Guide · App or deck
Conversation card app or physical deck? An honest answer
Both get people talking. Paper is better at some things, a phone at others. Here’s how to choose, from people who make an app and still love a good deck.
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Tell us about a time someone was fair to you in a way you still remember.
Ikuwento yung time na naging fair sa'yo ang isang tao, at natatandaan mo pa rin.
Fairness can be memorable because it gives people room to breathe. It says, I see the whole situation, not only the mistake.
Natatandaan ang fairness kasi nakakahinga ang tao. Parang sinasabi nito, nakikita ko yung buong situation, hindi lang yung mali.
In short
The idea
A physical deck is an object. You can wrap it, hold it, fan it out on the table and put it away. Phones stay in pockets and nobody checks notifications mid-answer. For a gift or a phone-free night, paper wins.
An app is a whole shelf of decks that is always with you. It can carry hundreds of questions, keep both languages on every card, let you choose how deep tonight goes, mix decks, remember what you’ve already asked and save your favorites. For hosts and for people who play often, that range adds up.
Tips
- For a gift, buy paper. For hosting, use the app.
- Print a few cards for the kids’ table and use the app for the grown-ups.
- Whatever the format, start light and let anyone pass.
Decks for this
What each does better
| Physical deck | App | |
|---|---|---|
| As a gift | Better: you can wrap it | Harder to give |
| Phone-free night | Better | You use one phone, passed around |
| Number of questions | One deck at a time | Many decks in one place |
| Choosing the depth | Sort cards by hand | Pick a depth in setup |
| Two languages | Depends on the deck | Both on every card, in Kumustahan |
| Avoiding repeats | Hard to track | It remembers what you’ve asked |
| Where you can play | Wherever the deck is | Anywhere, offline |
Our honest advice: if it’s a gift, buy a deck. If you host often, play with different groups, or want English and Tagalog together, use an app. Plenty of people do both.
Keeping a phone from taking over
If you play on a phone, a few house rules keep it about the people:
- Use one phone and pass it. Everyone else’s goes face down.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb before the first card.
- Read the card aloud, then put the phone down while someone answers.
- Let the reflection on the back be the last word before the next card.
The questions
A few cards to try either way
Real Kumustahan cards. Read them from this page, print a deck, or play them in the app.
Easy openers
4 questions
Work on paper or on a phone.
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Pick one snack you would still accept even when you're already full.
Pick one snack na tatanggapin mo pa rin kahit busog ka na.
Back of the card
Some cravings stay charmingly powerful. The snack you still make room for usually knows exactly how to find your soft spot.
May cravings talaga na malakas pa rin kahit busog. Yung snack na yan, alam kung saan ka mahina.
-
When you get home, what’s the first thing you usually do?
Pag-uwi mo, ano yung unang bagay na usually mong ginagawa?
Back of the card
That first move can be funny, tired, quiet, or automatic. It can say something about how you settle in.
Yung first move na iyon pwedeng nakakatawa, pagod, tahimik, o automatic. May sinasabi rin siya kung paano ka nagse-settle.
-
What line do your friends often hear you say?
Anong linya ang madalas marinig ng friends mo sa'yo?
Back of the card
Imagine your usual line printed on a shirt.
Isipin na naka-print sa shirt ang madalas mong sabihin.
-
What flavor of ice cream would you invent?
Anong lasa ng ice cream ang iimbentuhin mo?
Back of the card
Give your invented ice cream a name if you like.
Kung gusto mo, bigyan mo ng pangalan ang ice cream na inimbento mo.
A little more
8 questions
For once the table is warm.
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Which part of your day do you look forward to?
Anong part ng araw mo ang inaabangan mo?
Back of the card
The part you look forward to can be a clue. It shows where your day still gives you a little life.
Clue din yung part na inaabangan mo. Ipinapakita niya kung saan may konting buhay pa sa araw mo.
-
Tell us about a time someone was fair to you in a way you still remember.
Ikuwento yung time na naging fair sa'yo ang isang tao, at natatandaan mo pa rin.
Back of the card
Fairness can be memorable because it gives people room to breathe. It says, I see the whole situation, not only the mistake.
Natatandaan ang fairness kasi nakakahinga ang tao. Parang sinasabi nito, nakikita ko yung buong situation, hindi lang yung mali.
-
When was the last time a meal became a good memory?
Kailan huling naging magandang memory yung isang meal?
Back of the card
A good meal memory is rarely only about food. It can be the timing, the people, or the feeling around the table.
Hindi lang pagkain ang laman ng good meal memory. Pwedeng timing, kasama, o yung feeling sa paligid ng table.
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What makes sharing a quiet moment with a friend comfortable for you?
Ano ang nagpapakomportable sa'yo kapag tahimik lang kayo ng friend?
Back of the card
The silence can stay silent. You do not need to fill it for this answer.
Puwedeng manatiling tahimik. Hindi kailangang punuin ng usapan para sa sagot na ito.
-
Describe your favorite quiet moment at home in one sentence.
I-describe in one sentence yung favorite mong tahimik na moment sa bahay.
Back of the card
Quiet at home can be its own kind of treat. Sometimes the best part is that nothing needs to happen.
Yung tahimik sa bahay, treat din minsan. Minsan best part na yung walang kailangang mangyari.
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Which simple hangout with a friend would you happily repeat?
Anong simpleng bonding kasama ang friend ang gusto mong ulitin?
Back of the card
Same place, same activity, different weather. Would you still choose it?
Parehong lugar at gagawin, pero iba ang panahon. Pipiliin mo pa rin ba ito?
-
Pick one small kindness you can give yourself today.
Pumili ng isang maliit na kindness na kaya mong ibigay sa sarili mo today.
Back of the card
Kindness does not need to be grand to be real. A small mercy can still change how the day feels.
Hindi kailangang bongga ang kindness para maging totoo. Kahit maliit na mercy, puwedeng baguhin ang feel ng araw.
-
When you were younger, what got you excited quickly?
Nung bata ka, ano yung madaling maka-excite sa'yo?
Back of the card
Early excitement can be fun to remember. It can also show what kind of wonder came naturally to you.
Nakakatuwang balikan yung madaling ika-excite mo dati. Minsan pinapakita rin nito kung anong klaseng wonder ang natural sa'yo.
Conversation card app or physical deck?
Frequently asked questions
Is a conversation card app as good as physical cards?
For playing, yes; for gifting, no. An app carries many decks and lets you choose the depth and language, while a physical deck is a better present and keeps phones off the table.
Do conversation card apps work offline?
Some do. Kumustahan keeps every card on your phone, so it works with no signal and no account.
Can I print conversation cards instead of buying a deck?
Yes. Kumustahan has a free printable deck in English and Tagalog, eight cards to a page.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.