Serious Play Card Deck

SOUTH AFRICANS - USE PAYMENT LINKS BELOW

Two hundred decks. Hand-numbered, 001 to 200. The first ever made, and the only ones that will carry these numbers. When they are gone, they are gone.

What you are actually buying

Not a card game. A reason to talk to the person next to you.

Department of Serious Play is a deck of Quests: small, doable dares that turn ordinary moments into stories.

• Give a stranger a genuine compliment.
• Text the friend you have been meaning to text for a year.
• Sit in silence for five minutes and notice what happens.

You do the Quest. Then you hand the card on, and it keeps going without you. Forever. The deck is built to be given away. The movement is the movement.

How it works

No rules. Just Quests. Your one job: give them all away.

1. Draw a Quest. Give someone a specific card or let them choose at random. This is their Quest and they become a “Player”. Quests are never homework, but they can challenge.
2. Pass it on. The Player keeps the card until their Quest is complete, then passes it on to the next Player.
3. Watch it travel. All Players can scan the QR code and watch their impact as the Quest moves through the world.

Quest teasers

Three of the fifteen:

• Freedom is now yours. The one Quest you are allowed to keep, because you may need it to finish the others.
• Text an old friend. Message the friend you have been meaning to text for a while, then pass it on.
• Make someone's day. Ever wished someone a good day? Now you can do it with authority.

The other twelve you will meet when the deck arrives.

Watch the cards travel

Scan your cards into your profile so they are registered as yours. As you pass them on, watch them move. From a bench in Madrid to a bar in Brooklyn, the kilometres are tracked the whole way.

“A stranger told me I have a golden smile. And then walked on.”

“Did the eye-contact Quest with my best friend. Feeling connected.”

You let go of them. They keep going. You are not joining a movement. You are starting one.

What lands on your doorstep

• 15 Quest cards, including one Freedom License: the single card you are allowed to keep.
• An instructions card, so the first Quest is never confusing.
• A pouch to carry, and a box to shelve.
• Your number, written by hand. 001 to 200. No two the same.

Why the Founding 200

This is the first run. Two hundred decks, hand-numbered, signed and packed by me. After this, the decks change. Different art, no numbers, just sold to whoever finds them. So these 200 are the only ones that will ever carry the provenance of where this all started.

You are not buying early. You are buying first. Your number is yours forever. It lives in your profile and follows your cards wherever they travel next.

One note from the person who made this

This was an idea I'd had for years, making notes in my phone, never really thinking I'd do anything about it. Then, burned out from my last startup, I took a sabbatical. Which mostly meant travelling South America and doing whatever I wanted. And that is where Department of Serious Play was born.

Over seven months of travel, iterating on this passion project, I watched these cards create so many smiles, laughs, awkward moments, a couple of tears, dance-offs, and a few angry grunts (when I skip the queue). The main thing I noticed: the cards opened up the world as a playground, in ways I could not have imagined.

You are not just customers to me. You are the first 200 people who decided this was a thing worth doing. Thanks for getting these cards moving. And keep playing, seriously.

Daniel
Department of Serious Play

What early players say

“I let a friend choose a card. He had fought in several wars and was pretty wrecked inside. He picked the hug-a-stranger card, so we hugged for thirty seconds, and he started crying. Then he told me he was already excited about who to pass it on to.”
Zach, early player

“I handed them out all over a festival and lost a few while I was running around having fun. When can I get more?”
Emily, early player

“They put you in this curious, excited headspace. You stop walking around stuck in your own problems, and start thinking about what you could do for the people around you.”
Deca, early player

Shipping & delivery

Every deck ships from Cape Town via DHL Express in July 2026. International customers may pay a small courier clearance fee (typically $10–15) on delivery in addition to shipping. We're working on a US fulfillment hub to remove this, so the Founding 200 is the only batch where it applies. Read the full shipping & delivery policy →

FAQ

What is a Quest?
A small real-world action on a card. Do it, then pass the card to someone else. That is the whole game. No winning, no scoring.

Are the Quests trackable?
Yes. Each card has a unique QR code, which can be scanned as the cards travel through different corners of the planet.

Who is behind this?
Department of Serious Play, a small independent project started by Daniel while on sabbatical, travelling South America. The Founding 200 is the first product.

When does my deck ship?
July 2026. The decks are made after pre-orders close, so every one can be numbered and checked by hand. You get an email the day yours ships.

Why pre-order instead of buy now?
The first 200 are made to order, in one batch. Pre-ordering is how you hold your number before someone else does.

What are the cards made of?
High quality and laminated. Designed to be handled, passed around, and survive in your wallet on a night out.

Can I buy more than one?
Yes. A second deck is a second number, and makes a very good gift.

What if I am not in South Africa?
Decks ship worldwide from South Africa. Your shipping cost is shown at checkout.