Pioneering Women Wanted for a Game of Life

It’s billed as the only game for women. But it’s fun too when guys join in. So choose your steed, and survey the landscape of life as Cowgirls Ride the Trail of Truth.

Its gorgeous board is a map of the old Southwest dotted with such landmarks as Pregnancy Pass, Career Move Hill, Emotion Ocean, Menopause Mountain. Players gather at the roundup to begin their journey to Paradise Ranch. Along the way, they pick up some history, learn about themselves and one another, and share their stories as they meet real cowgirls who settled the West, pictured on the cards drawn with each roll of the die.

“I chose to make the theme cowgirls, because I wanted a game about all the ways women are strong, independent and adventurous,” says Prasuti Kirk, the game’s inventor. And conversation is at its heart, as players answer questions about feelings and memories, hopes and ambitions--and, yes, sex.

Sample categories and questions:

Sex and Body: What is the most unusual place where I’ve made love? Would I want my friend to tell me if my partner made a pass at her?

History and Experience: If I were to receive an award, whom would I thank?

Family and Friends: Can I share both my positive and negative feelings with my partner?

Spirit: If I woke one morning and found myself a man, what are the first three things I would do?

Shadow: The biggest mistake I ever made was . . .

Taste: Do I throw away old photos of myself if they’re not flattering?

“It’s rollicking good fun in that sensuous way women are fun,” adds Kirk. “It’s verbal. It’s enlightening. And it’s competitive in a friendly way. You can win without beating your opponents. Show me a man who can do that.”