Guide · Alternatives
A TableTopics alternative that fits in your pocket
TableTopics put conversation starters on dinner tables for two decades. If you love the idea but want to choose how deep the night goes, mix topics, or simply carry it on your phone, here’s an honest comparison.
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.
Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?
Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?
A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.
Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.
In short
The idea
A disclosure first: we make Kumustahan, so weigh our view accordingly. We’ve described TableTopics only the way its maker does, and we’ll say plainly where it’s the better choice.
TableTopics calls itself “The Original Conversation Starters”: question cards, first published in 2004, sold in clear cubes and smaller To Go sets, with editions for families, couples, friends, book clubs and more, plus a mobile app. Kumustahan is a conversation card app with decks for friends, couples, families, faith groups and teams, where you choose the depth before you play and every card has English and Filipino.
Tips
- Use one phone at the table; everyone else’s goes away.
- Start with Keep it light and move to Open up after the main course.
- Mix Getting to know with Just for fun for a family dinner.
- Read the reflection on the back after everyone answers.
Decks for this
Side by side
As each is described by its maker (checked October 2026).
| TableTopics | Kumustahan | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Physical cube sets and To Go decks; a mobile app | App for iPhone and Android |
| Topics | Many separate editions, one theme per set | Seven decks you can mix in one session |
| Choosing the depth | Pick the edition | Keep it light, Open up or Go deeper in setup |
| On each card | A question | A question, plus a short reflection on the back |
| Languages | English | English and Filipino on every card |
| To start | Buy a set; the app has free questions and in-app purchases | 420 cards free, no account, works offline |
When TableTopics is the better pick
- You want an object on the table. A cube in the middle of dinner is inviting, and nobody has to pick up a phone.
- You want a gift. A physical set wraps better than an app.
- You want a very specific edition, like book club questions for your next meeting.
When Kumustahan fits better
- You host different kinds of tables. One app covers icebreakers for new neighbors, a couples check-in and a youth group.
- You want to control the depth. The same session can start light and open up as the night goes on.
- You want something to talk about after the answer. Flip the card and read the reflection.
- You don’t want repeats. The app remembers which cards you’ve played.
- Someone at your table reads Filipino, or you’d like to try it.
Keeping the phone from taking over
The honest downside of any app at dinner is the phone itself. Use one phone, passed around or read by one person, and put the rest away. Read the card aloud, then set the phone down while people answer. There’s more on this in conversation card app or physical deck.
The questions
What Kumustahan cards are like
Real cards from the app, from the kind you’d ask over dinner to the kind you’d save for dessert.
Dinner-table openers
5 questions
Easy for anyone at the table.
-
Name one ulam you would be happy to eat every week.
Magbanggit ng isang ulam na happy kang kainin every week.
Back of the card
Some dishes earn a permanent place in the rotation. They do not need drama, just rice and a happy yes.
May ulam na deserve maging regular sa rotation. Hindi kailangan ng drama, kanin lang at happy yes.
-
If someone were choosing a snack or drink for you, what’s one choice that would almost always work?
Kung may pipili ng snack o drink para sa'yo, ano yung halos laging okay sa'yo?
Back of the card
Tiny preferences can be an easy way to know someone better. It feels good when people remember the simple things.
Minsan sa small preferences tayo mas nakikilala. Nakakatuwa rin kapag may nakakaalala ng simple things about you.
-
Create a new holiday that everyone gets to celebrate. What happens that day?
Gumawa ng bagong holiday na puwedeng i-celebrate ng lahat. Ano ang ginagawa sa araw na iyon?
Back of the card
What tradition would belong to your holiday?
Anong tradisyon ang bagay sa holiday mo?
-
Complete the line: I'm chill, but please don't ___.
Kumpletuhin: Chill naman ako, pero please wag ___.
Back of the card
Tiny pet peeves are usually harmless, but they still deserve their moment. Everyone has a small line somewhere.
Harmless lang ang tiny pet peeves, pero deserve din nila ng moment. Lahat tayo may small line somewhere.
-
What event would you choose if the ticket were free?
Kung may libre kang ticket sa isang event, ano ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine the event is about to begin. What are you most excited to see?
Magsisimula na ang event. Ano ang pinaka-gusto mong makita?
Stories, once the plates are full
5 questions
Questions that turn into anecdotes.
-
Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?
Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?
Back of the card
A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.
Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.
-
Who taught you a useful skill or habit you still use in daily life?
Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng useful skill o habit na gamit mo pa rin sa daily life?
Back of the card
Practical lessons are easy to overlook, but they stay close. They show up in the small ways you move through a day.
Madaling ma-overlook ang practical lessons, pero dala-dala mo pala. Lumalabas sila sa maliliit mong galaw araw-araw.
-
What useful skill did someone patiently teach you?
Anong kasanayan ang matiyagang itinuro sa'yo ng isang tao?
Back of the card
Imagine you are teaching the skill now. What would you show a beginner first?
Isipin na ikaw naman ang nagtuturo nito. Ano ang una mong ipapakita sa baguhan?
-
What meal with a friend became memorable for something besides the food?
Anong kainan ninyo ng friend ang tumatak dahil sa nangyari, hindi lang dahil sa pagkain?
Back of the card
If this meal's story had a title, what would it be?
Kung may pamagat ang kuwento ng kainan na ito, ano iyon?
-
What small things make a room feel welcoming to you?
Anong maliliit na bagay ang nagpaparamdam sa'yo na welcome ka sa isang room?
Back of the card
Welcome can come from tone, space, food, faces, or small signals that say you do not have to prove yourself.
Puwedeng galing sa tono, space, pagkain, mukha ng tao, o maliliit na sign na hindi mo kailangang patunayan ang sarili mo.
Over dessert
5 questions
A little deeper, chosen in setup.
-
Pick one value you want to show up in your week.
Pumili ng isang value na gusto mong makita sa week mo.
Back of the card
A value becomes real in small choices. One week is enough space to practice it gently.
Nagiging real ang value sa maliliit na choices. Sapat na ang isang week para i-practice siya nang gentle.
-
What is something you can handle better now than before?
Ano yung mas kaya mo nang i-handle ngayon kaysa dati?
Back of the card
Growth is often noticed in comparison. What used to shake you may now take less from you.
Madalas napapansin ang growth kapag may comparison. Yung dati kang kinakabahan, baka ngayon mas kaya mo nang harapin.
-
What recent choice shows something that matters to you?
Anong pinili mo lately ang nagpapakita ng mahalaga sa'yo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "I chose it because I care about..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Iyon ang pinili ko dahil mahalaga sa'kin ang..."
-
Name one small hope that helps you keep going.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na hope na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.
Back of the card
A small hope can still carry real strength. It may be quiet, but it is not nothing.
May totoong lakas din ang maliit na hope. Tahimik man siya, hindi ibig sabihin wala siyang bigat.
-
Name one thing that would make next month feel a little lighter.
Magbanggit ng isang bagay na makakatulong para mas gumaan nang konti ang next month.
Back of the card
A lighter month does not have to mean a perfect one. Even one less weight can change how a season feels.
Hindi kailangang perfect ang mas magaan na month. Kahit isang bawas na bigat, iba na ang pakiramdam ng season.
A TableTopics alternative
Frequently asked questions
What is a good alternative to TableTopics?
It depends on what you want. For a gift or a phone-free table, another physical deck. For many kinds of groups in one place, with depth you choose, a conversation card app like Kumustahan.
Is there a TableTopics app?
Yes. TableTopics has a mobile app with free questions and more through in-app purchases. Kumustahan is a different conversation card app, with 420 free cards and no account.
How is Kumustahan different from TableTopics?
Kumustahan is an app where you mix decks and choose a depth before you play, and every card has a short reflection on the back and both English and Filipino. TableTopics is best known for its physical cube sets.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.