How many times have you wished it was easier to explain how you really feel or to understand what a loved one is going through? Misunderstandings don’t always arise from what we say. Often, they emerge from feelings we struggle to name, let alone share in a conversation. Enter EMO+, a board game designed to transform emotional expression into a playful, hands-on experience for everyone, not just therapists or psychologists.
EMO+ started as a tool for adults on the autism spectrum, helping them interpret and express emotions together without the pressure of finding the “right” words. But what began in a neurodiverse context has quickly found a broader purpose. Today, families (including those with teens who’d rather be anywhere than at a family meeting!), friends who process feelings differently, and even couples wanting to break old communication habits are discovering EMO+ as a gentle bridge to shared understanding.
Designer: Jeni Huang
EMO+ looks beautifully simple on your table: tactile figures, soft pastel cards, and a rainbow game board that feels more like a dreamy artwork than a clinical tool. There’s no “winner” in this game. You just progress together, one step at a time. Players start with prompt cards, with real-life situations like “an ignored message” or “a surprise visit.” Each person uses illustrated emotion cards (like “Happy,” “Surprised,” “Doubtful,” or “Disappointed”) to build a story about how a character might feel in that scenario. There’s no right answer. You just get lots of room for everyone to guess, imagine, and explain their choices. This isn’t just ice-breaking; it creates a shared “emotional palette” that makes tricky feelings easier to explore later.
Next, the game turns personal, but without pressure. Players pick a real or imagined disagreement (it could be “Who forgot to do the dishes?” or “Should we try something new on vacation?”), and each chooses their emotional “zone” on the board. EMO+’s board is inspired by research in social robotics. It maps emotions along three axes: Friendly–Hostile, Lively–Calm, and Casual–Formal. Picture a cube of feelings, with each corner representing a climate like “tense,” “cozy,” or “charged.” Players use movement cards to physically “step” toward each other’s zones, moving pawns through this colorful landscape. No one has to defend themselves or debate logic. It’s about seeing where someone else stands and showing direction without words. A card might say “Take 1 step forward,” “Stay in the same place,” or even “Exchange cards with your opponent.” It’s playful, not confrontational.
The combination of touchable pieces, gentle graphics, and a step-by-step flow helps even the most reserved players feel safer opening up. It’s peaceful and sincere, not cheesy or heavy. Rather than replacing conversation, EMO+ paves the way for more honest chats later and helps you recognize feelings even when words are hard to find. Whether you’re a parent wanting to help kids talk about tough days, friends hoping to reconnect more deeply, or a couple wanting to change up old patterns, EMO+ brings a new language to your table. By turning emotions into colors, shapes, movements, and playful choices, it offers all of us a lighter, kinder way to understand each other. Sometimes the best conversations start with a game.
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