In 100 years, what aspect of current Cincinnati life might people want to remember with a monument? Could it be…
Pop idols 98 Degrees? The endless debate on whether or not the city should have built its streetcar? The equally endless debate on whether Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame despite being banned from baseball?
Thanks to When Pigs Fly: A Card Game for Cincinnati Cynics, the answer is now up to you. Created by local startup CityNova and released in June, the game consists of a deck of cards containing 60 questions (like the one above) and 240 answers. It is inspired by but not affiliated with Cards Against Humanity, the national party game whose website emphasizes the game’s rudeness.
Like its infamous (and delightfully crude) muse, When Pigs Fly is all about completing a provided statement with the most fitting, absurd or humorous response possible, with players taking turns selecting a winning retort.
Among the response cards: “Having scandalous thoughts about Nada’s queso and guac” and “Claiming ‘at least we’re not the Browns’ at the end of every Bengals season.”
CityNova founders Kyle Gundrum and Matt Teaford — both lifelong Cincinnatians and alumni of the University of Cincinnati — say the game aims to foster conversation about the Queen City while garnering a few laughs.
“We made all of the content Cincinnati-related so the game engenders community pride in that it incites conversations and stories about all things Cincinnati,” Gundrum says. “We like the Cards Against Humanity approach specifically because it’s a unique format that gives people the opportunity to laugh about things that are normally controversial or taboo.”
Gundrum and Teaford founded the first variation of CityNova, Ignitus, in August 2014. Former fraternity brothers, the two reconnected over beers at Brothers Bar & Grill in Newport. Finding themselves surrounded by people glued to their iPhones, the two began discussing a simple idea: how to help people make meaningful connections.
In pursuit of that mission, CityNova hosts a variety of activities aimed at bringing people together, including themed Nova Nights at various Cincinnati bars that feature games, food, drinks and music. Quirky feature articles on various aspects of the city are also published on their website, citynova.co.
In April, their startup hosted a Cards Against Humanity night at Myrtle’s Punch House, which more than 50 people attended. At the event, they mentioned the possibility of a locally themed game that would use the same premise — an idea they first had and began working on in June 2015. They received immediate support.
The duo spent about two weeks developing content for the game and another two designing and publishing the cards, and the project was financed with personal funds. They launched When Pigs Fly in June.
“We stuck with small production runs the first time around since we weren’t able to front the money for 1,000-plus sets initially,” Gundrum says. “We’ve since used the revenue from early game sales to order more.”
In total, they came up with around 500 different ideas for questions and responses, which they whittled down to 300. Gundrum says extra ideas were saved for a possible expansion.
CityNova commemorated When Pigs Fly’s June 11 launch with a game night at Moerlein Taproom. For a second event last week, more than 30 people came out to Rhinegeist to answer questions like, “What is my perfect Cincinnati night out?” and “What distracted me from watching the Bengals game?”
Gundrum and Teaford are currently taking suggestions about the game into account, and a few cards will likely be tweaked in future batches.
“I have loved watching friends sitting around playing the game taking five minutes for each round, because they get caught up in telling stories,” Gundrum says.
“In an age when people get so easily offended, I want this game to be a platform for everyone to laugh at our differences, no matter how obvious they might be,” Teaford adds.
For more info about WHEN PIGS FLY, visit citynova.co.
