It started where so many debates begin -- late at night, in a sports bar, with friends. Who is the greatest athlete of all time? Jordan, Ruth, Brown, or Ali? And so it would go for years, from ranking the best peanut butter, to great British rock bands, even candy bars. It reached its apex at a pub in northern Vermont. The debate turned to describing a hamburger -- when describing food, is delicious better than outstanding?

Meanwhile our children were getting older. From ages 11 through 17, it seemed the ideal evening for them was either watching television, playing video games, listening to mp3 players, or IM-ing on the computer. Family time was slowly but surely disappearing.

Then one day, an idea -- turn this obsession with lists into a family game! But how? Over a 12-month period, with much trial and error, a game began taking shape. We didn’t have a lot of money, so “focus groups” were out of the question. We turned to our friends and their families. Many nights we would go to their homes, introduce the game, and watch them play. Families with teenagers, 6th and 7th graders, grandparents -- it didn’t matter to us. We needed to know if we had created a game where for one hour or so, friends and family would spend time together, learning more about each other, laughing, debating, and, in the end, having lots of fun.

Slowly, the game evolved to where we thought we really had something. A game of ranking, listing, and matching…where there are no right or wrong answers, only answers that match or don’t match. A game where an 11-year old scored more points than her father because she knew what her family members thought about things, such as favorite beverages, vacation spots, and movie stars. A game where 6th and 7th grade friends debated over which snack food was better, which reality television show was best, and which words most accurately described how a friend danced.

At last we knew we had created a very special game. But then came the ultimate test…our own families! Bob, his wife, and their 11, 15, and 17-year olds played. Then Mike, his wife, and their 14 and 18- year olds played. And guess what happened? For one hour in each home there was no television, no computers, and no video games. Just sounds of laughter, debate, and even surprise.

That’s our story. We are very proud of our game, one which gives friends and family the best gift of all -- time together, enjoying each other, interacting and having fun. We believe you will agree!