Not-for-profit Our Watch, which aims to prevent violence against women, has partnered with DDB Group Melbourne to create Comfort Zone, an interactive board game that encourages young people to explore their personal boundaries and open up about emotional comfort, consent, and respect.
Comfort Zone gives the tools and the space for young people to reflect, share, and feel more confident in speaking up about what doesn’t feel right to navigating boundaries as an adolescent.
DDB Group Melbourne led the campaign development, design and production of the physical game from the ground up, from the initial concept, to branding, game mechanics and packaging. The result is a tactile, conversation-first experience that feels more like a game night than a classroom lesson yet carries the weight of an important message.
The game’s mechanics are simple, players pick a prompt card from the deck, move the slider to their level of comfort, and then reveal their answers to each other by sliding up the tab, prompting a surprise reaction that sparks honest, judgment-free conversations.
Beyond just existing IRL, Comfort Zone has a digital and social life too, with a fully interactive TikTok filter and an online version of the game available to play anywhere. It’s also the centrepiece of a TikTok podcast-style series, where celebrities and creators play the game and open up in real time.
Each episode features a different pairing. From Heartbreak High co-stars Bryn Chapman Parish and Sherry-Lee Watson, to Adelaide Crows teammates Josh Rachele and Jake Soligo, and influencer couple Taz and Alessia (@tazandalessia). The result? A range of unscripted, authentic chats that show how different everyone’s comfort zone can be, and how valuable it is to talk about it.
“Healthy relationships start with healthy boundaries,” Patty Kinnersly, Our Watch CEO, said. “By helping young people know what’s okay and not okay, they can enter relationships knowing where their ‘comfort zone’ is and what to do if something doesn’t feel right.
“Campaigns like ‘The Line’, which explores what’s okay and what’s not when it comes to sex, dating and relationships, are a powerful way to engage young people and start important conversations — but they’re just one part of the bigger picture.
“Lasting change also depends on long-term approaches, including whole-of-school respectful relationships education in every Australian school.”
DDB Group Melbourne Executive Creative Director, Giles Watson, added: “Young people don’t want to be lectured, but they do want to talk. Whilst disguised as a game, Comfort Zone is really a powerful tool designed to change behaviour.’
The long-term goal of Our Watch and DDB Group Melbourne is to incorporate Comfort Zone within education environments as a part of respectful relationships education, giving teachers a new tool to support open, honest dialogue in classrooms.