• Michael from Gizmocrowd
• Apr 15, 2025
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Words to Die By: The Party Game Where Death Is a Laughing Matter

Words to Die By isn’t just a party game—it’s a theatrical meltdown of comedy, chaos, and connection. Created by comedian and improv teacher Duane “DeeWain” Freeman, this over-the-top game asks players to dramatize their own ridiculous deaths while delivering their final lines with gusto. Whether you’re screaming your dying words in a squirrel yard attack or auctioneering your final breath during an orgy gone wrong, this game is pure, morbid joy.

We caught up with DeeWain to hear how his background in therapy, improv, and sketch comedy shaped a game that’s as healing as it is hilarious—where players bond, laugh, and leave the night quoting absurd lines they’ll never forget.

The Birth of a Hysterically Morbid Idea

Words to Die By is a party game that turns death scenes into theatrical hilarity. What inspired you to create a game that blends comedy, grief, and connection, and how did your personal experiences and counseling background shape its tone?

I’ve always believed that if you’re not laughing—even at the hard stuff—you’re taking yourself too seriously. As a therapist, teacher, and improviser, I’ve seen how humor cracks open space for honesty, connection, and the occasional dramatic death scene. Words to Die By came out of this wild intersection: wanting to normalize conversations about grief while still letting people belly-laugh their way through more serious topics.

It’s not a therapy game, I repeat, this is NOT a therapy game, but it’s definitely got my therapist brain and values under the hood—quietly whispering, “You’re not alone” while you scream your final words in a squirrel family yard attack. Grief is universal, but it shouldn’t have to be isolating, and comedy has always been my favorite way to build bridges between those. So I made something that lets people connect, create, and be ridiculous together—one dramatic death at a time.

Death Scenes, Directors, and the Drama of It All

The game invites players to write, direct, and act out over-the-top death scenes using “Dying Words” and “Director’s Cut” cards. How did you develop this unique structure, and what kind of player reactions have surprised or delighted you most during testing?

I’m a huge fan of “active entertainment” (think flash mobs, improv everywhere, impractical jokers)—games and activities that get people moving from watching the entertainment (passive entertainment) to becoming part of the entertainment. As much as Words to Die By is about the cards, the real magic comes from the players and groups making it their own. It becomes a series of inside jokes with your group, or a word that makes you giggle two weeks later, or watching the death scene in Scarface, but you can’t stop laughing.

In my group, it’s making me do an accent in my performance, which always becomes a Borat-esque monstrosity that somehow fits and doesn’t fit every scene. What’s surprised me most in testing is how quickly people drop their self-consciousness—by round three, they’re fully committed to their dramatic deaths, fake blood-curdling screams, and all. Then add the Director’s Cuts that sometimes make it so bizarre that it’s hard not to laugh. I’ve watched scenes that don’t seem like they will work together on paper turn into the hardest laughs of the night just because of the delivery and absurdity. It’s those shared moments—those inside jokes born mid-death—that keep living in your head long after the game ends. Honestly, if no one’s laughing while playing, you might need new friends.

Humor as a Bridge to Meaningful Conversations

While the game is laugh-out-loud funny, it also opens the door to deeper conversations about loss and connection. How do you see Words to Die By as more than just a game—perhaps even as a tool for healing or emotional bonding?

While Words to Die By is absolutely not a therapy game, I do think it opens the door to something meaningful. The deaths are ridiculous, the humor is big, and the game itself is all about “playing”—but in that play, there’s something quietly powerful happening. You’re building shared language, shared laughter, and shared memories with the people around you. And while it doesn’t prompt deep conversations about grief directly, it does build comfort and connection that make those conversations more possible later, if and when they happen.

It’s more about creating a space where people feel seen, silly, and safe—and that’s often the kind of space where healing begins and people feel safe to be open. Some of the most bonding moments in life are when we laugh at the human stuff together: the awkwardness, the messiness, the absurdity of being alive (and dying dramatically in swingers orgy). Laughter is connection, and connection is what makes us feel less alone—so to me, that’s always been its own kind of healing.

From Second City to Kickstarter: A Comedy Journey

With a background in improv, sketch comedy, and teaching, how did your performance experience influence the game’s pacing, humor, and replayability? What lessons from the comedy world helped you design a game that’s both funny and wildly interactive?

My background in sketch and improv totally shaped the heart of this game—it’s fast, it’s crazy, and it’s hilarious because there’s no time to overthink. I love games that pull people out of their heads and into the moment, and that’s what improv does best. You get a prompt—maybe you’re falling out of a plane shouting “Oops I did it again” and…in a pirate accent—and before you can question it, you’re already mid-scene.

That pace creates a kind of shared chaos that’s just so fun to watch (and be a part of). The replayability comes from that unpredictability—sure, you may draw the same card, but you’ll never perform it the same way twice. The director’s cuts throw in weird twists—say it like an auctioneer, now do it like you’re underwater—and it forces everyone to embrace the ridiculous. It reminds me of classic games from Second City and Improv Olympic where the magic isn’t in the setup—it’s in what people create together. That’s what makes every round a little absurd and a lot unforgettable.

The Future of Words to Die By and Beyond

This feels like the kind of game that could easily evolve with expansion packs, themed decks, or even live events. What’s next for Words to Die By, and do you have plans to take your blend of comedy and catharsis into new creative directions?

Welll… We already have five expansion packs, from Halloween deaths to Black Friday deaths to the truly essential, Arbor Day deaths. I’m a sucker for a theme, and once you slap a theme on it, the bits write themselves. We’re also working on live events, where folks can come out, dress up, act out ridiculous scenes, and give their best dying words, and give the on a stage acceptance speeches with a mic and maybe a few drinks.

As for what’s next, I never planned to make a game in the first place—it just kind of hit me one morning and I woke up and wrote it.  I’ve always followed the improv mantra of saying yes and staying open to the moment, and that’s what led me here. So while I don’t have a concrete five-year plan, I know I’ll keep making playful, cathartic things—maybe with my kids, maybe with other weirdos like me. For now, I’m just enjoying the ride and dying laughing along the way.

Thanks to DeeWain for giving us a game that’s both cathartic and unhinged. Words to Die By is more than fun—it’s a shared experience where grief, joy, and weird accents collide in the best possible way. Whether you’re an improv junkie or just love to laugh with friends, this game reminds us that even in death, you’re never alone—especially when you’re dying onstage.

Words to Die By – A Horrifically Hysterical Party Game🩸⚰️🤣

About Words to Die By Duane Freeman

Duane “DeeWain” Freeman is a Chicago-based comedian, improv teacher, and sketch artist with roots at Second City. With years of experience in stand-up, viral videos, and directing chaos onstage, he brings sharp wit and emotional insight to everything he makes. Words to Die By is his first game—a mix of absurdity, vulnerability, and community, designed to make people laugh, open up, and scream their final words with flair.

Discover Words to Die By Now on Kickstarter