The New Game from Esther Perel
(We Cannot Stop Playing)
It’s called Where Should We Begin? A Game of Stories, and the idea is simple. It’s a series of prompts and questions to ask one another that spark real revelation—and thus conversation (and, often, hilarity). “The last thing I looked at that I wasn’t supposed to…,” “I feel most attractive when…,” “I think the concept of marriage is…,” and hundreds of other really good prompts spur surprising answers from even the people you think you know through and through. (Perel, whose wildly popular podcast is also called Where Should We Begin?, vetted them exhaustively with a who’s-who list of therapists, thinkers, and friends.)
Perel says that stories are essential to our relationships. “The pandemic left us missing intimacy and play. The game is designed to help us connect and reconnect in a time of social atrophy.”
Esther Perel
WHERE SHOULD WE BEGIN – A GAME OF STORIES
goop, $40SHOP NOW
We’ve been playing it with everyone we know—family, friends, and romantic partners—making ordinary afternoons or evenings together more meaningful and more fun. It’s even great among strangers: At the launch party, Perel placed a random card at each guest’s place, and the conversations they engendered were far deeper and more “real” than ones you’d have at any party, let alone a press launch.
So: Throw a spring party! We’ve designed three parties around the game here—a family get-together, a romantic date night, and a friends’ brunch—but, of course, the possibilities for getting creative are truly endless.
FAMILY DINNER
Omit the sex-related cards (they’re marked in pink, so it’s easy), gather around the table, and prepare to get to know the people you think you know in a totally new way. An especially fun combination is grandparents and teenagers.
Emporio Sirenuse
Sun Dinner Plate
goop, $150SHOP NOW
Alexis Steelwood
Go Long Party Board
goop, $400SHOP NOW
Mepra
Dolce Vita 2-Piece Salad Set
goop, $180SHOP NOW
The Green Vase
Floribunda Rose Plant
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Roman and Williams Guild
Kaneko Kohyo Rinka Mug
goop, $50SHOP NOW
Lady M New York
Signature Mille Crêpes
goop, $123SHOP NOW
DATE NIGHT
We imagined holding this one outside on a warm night, but every element works just as well inside (except, depending on your space, the hammock). Make sure to include the pink-labeled, sexier cards in the deck—they’re spot-on.
Emporio Sirenuse
Flower Dinner Plate
goop, $150SHOP NOW
Estelle
Regal Flute, Set of 2
goop, $100SHOP NOW
Business & Pleasure Co.
Hammock
goop, $299SHOP NOW
Roman and Williams Guild
Reed Candlestick
4.25″
goop, $370SHOP NOW
BALMUDA
BALMUDA The Lantern
goop, $149SHOP NOW
TENSIRA
Handwoven Bedroll
goop, $325SHOP NOW
FRIENDS’ BRUNCH
Connecting through storytelling might sound like what you already do with your friends, but trust us: The game deepens the exchange into something next-level and, in our experience, supremely funny. (You might want to leave out the sexy cards for this one—or you might not.)
goop
Fair Trade Specialty Coffee
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Pala Ceramics
Carafe & Pour Over Coffee Set
goop, $120SHOP NOW
Trendglas JENA
Large German Glass Mug
goop, $22SHOP NOW
goop x Alexis Steelwood
goop-Exclusive Holiday Serving Board
goop, $250SHOP NOW
Ghia
Non-Alcoholic Apéritif
goop, $33SHOP NOW
La DoubleJ
Dinner Plates, Set of 2
goop, $155SHOP NOW
