It goes without saying that periods carry a certain stigma to them. Why? We don't know. But Daniela Gilsanz and Ryan Murphy from the Rhode Island School of Design are working to change that with a new board game. Soon, you'll be using words like tampon, uterus and PMS in the same sentence as pass the dice and your turn—and young girls (and boys!) will be doing the same, meaning future generations will consider these terms normal—as they should.
The Period Game from Daniela Gilsanz on Vimeo.
The game, aptly named The Period Game, teaches players all about menstruation and everything that surrounds it. Set up like a game of Sorry or Trouble, you start with two marble-filled cups—ovaries, if you will—at the center of the board. Players twist an ovary, and a marble (the egg) drops out of the tube (the vagina), stopping on what will be your next move. If you get a red marble, you're safe—that means you're on your period! If you end up with a clear one, you're either PMSing or just straight up in the clear.
The marbles also decide how many spaces you get to move along the game board. Users start in puberty and then move along to spaces like “grow breasts” and “get hair in new places.” Once they hit the space signifying their first period, they start around a different ring of spaces that track their menstrual cycles. You'll be directed through the stages of ovulation, PMS and menstruation—but don't worry, you're not in it alone. Along the way, you'll collect period supplies and other helpful remedies like a hot bath or a good night's sleep.
What could make the game even better? Well, we grew up with the Monopoly car... and now, upcoming generations will have mini replicas of pads, tampons, period panties and menstrual cups as their board game essentials. Win.