DSS Games founders and brothers Trevor and Noah Mayer
Anyone who has been to a designated game night knows the deal: Playing games can be serious business. There are customs to observe, strategies to employ, and alliances to make (and betray). Emotions can run high.
When brothers Noah and Trevor Mayer and their father, Andy, set out to make their first game, they wanted the social aspect to remain at the forefront and not let it get bogged down by too many rules.
The Mayers informally launched DSS Games via Kickstarter in 2015. At the time, Noah was in college studying creative writing and Trevor was working an entry-level finance job.
“It all started with a phone call from my dad,” Noah says. “He had been shopping around retail stores and noticed that lots of products had something to do with being drunk or stoned. We joked that ‘Drunk Stoned or Stupid’ would be a great title for something. Then we quickly turned it into a game.”
Drunk Stoned or Stupid is intentionally tongue-in-cheek and is the rare type of game in which the goal is simply to stimulate connection and conversation. The game features a stack of cards listing various relatable personality quirks, such as “Will argue which way is north” or “Has sex in public.” The idea is to go through the stack having the group decide who among them deserves the card. Beyond providing mere talking points, the game also reveals personality quirks and group dynamics—who is more likely to judge people? Which person ends up being the mediator?
Drunk, Stoned or Stupid is DSS Games’ best-seller, having sold more than 1 million copies
The card game became popular almost immediately, especially with YouTube personalities and gamers who helped launch the game into best-selling territory. Now, Drunk Stoned or Stupid counts over 1 million copies sold, and DSS Games has expanded to a whole library of titles.
“We’ve always loved to challenge the status quo,” Noah says. With the success of Drunk Stoned or Stupid, they leaned into the adult party game space, which allows them to be creative without having to censor themselves. “We value bringing people together for a good laugh with products like this.”
There’s a weed game, a drinking game, a game for best friends, and their newest release, “The Couples Game (That’s Actually Fun)”. Trivillennial is a trivia game focused on pop culture knowledge for millennials. And if you can’t host your game night in person, most of the games can be played over Zoom.
Overall, the games are a cinch to learn and lend themselves well to a high player count (and high players). Get ready to learn your friends’ deepest secrets—or capitalize on the dirt you already know.
