The Walking Dead: José Cantillo creates card game that creates real connections and fights cyberbullying
By Susie Graham
José P. Cantillo (Martinez on The Walking Dead) and Jeff Levine have come up with a card game that challenges friends and families to put down their phones and have real life fun.
In today’s world where we are spending more and more time tuned into social media and doing work and homework online, it can become difficult to unplug or even recognize the need to unplug.
When Jeff Levine discovered that his then 9-year-old daughter wished that her dad would put down his phone and play with her, he decided it was time. It inspired Jeff and José to create what has now become Free Me The Game.
The game is now a reality. It’s a terrific, fast paced card game that pokes fun at social media blunders where the goal is to lose all your friends and followers. The person with the most friends and followers at the end can do a real dare on social media for added fun.
The most important rule of the game is that everyone starts with phones face down on the table. If you get caught looking at your phone during the game, you gain a friend card.
I played the game at Walker Stalker Con Chicago with José and some other con goers last weekend. It’s very simple, which is key, yet it has depth. You can’t be passive while playing. You must stay focused and aware.
You have to slap the same color phone card if it appears twice in a row. People start making rules you must remember to follow, such as touch the deck twice before you turn over your card or touch your nose before you turn over your card. Maybe raise the roof before you slap.
There are fun battles/hashtag game cards where you need to use your creativity to write a clever comment about a scenario or judge the comments the others write. There’s always something going on. Time moves quickly. You’re having so much fun, you don’t even miss your phone.
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The games only last about 10 or 15 minutes so you can play more than one game. If new people want to play, it’s easy to rotate players and keep things rolling, which is great for a party, if someone wants to take a little break and then come back and play again.
Jeff and José have gone an extra step with the game that really considers their audience. So many teens are affected by social media and cyberbullying. Jeff and José have chosen the fight against cyberbullying as the cause for Free Me The Game.
According to Free Me:
"“Every game sold online will result in a $1 donation towards the fight against cyberbullying. Since technology and social media have becoming such a part of everyone’s DNA, Jeff and Joe have decided to educate and be pro-active with this vital issue.Free Me sent their first contribution to No Bully two weeks ago, and here is what the CEO had to say:“Everyone deserves to go through life free from cyberbullying. Free Me and No Bully have come together to ensure this can happen.”Nicholas CarlisleFounder | CEONo Bully"
Next: I met these people at Walker Stalker Con Chicago
José mentioned how happy he is to be able to go to Walker Stalker Con and have to power of The Walking Dead to share the game. When fans buy a game at Walker Stalker Con and sit down to play, as I did, they get a zombie expansion pack as a thank you gift from him. You can then try to get rid of all your walkers or biters instead of friends and followers. It’s a great preshow game to play on Sunday nights!
Free Me is available on Amazon (with 5 star reviews!)