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MemoryMapQuest Printout
I took the wrong exit and my passenger just kept reading the directions louder.
A generational card game
Your past.
Up for
grabs.
That Explains a Lot turns the things you grew up with into game night. There’s a deck for every generation, with the same gameplay and bold style across them all.
A little nostalgia. A little sabotage.
THATEXPLAINSA LOTMillennial Edition
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MemoryThe TV Cart
“Oh thank God, we’re not doing anything today.”
Boomer■Gen X▲Millennial●Gen Z★Gen Alpha
The game, in a nutshell
Remember that?
Now try to keep it.
Build a collection of Memories before someone at the table decides they’d look better in theirs.
One deck: 2–4 players. Add decks for a bigger group.On your turn, choose one:
01
Draw a card.
Memories go face up in front of you. Keep Actions and Global Events in your hand until you’re ready to play them.
02
Make your move.
Play one Action or Global Event. Take a Memory, swap with a friend, or change the rules for the whole table. That’s your turn.
03
Save a set.
Match the symbols: save two Memories for 1 point, or three for 2. Saved points stay safe. With standard scoring, first to 6 wins.
A peek inside the Millennial deck
You remember it.
Now play it.
Save a little chaos for later.
Hold an Event until the timing feels right. Playing it uses your turn and can change the rules for everyone.
Global Event
Pay More, Get Less
My parents told me what their first house cost. I wish they’d just kept that to themselves.
3 Memories = 1 Point
Hold this Event in your hand. Play it on your turn instead of drawing, playing an Action, or saving. Replace the previous Global rule.
Save exactly 3 matching Memories for 1 point. You cannot save a two-card set. Points already earned stay the same. Normal scoring returns when this Event is replaced.
Global Event
Rise of AI
It was supposed to save me time. I’ve spent the last hour explaining what I meant by “shorter.”
Return 1 Memory + Different Symbols
Hold this Event in your hand. Play it on your turn instead of drawing, playing an Action, or saving. Replace the previous Global rule.
When played, each player returns 1 unsaved Memory to the bottom of the draw pile, starting with you and continuing clockwise. Skip players with none.
While active, save 2 Memories from different symbols for 1 point, or 3 for 2 points. Every Memory in the saved set must have a distinct symbol.
Global Event
Side-Hustle Culture
I was crocheting to relax and now someone’s asking about turnaround times.
Action Bonus Draw
Hold this Event in your hand. Play it on your turn instead of drawing, playing an Action, or saving. Replace the previous Global rule.
After your Action resolves or is blocked on your turn, draw one extra card. The defender's Block gets no bonus. Playing a Global Event gets no bonus. Drawn Events go into your hand and do not interrupt drawing.
A few cards from the Millennial Edition. The other generations will have their own references, with the same gameplay and style.
The generations collection
Same game.
Your generation.
Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha decks will each bring their own memories and references to the same gameplay and card style. Every deck plays on its own, and they’re designed to play together.
01
Boomer
THATEXPLAINSA LOTBoomer Edition
The original stories.
02
Gen X
THATEXPLAINSA LOTGen X Edition
You figured it out.
03
Millennial
THATEXPLAINSA LOTMillennial Edition
We were told a lot.
04
Gen Z
THATEXPLAINSA LOTGen Z Edition
A whole new world.
05
Gen Alpha
THATEXPLAINSA LOTGen Alpha Edition
Still making memories.
The collection is in development. Millennial Edition is currently in playtesting.
A little preview of game night · AI-generated imageGood on its own. Better together.
Different eras.
Same table.
One deck is a complete game for 2–4 players. Combine decks and you can bring more people to the table, with room for a bigger group as you add more decks.
- One deck
- 2–4 playersFirst to 6 points
- Across generations
- More decks, more playersFirst to 8 with the bonus
Mix generations. Earn an extra point.
Save three Memories with the same symbol from at least two generations and earn 3 points instead of 2. A matching pair still earns 1 point, and a triple from one generation still earns 2.
Two Gen X Memories and one Millennial Memory, all with the same symbol? That’s 3 points.
The best part might be finding out why your parents are laughing.
Keep me in the loopCombined-deck play is in development. The bonus pauses while Pay More, Get Less or Rise of AI is active.
There’s a seat for you