The Mud Room · Play · For teens
Shoes Off
A deck of questions for teens and the people they trust. Draw a card. Answer out loud, answer in your head, or pass. Nobody has to explain a pass.
Pick a suit, or draw from all
A mix of every suit, plus a few wild cards.
Player 1 goes first
No. 01
Take turns going first. Everyone can answer every card, and anyone can pass.
Pass is always okay.
Playing
How far in?
Light and easy. A good first round.
Your pocket
Cards you keep show up here. The pocket clears when you close this page.
How to play
- Choose how far in you want to go. Doorstep is light. Living room goes deeper.
- Draw a card. Answer out loud, answer in your head, or pass.
- Keep the ones you like in your pocket.
- Playing with someone? Take turns, and everyone can answer every card.
For the grown-up
- Play it with them, not at them. Answer a card yourself first, short and real.
- Let a pass be a pass. Please skip the “why?”
- Skip the advice and the follow-up questions. “Thanks for telling me” is plenty.
- Don’t read meaning into an answer or a pass. These cards start conversations. They are not a test.
- Stop when they stop. Ten minutes on one card beats a whole deck.
If it gets heavy
It’s okay to stop at any time. If a card stirs up something big, take a break, move your body, or tell someone you trust.
If you or someone you know might be in danger, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) any time. In an emergency, call 911.