Are you a fan of a game of cards—Snap, UNO, Go-Fish, and all that jazz?
Well, two former Quest University students launched their own card game in November with the hopes that it will become the game of choice for friends and family this Christmas.
Josh Visser and Dan Ellis created a bespoke card game deck called Cambio: Into the Wild—a game that saw them through their university degrees and backcountry adventures.
Cambio: Into the Wild
“We both went to Quest and fell in love with the school, but also fell in love with this game called Cambio, which we always loved to play,” Visser said.
“It's an amazing game, and it kind of got taught through the university, just by word of mouth. It brings lots of people together, and we've made a lot of friends over it.”
Cambio already existed prior to the duo’s creation, but there was no dedicated deck of cards made specifically for the game.
“So we had this idea a few months ago on a surf trip in Morocco while we were playing this game to create a bespoke deck,” Visser said.
“Something that we thought was artistically beautiful and would bring people in, but also would enhance the gameplay by including all the rules and special powers and everything you need to know about how to play the game within the pack itself.
“No one's really made a bespoke deck or a version of it before. So we wanted to turn it into a game that was small and packageable enough that you could fit in your pocket and that you could take on adventures.”
This was an important feature for the duo, as Visser recalls having played Cambio on many global adventures together.
“We've played it all over the world on surf trips, ski trips, in the backcountry, or at the bottom of the climbing crag between routes,” he said.
The design of the deck was also of the utmost importance, with little Easter eggs hidden throughout the design of each card.
“The gorilla [on the pack] was our hero image, and we love this one because this is how we feel when we play the game—it symbolizes bold, fierce competitors,” Visser said.
“Then we went through and picked 13 different animals … that tell the story of the game a little bit once you get to know it.
“We also dropped a bunch of Easter eggs for our friends and community. The number three card has a shark eating a surfboard, and then there's a little camel that's on the sticker on the surfboard, to just remind us of Morocco and when we came up with the game.
“Then the negative one card has a little chief in it. It's the best card in the game, and it's got this little rock that was supposed to be the Stawamus Chief, so it's a little ode to Squamish.”
How do you play?
In Cambio, players aim for the lowest score.
“Combining the speed of Snap with the strategy of Poker, the game challenges memory, strategy, and luck,” Visser said.
“Players peek at their starting cards, draw to improve their hand, and ‘slam’ matching cards to reduce their score. Special powers add excitement, and the final round begins when someone calls ‘Cambio.’”
Much like many other games, it can get heated and competitive—but that’s all part of the fun!
“I would say that I've made an equal amount of friends and enemies over this game,” Visser joked.
Where can you buy it?
Cambio launched on (a crowdfunding platform for creative projects) on Nov. 26.
The duo have printed 1,000 decks which sell for $35 and come with free global shipping.
“Our tagline is into the wild, and we want it to be very animal and adventure-themed,” Visser said.
“The idea with into the wild was to get people into nature and get people offline. There's a big movement right now, with people [going] offline… and wanting to connect in person.
“We thought there's no better way to do that than through a card game.”
The future for Cambio
After the festive season, Visser hopes to get Cambio into adventure stores across Canada.
“One of my dreams is to get into [Mountain Equipment Company],” he said.
“The idea is that it would be a perfect little pick me up, so when you're going to buy your tent, or your camping gear and you go through the checkout and think 'oh, I should bring a game' [Cambio would be there].”
The Cambio will be live until Dec. 14; after that, you can find the game via their .
