Hurricane Irma struck the Florida Keys on September 10, 2017, as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 132 mph and a storm surge of up to 8 feet. Just hours before the outer bands reached us, my husband and I packed our family of six into our SUV and fled our home in Naples, seeking shelter for three days in central Florida at my sister-in-law's house. When we returned home, it was utter chaos—no electricity, no cell service, no running water, fallen trees, downed power lines, and debris for miles. The food in the fridge had spoiled and the sweltering heat and mosquitos were unbearable.

With no electricity or cell phone service available for days, and the dangers of the pooling flood waters, our boys were trapped in the house, bored out of their minds. So I dusted off our old board games, my go-to engagement tool in my classroom. The family played many rounds of UNO, followed by Connect Four, Scrabble, and Monopoly. While the succession of games was enjoyable, none matched the fast-hitting disruption, luck, and brutal tactics of UNO.

In a moment of inspiration and a little desperation to keep our four boys entertained until sundown, we created a UNO-hybrid game by adding what we called then "Yeet" cards to our gameplay. While we sweated it out on the living room floor, my oldest and I cut up 10 index cards, invented a series of funny words for each card, and collaboratively defined their actions. Then we integrated the deck into all our tabletop board games while keeping the original mechanics and win strategies. Despite the occasional rule dispute, Yeet Cards were an instant hit!

With every round, the house erupted in laughter as the unpredictability and strategies of our rudimentary deck of cards added a dash of welcomed chaos. The disaster outside our home and the cleanup awaiting us were no match for the crazy, ear-splitting laughter brought about by breaking the rules of the classic games we had loved but had grown bored of.

Seven years later, with the threat of another intense and record-breaking hurricane season looming, I knew it was time to resurrect the idea as part of our hurricane preparedness plan. I obsessed over this game night enhancement deck, believing I could create a beautiful deck of cards that seamlessly integrates into nearly all the classic games. And in a moment of pure genius, I created the Chaos Creator Hub, a unique online feature where members can log in to create custom rules for their Chaos Cards and print and share their "house rules" with the Chaos Cards community. No index cards or scissors necessary.

Chaos Cards was born out of a need to bring joy and laughter during a time of uncertainty and stress. Now, we're inviting you to join our journey and help us spread the fun. With Chaos Cards, you can transform any game night into an unforgettable experience, full of surprises and laughter. Back our project, and let's bring a little chaos into game nights everywhere!