Customer Reviews

'Table Topics - Couples, Blue'

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got these cards because my husband had mentioned in passing that it would be great if they made cards suggesting topics to discuss while at dinner. As a married couple with two young kids, we thought it would be a great thing to keep us from constantly talking about the kids or blankly staring at each other across the table. Unfortunately, too many of the "conversation starters" turned out to be WAY too uncomfortable. For example, "Have you ever cheated on a lover?" and "What's the worst mistake you ever made in a relationship?" or "Which sexual activity would you like to try if there were no negative consequences?"... these cards often bring up PAST relationships, or, like the last question, pose a question that touts no consequences, when in reality, the answer itself is likely charged with consequences. The cards are a great idea, but the questions should be more interesting, rather than biting.

My comments on the Couples Edition (I reviewed TableTopics' products in general below):
First of all, ignore all the pre-2009 comments about the questions included in the cube. TableTopics deserves credit for listening to customer complaints, because the questions people objected to are gone. There are only a few, loosely worded references to romantic pasts ("What have you learned about yourself from previous relationships?") and fairly run-of-the-mill "sexy" questions (e.g., "What's the sexiest thing your partner's done?" "What makes sex great vs. good?).

The bulk of the cards feature questions about your relationship, like "What advice would we give a younger couple?" or "What does your partner do to make you laugh?" or even "Who wins the battle for the remote?" as well as fantasy questions, like "What would you do..." with lots of money, or a free vacation anywhere, or "What's your ideal - " fill in the blank. Another chunk of the deck is devoted to learning about your partner, with *lots* of questions about childhood as well as cards like "Who/what has contributed most to your value system?" or "How do you like to be cared for when you're sick?". The final large genre of questions is about parenting - styles, goals, hopes and dreams - with one, noteworthy, "Oh, right, and some people can't/don't have kids, so, uh, what would we do then?" (Not a direct quote there.)

The thing that's hard about TableTopics Couples Edition is that its audience could be anyone who's ever been in a partnership... which obviously includes a lot of people with a lot of different interests and sensibilities and moral values. For example, I don't think I would have been offended by more explicit questions (like the pre-2009 ones), but I found the "Are your Zodiac signs compatible?" question silly, and the handful of gender relations ones (like "How could men and women understand each other better?") presumptuous... Did they mean, "How could you and your partner understand each other better?", because not all partnerships are heteronormative, procreative, state-sanctioned unions. The cards *are* good at using gender neutral terms like "partner" and "spouse" but I think that's so either a husband or wife could read the card, not because they've been designed to be broadly inclusive.

Ultimately, I'd recommend the Original TableTopics over this version. The re-working of the questions left this deck feeling somewhat stale to me, with some very similar questions (at least four variations on what item/piece of clothing of your partner's do you not like) and a split focus which embraces couplehood as an entryway to parenthood, rather than its own state. For gift-giving in particular, I would recommend a different version of these conversation cards.

My comments on TableTopics:
When I first learned about TableTopics in general, I thought it was a great idea but ridiculously overpriced. Why wouldn't someone just write down a bunch of conversation starters on their own on index cards and save $25? Well, I answered my own question when I was in need of a birthday gift for someone hard to please. TableTopics went over a lot better than I think index cards would have! What you're paying for is more than just the individual questions; what you're paying for is the presentation, something nice enough to leave on a dining table and withstand (one hopes) years of use and enjoyment.

The box the cards come in is actually surprisingly pretty - far better than I had expected it to be. It's just a clear cube with edges about 4 inches long, and thick, nearly 1/2 inch walls. It looks like glass or crystal, though it's plastic. The cards are 3 inch squares on a durable heavy-duty sort of cardstock or thin cardboard. It's a very attractive package and makes for a substantial gift. In fact, it's now my go-to gift for people I don't know well - not the Couples version specifically - but one of the TableTopics many varieties.

My final complaint, which is undoubtedly a pet peeve more than a true problem with the product, is that none of the TableTopic questions have question marks. The conversation prompts are questions; punctuate accordingly!

Anyway, I would recommend this product overall. (I gave a low educational rating because the game isn't designed to be educational, though you should learn something about your partners.) It's a fun way to spark conversation and at least a few of the questions should lead you down paths you hadn't thought of before.

this is designed for serious couples that are in well-established relationships or are married. i thought this would be a fun way to get to know my NEW boyfriend better. i sorted through the cards and would only be comfortable using about 1/3 of the cards in such a new relationship...otherwise, i just might scare him off asking questions about marriage and children. :)

This game is fun. Please beware the prior review that suggests it could cause a war in a relationship. The game asks questions like "what do you enjoy most and what annoys you most about your partner's family" or "in a relationship, does a difference in income become a difference in power?" Most the questions are thought provoking and encourage couples to be open, direct and honest with eah other. If being open and honest with each other causes one to have to "load a Uhaul," or "use the cube as a weapon" as the prior reviewer suggests, well, HELLO! obviously your relationship isnt that strong. Imagine, blaming a game for a serious fight or a relationship problem!

That said, the questions can be fun and tame like "what would you do if you won the lottery" or quite intimate like "how often is the right amount of sex?" So I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 becuase some quesitons would be fun to do at a party or with other couples, but some are just not appropriate to be discussing in front of others.

Also, i like the terminology used on the cards--always gender and even relationship nuetral (so gay couples, married couples, unmarried couples, etc can all use the cards without having to translate them into their own situation).

My wife and I had a lot of fun going through these conversation topics. They range from the trivial (what should your partner know about the types of gifts you like and dislike?) to the serious (what would you do if you got pregnant?). These probably wouldn't be so great for people uncertain in their relationship, but they could probably make a good relationship even stronger.

TABLETOPICS listened to their customers and have edited/changed many of the questions. There are no longer questions about past relationships or anything with a negative connotation. The questions will challenge and inspire a couple to learn something new about their partner and even themselves! It is a fun tool for couples to create meaningful conversation about things that make them unique as individuals and that bond them as a couple.

My wife and I are in our mid-20s. We recently celebrated our two-year anniversary and were given a set of these Couples Conversation Topics cards not long ago. The last time we went through a set of get-to-know-you type questions was between our engagement and wedding, and we think it is such a great thing to do every so often! These questions prompt conversation related to the nature of your relationship, how you act separately vs. together, your thoughts on sex, significant influences on your lives, etc. It's good stuff - we've already given a set to some friends of ours who are newly married. We definitely recommend it for those who are interested (and committed to) the idea of getting a bit deeper in the relationship! The questions are just the prompt, so it's really as good as you make it from there.

This game was suggested to me by a friend. When it seems that my husband and I haven't done a good job communicating information about our day, I reach for one of these cards to jump start a conversation. The only rule is that we have really think about the question and answer honestly. It almost always springboards into a great conversation.

I got these cards for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day,(really it was kind of a present for myself:) He's definitely NOT big on talking, much less about our relationship, but these cards really did open up the lines of communication and got us talking about subjects and ideas we hadn't before. Also got us laughing a little. Definitely worth the investment!

Interesting questions that could lead into nice conversations, allowing couples to express themselves about random things.
My boyfriend didn't like the idea of reading the questions and then talking about it. He said: "no real man would ever agree to play this type of game".
So, if your man has the 'macho man' mentally like my boyfriend, be aware!
What I do now, is memorize some of the questions that I want to talk about, then I throw them in the middle of a regular conversation, so he doesn't even realize he's playing the game! :)