Courage Quest Card Game

Courage Quest: Not Bucket List Journey

What is Courage Quest:

Courage Quest is a card designed to offer a fun supportive way to challenge individuals affected by mental health and neurodiversity.

Approximately 1 in 6 people live daily with mental health, equating to approximately 45.8 million individuals. Whilst 1 in 5 individuals are neurodivergent. Courage Quest’s will be focusing on individuals living with mental health between the ages of 13 to 55, through channels such as social media to encourage documenting their journeys.

Starting back as part of a Not Bucket List Journey, a way of documenting my own personal journey as a way to improve my own mental health, I decided it was time to tick another goal off of my list that I have been wanting to achieve. To create a product. But I simply didn’t want to create just any product. I wanted to create a product in line with the journey I have taken so far and create something to help others who have either been or are going through their own experiences.

With mental health on the rise, individuals could be waiting on average up to 18 weeks for NHS support. Even wait times for crisis lines can take up to hours, which for some can mean life or death.

I created Courage Quest as a way to give individuals the opportunity to help whilst waiting for support. To making memories and documenting them for reflection at a later date, to have physical reminders of each step taken. To help remember the positives when the negatives are knocking at the door.

How does Courage Quest Works?

Courage Quest consists of a deck of cards with three genres. 

• Making memories
• Challenges 
• Travel/explore. 

The aim of the game is to pull a card and complete it in a reasonable time. (Recommended up to 48 hours). If the player is unable to complete the specific task at the time, the card may be placed back into the pack and a new one drawn. Each card consists of a task within a genre for players to complete. As the player takes on the task, it is recommended that they document their journey through a journal, photographs and/or videos.

Each genre has a variety of cards designed not to be too overwhelming to the players. These can be tasks such as 'Watching the next sunrise' or 'Paint some rocks'. Each task is flexible for players needs meaning that something like 'Watching the next sunrise' can be completed in a variety of ways. E.G. From the garden, on the beach, from the window.

There will also be additional products that can be purchased along side with the Courage Quest pack such as a journal and poster to document the journey of attempting tasks.

What is needed to start production?

At this current time I am hand making each pack. This means by hand, I am cutting up 62 cards individually, punching the corners and then repeating this with the box. I would like to offer Courage Quest at a larger quantity with higher quality for players. Starting off I am looking to purchase a Cricut Maker 3, Epsom sublimation printer, and other materials. This will allow me to make a higher quality at home in a larger quantity.

Each pack currently takes approximately 5 - 6 hours to make by hand. This makes it difficult to make enough stock to be able to offer at retail shops and online. By having the ability to cut by machine, this will save me considerable time to get the products out to consumers and into the hands of people who it may help. 

Looking at costs, it will cost approximately £945 for equipment and basic materials to get started. This is before factoring in costs for further materials such as A3 and A4 card required for the cards.

With the equipment I will be able to print the cards on a larger scale via a A3 sublimation printer before using the Cricut Maker 3 to cut them to shape. Once the pack is glued and put together, I will then be able to package and post the products out.

Where will the packs be available?

Once I have the ability to produce the cards with the equipment, I will be ready to offer the products on the following services:

• Amazon
• Throne (Content Creator/Streamer anonymous shop)
• TikTok Shop

I have these services ready to go once I have sufficient stock.

On the 11th of November I will be placing a limited amount of Courage Quest packs in the Bournemouth Makers Market where I will then be able to get a view of how well these cards will do in person before going online. I would like to expand to getting the packs in retail stores across the globe as the brand grows.

What are the next steps?

With all the designs made ready to go and market accounts set up, all that is needed now is the equipment to make it happen. 

By having the equipment to be able to print the cards myself and have the Cricut cut them, I will be able to produce multiple packs a day instead of one over a few days.

My aim is to use the funds of the crowdfunder towards this. Even if we are unable to raise the full amount, I will be working hard to continue on. It will simply take a lot longer to get the packs out to those in need.

At this moment I work full time, with pulling 4-5 hours each night on top of that to make these packs. By having the equipment I will be able to maximise the time I have in being able to help others.

As production grows I am looking to introduce further products aimed to help those in need.

Message from Loz

Firstly I would like to say thank you for taking the time to read my dream and crowdfunder. For many years I have suffered from mental health which lead to me starting the Not Bucket List Journey as a way to document my memories. I never expect three years ago that it would turn into what it has. To follow my dreams and sharing them online, to meeting incredible people and experiencing amazing opportunities.
Throughout the journey, I have received feedback from many individuals who have stumbled upon my journey and how it’s made them feel. It has meant the world to me to know I have had a positive impact on someone - And I want to continue doing that.

I want to help individuals who are stuck waiting for support. To give tools that I’ve learned over the years to help whilst waiting for professional support. Courage Quest is by no means meant to replace professional support. It is strongly recommended to reach out to support needed. Each pack will come with a support card directing the mental health teams. Courage Quest is designed to be tools to make a small difference in documenting and reminding that even taking the first step is an improvement. 

All I want to do in life is help others. To be able to make a difference and make someone smile for the right reason.

Thank you to any donations and support. Even if you can’t help financially, please share and help me raise mental health awareness.

Loz

Messages from individuals who have followed the Not Bucket List Journey and Courage Quest

• ‘Watching Lauren/Loz create Courage Quest has been an amazing experience. The pack is full of fun activities that are simple enough to not overwhelm someone with mental health, but enough to push them to seize the day doing small tasks. Getting the correct help to deal with Mental Health can take a long time and a lot of people don’t realise the symptoms or aware they have mental health. Some people even get missed with their mental health as it’s not as severe enough. This concept allows others who may not realise that even getting out of bed some days for those who have it can be such a task. I love the positivity around this product and the way it allows others to enjoy and be creative despite their mental well-being.’ - Sharn
• ‘Watching Loz's NBLJ across a couple of her Social platforms has taught me a valuable lesson in life. Enjoy any moment that brings you happiness. Loz's NBLJ has taught me that I need to enjoy life whilst on a journey. A game like Courage Quest is a genius idea to help people who struggle in any way at all, to try new things, to take small wins and experience a life that after all, isn't very long and needs to maximised. People who struggle with mental health in any form are going to find Courage Quest very useful in helping them to get out and experience something that they maybe hadn't thought of before, or saw as too daunting to do. Seeing certain objectives as a challenge to complete or an obstacle to overcome, and not just an impossible task, will help people to realise that they are stronger than they think, and are capable of much more than they ever believed. At the end of the day, people who use Courage Quest will find themselves smiling more, and enjoying the little things in life! - Simon
• ‘The 'Not the bucket list challenge' has been a great source of inspiration for me. It has shown me what is out there to do, how to go about changing my habits and what I can accomplish if I put my mind to it. 'Courage Quest' will also make a big impact on my life by pushing me to get out of the house and experience new things, see new sights and meet new people.’ - Liz
• ‘I have been following the 'Not the bucket list challenge' since it began and I have been more open to new experiences after watching Loz go out and do them. 'Courage Quest' will get me out of the house, experience more and interact with new people and places.’ - Jace