New Funeral Director Board Game – A Race to Your Final Resting Place

Funeral Industry News Social Media August 8, 2012
Ryan Thogmartin

Ryan Thogmartin is the Founder and CEO of DISRUPT Media, a Funeral Home Marketing Company specializing in social media. Ryan is also a deathcare entrepreneur who has launched; DeathCareJobs.com, PriceMyFuneral.com and Funeral Nation TV.


New Funeral Director Board Game – A Race to Your Final Resting Place

I came across a new Kickstarter project yesterday titled: Funeral Director…A Race to Your Final Resting Place. Naturally this piqued my interest.

The idea is a new board game that (in the inventors words): “Users play an outrageous off-beat board game, toy with a taboo subject. An enlightening experience and a real eye opener. Educational & FUN.”

This doesn’t tell you much about the game so I have included below a piece of the game description from the Kickstarter project page:

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED Having died of Laughter, Boredom, Fright or a Broken Heart, etc., you now serve as your own Funeral Director. While piecing together your customized sendoff, you begin to explore different products and services available – this might ignite new thoughts and feelings about the funeral process. Players (best with four) move around the game board with their coffin markers, responding to Life, Debt and Last Will and Testament cards, while purchasing various Funeral Products (flowers, caskets, headstones, etc.) and Funeral Services (cosmetic care, cremation, transportation, etc.). Expect lots of nervous laughter as players reveal interesting stories, discuss personal “bucket list” dreams, etc. as they race to their chosen Final Resting Place (e.g. Eco Green Meadows, Family Farm, Sea Burial, etc.). The game encourages interaction among players, as everyone talks about personal funeral experiences, which are sometimes sad but often eye opening or humorous. Discussing embalming, environmental impact of cremations, land use, green burials, etc. and funeral costs will certainly raise the hair on anyone’s back! This board game offers a simple but realistic picture of the funeral process, the funeral industry itself, and alternatives to the traditional system. And yet, it keeps the subject lighthearted non-threatening and yes…fun!

From the description I personally believe this would be a great intro to an end -of-life discussion with a loved one, but I am just not sold on the idea that it is going to be one of those everyday party games! I also don’t know if the board game inventor has any background in the profession or has ever planned an “end of life event or funeral”.

This isn’t the first funeral related project that has appeared on Kickstarter, back in January Funeral Divas CEO, Muneerah Warner pitched a female funeral director dating showing. I did back the project but it failed to meet its funding goal.

The board game described above is seeking $11,000 to fund the project. The deadline to raise the pledges is August 26th. Below is a video from the inventor describing the board game and giving a bio of himself.

I would love to get your feedback on a game of this type. Do you think there is a market for it? If you decide to back it please let us know!!