From Six Cards to a Small (we hope) Empire: How my Grandsons and I unexpectedly became game designers

It started the way most great inventions do - quietly, simply, unexpectedly. It was 2 energetic grandsons, 1 gray-haired grandmother, 6 slightly bent playing cards, and 1 lonely die that rolled off the table more times than we can count (12- and 7-year-olds are enthusiastic dice rollers!). We weren’t trying to invent a game - we were just having fun.

But Gen Z young people (or maybe they are Gen Alpha?) have forward-thinking minds that inspire them to turn “let’s just play something” into “let’s build an entire universe.”

Fast‑forward one year and our humble little pastime had evolved into a 180‑card, 10‑dice, fast‑paced, easy‑to-learn, ages‑5‑to‑95 extravaganza. The kind of game where the rules are simple, the laughter is loud, and the dice still roll off the table no matter how big the table is (somethings never change).

Somewhere between version 12 and version “I lost count,” I realized we weren’t just making a game—together we were building something bigger. Our creative endeavor was teaching my grandsons the importance of entrepreneurship, artistic design, customer service, and financial accountability.

But the real treasure wasn’t the game itself. It was the time spent together sitting around the kitchen table, laughing, having fun, drinking Moxie (if you’re from Maine, you know!), and learning that big dreams often start with small, silly ideas.

My hope is that long after the cards are dog‑eared and the dice are chipped (or still somewhere on the floor), my grandsons remember this: You can build anything with imagination, teamwork, and the courage to try. And the best things in life are the ones you create together.