Open Up

Share.
Feel.
Connect.

A conversation game for families, friends, and carers.

This board game is designed to encourage people - and particularly those at a later stage in life - to Open Up and share their stories and memories through conversations.

It includes a set of elegantly illustrated cards to help trigger memories and reflect on life and stories through associations. It can be played between family members, friends, solo or in a care setting.

Open Up creates the space and time for people to converse, share, feel and above all, connect.

Social connectedness is crucial for older adults' well-being, combating isolation and loneliness. However, meaningful conversations with ageing loved ones can be challenging, often remaining superficial.

This was a common challenge for Lisa, a professional carer in Melbourne, who often struggled to engage her clients, including Erica, an 89-year-old woman she would meet twice a week. Questions like "How are you?" or "What did you do today?" often led to short, disheartening responses from Erica, such as "Nothing. I slept," or "I just sat on my bum the whole day. I'm so old!"

Inspired by this situation, we created Open Up – a conversation game with illustrated cards designed to trigger memories and reflections, creating space for genuine connections. When Lisa and Erica trialed Open Up, the results were remarkable. Playing for 30-40 minutes twice a week over five weeks, they experienced meaningful conversations, shared memories, and even engaged in real-life activities together.

One particularly touching moment arose when discussing a card depicting fish and chips. This led Erica to share stories about working in her uncle's fish and chip shop, eventually resulting in a cooking session where she taught Lisa her secret for crispy batter. The experience created a lasting memory, with a photo of their cooking adventure prominently displayed on Erica's dresser.

Open Up offers numerous benefits for older adults:

Increases social engagement and cognitive stimulation
Improves verbal fluency and maintains richer vocabulary
Reduces stress by triggering beneficial neurotransmitters
Enhances overall health and well-being

Both Lisa and Erica reported feeling more connected and looking forward to their meetings, highlighting the game's positive impact. This underscores how social interactions and meaningful connections can significantly improve health outcomes for people of all ages, including lower rates of chronic illness, better cognitive health, and increased longevity.

Note: While we can't share the photo of Erica and Lisa's cooking adventure (Erica sadly passed away in June 2022 before we could get her consent), we can share something just as special - Erica's secret for the crispiest fish batter! She was thrilled for Lisa to pass it on: "Mix equal parts of cake flour, corn-starch, and regular flour. That's the key to perfectly crispy fish and chips, just like I used to make in my uncle's shop!"

The card that sparked the conversation about the secret for the best chips between Erica and Lisa.

The Open Up project was recognised for its contribution to creative ageing and received a development grant in September 2022 from the Adelaide chapter of the Awesome Foundation.