Because of nodules on her vocal chords Rhea Zakich was ordered by her doctor to stop speaking for several months.  In her cone of silence she felt estranged from the world, especially from her family.  During this time she came to the painful conclusion that she knew so little about her husband and sons.  In turn, they didn't know her deepest thoughts and feelings.

One night she sat down with a stack of empty cards and began writing questions she wanted to ask her family members, as well as questions she wanted asked of her.  She wrote one question per card.  Some were light and airy such as, "What is your favorite gift you ever received?"  Others were more introspective about fears, angers, doubts, and successes.

She ended up with a pile of 200 questions.  In that moment the idea came to her to use them in a board game with dice.

The family started with the lighter questions the first night they played the game.  They had to wait for her to write her answers out, but she finally felt more a part of the family.  When they delved into the more thought provoking questions, they all gained much greater understanding of each other.  It was such a pleasurable experience that they played it again the very next night.

The Ungame creates a safe place to express oneself because no one is allowed to interrupt with a comment or question while the person is speaking. Every family Rhea shared the game with loved what it did for their communication.

The Ungame would be a great way to start or end family meetings.  The feelings that come up in the game may be conducive to introducing "Say What's Wrong and Make It Right" for dealing with those situations.

The published game has sold over four million copies.  To find out more about the Ungame go to www.rheazakich.com .