, laughter, and curiosity about each other rather than winning.

Alternative ways to play

  • Couples Play: This is less “let’s play a game” and more “what do we actually talk about when we’re not distracted?” Couples draw cards together and let each prompt do its job.

  • Let Fate Decide: Shuffle the decks and pull a card. No planning, just whatever comes up.

  • Surprise Each Other: Draw a card and text the question to your partner during the day, adding a small moment of curiosity, reflection, or humor to everyday life, and continue the conversation later in person.

  • Dinner Party: Leave a card on each plate for dinner parties.

  • Fast Paced: Set a timer and see how many trivia cards you can get through in a set amount of time. Keep it moving.

  • More Competitive: Trivia card points are awarded only to the first person to answer correctly. Speed matters, so don’t hold back.

  • Highly Competitive: Don’t read the multiple choice answers on the trivia cards, just the question. They either know it or they don’t. This is super challenging. It might be great though if you are with a bunch of death workers or goths.

As we're fond of rule breakers, we encourage you to make up your own rules and share them with us.

  • Absolutely. Many players find that the mix of trivia and conversation makes it easier to connect with new people.

  • We’ve found that some of the best games happen when different generations play together. Young people are often more curious about death than adults expect, and the game creates space for sharing stories, perspectives, and questions.

    With that in mind we recommend ages 13+, though every young person is different.

  • Based on feedback from those who have played the game, we’d say yes. Many people who are actively grieving, or who feel sensitive around death-related topics, actually find this format more approachable than expected. There’s no pressure to answer any question, you are always free to pass, pause, or simply listen. The game allows people to engage at their own pace, which can make it easier to approach topics that might otherwise feel too heavy or direct. For some, it becomes a gentle entry point into conversations they haven’t been able to have elsewhere.

  • That’s completely okay. Players can always pass, skip a card, or move on without explanation. The game works best when everyone feels in control of their own participation.

  • Yes. You’re always in control of the experience—skip, set aside, or re-draw anytime. There’s no requirement to use every card.

  • All of our decks can be played on their own or shuffled together with any other Morbid Curiosity deck.

    If you mix them, each deck has their own icon that makes it easy to unshuffle them again.