Think you know your Coptic Saints? Coptic Who?

Think you know your Coptic Saints?

 

Think again!

 

 

Actually, don’t think, take my word for it. When you are confronted with clever clues, you suddenly forget your favourite Saints. Last week, we had the joy of playing Coptic Who– an astoundingly entertaining card game created by my dear, talented friend, Tasoni Mariam and her crew.

 

 

 

 

 

Before we get to the review of the game, let me preface it by introducing the players.

 

 

The Players

 

My son: a representative of the Video-games generation; in other words, any card game must rise above the allure of an XBOX game to attract his attention and maintain his interest.

 

My husband: a man of infinite patience, in other words, someone who reluctantly agreed to play with us after a long day at work.

 

Myself: a Sunday School teacher with a genetic predisposition to competitiveness; in other words, I was in it to win it! 

 

Being a Sunday School teacher comes with certain expectations: some might assume that I would be familiar with most Saints stories. We agreed that my son and my husband would form a team and that I would form the opposing team.

 

I am not implying in ANY way that Sunday School teachers have superior knowledge to non-Sunday School teachers; I am merely informing you that my family expected me to know a bit more – that’s on them- not me!

 

The Game

 

The aim of the game is to “guess” the identity of the Saints on the cards. The first team to identify 8 Saints correctly wins.

After supper, we set up the game (I was hoping the after supper food sleepiness would help me).

The instructions were very clear and easy to follow:

 

• Divide the Saints cards into two packs (of 25 cards each, face down).
• Each card (beautifully illustrated in the Coptic manner) has 2 “clues” that one team provides to the opposing team.
• Each team can ask up to 8 questions to the opposing team and has two guesses

 

 

 

 

Family Feud

 

My first card was a breeze: 2 keywords (desert, repentance) and the gender of the Saint led me to the answer: Saint Mary of Egypt. I was feeling rather smug at this point. The feeling was not to last!

The opposing team (also known as the two people I theoretically love the most, provided when winning a game is not in the equation) started correctly identifying their Saints, and I started fumbling!

How could I not figure out Saint Anba Karas? I love him!!! At the end of the first round, the non-Sunday-School alliance won, and it left me humbled but overjoyed. Overjoyed that my son and his generation have such a phenomenal game to enjoy, something I wish I had as a child/youth. A game that Sunday School teachers could harness to play with their classes, at retreats, in Summer Camp, during long drives on a bus. A game that will bring a family around the table in contemplation of our Church’s magnificent Saintly heritage.

 

The Verdict

 

 

I could go on praising the game, but I cannot illustrate how marvellous it is- so I will leave you with the feedback that my son provided:

“Can we play this again tomorrow?” said the X-box player supreme!

And the one from the reluctant husband who was tired after a long day:

“Yala, pick another card.”

 

 

P.S. 4 “guide me” cards need to be cut out; I recommend using a sharp knife to cut around the edges as I destroyed 2- but it could just be my clumsiness.

 

 

 

 

 

In closing, I need to study up on my saints before the next round with my family!

You can purchase the game here.

 

In Christ

Mireille

 

Similar posts you might enjoy: A Coptic Renaissance

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