Apparition Tabletop Board Game

Apparition is a Catholic family board game about ten Vatican-approved apparitions of the Virgin Mary — including Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, Knock, and the Miraculous Medal — together with Marian themes, ancient titles, and the saints whose lives were shaped by encounters with Mary.
 
Ages:  8 and up    ·    Players:  2 to 6    ·    Playing time:  25–30 minutes    ·    Designer:  Paul Carmedelle
 
Easy to learn and beautifully illustrated with famous paintings of Mary spanning the last 1,200 years. Every card includes a QR code that opens a short reading about the apparition, title, or saint pictured — turning each game into 30 minutes of catechesis disguised as play. Used in Catholic religious education from grades 3 through 12, with 18 free downloadable lesson plans. 
 
A natural gift for First Communion, Confirmation, Marian feast days, or any Catholic household that prays the Rosary.
 
Open to everyone. You do not need to be Catholic — or know anything about the Blessed Virgin Mary — to play and enjoy this game.
 
HOW DO YOU PLAY? 
In simplest terms, you match groups of cards to claim the Heavenly Graces token for that apparition, Marian theme or saints. Watch the short video at the bottom of this page to learn how to play. Also, see the game instructions in the photos above.
 
IS APPARITION A GOOD FIRST COMMUNION GIFT? 
Yes — Apparition is one of the most-requested First Communion gifts we ship. The game introduces a child to Mary in a hands-on way at the moment they are first receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, supporting the truth named on the board itself: To Jesus Through Mary. Three game rules can be omitted in any combination to make play accessible to younger children. 
 
IS THE GAME APPROPRIATE FOR NON-CATHOLICS OR MIXED-FAITH FAMILIES? 
Absolutely. Apparition is a card-matching game with beautiful art and the opportunity to learn more about the world’s most depicted woman. It does not require players to know prayers, recite anything, or hold particular beliefs. Many Protestant and non-religious players enjoy it as a strategy game and learn the history along the way. The QR codes on every card are not part of the game, but are offered for those who are curious about a card’s topic. 
 
HOW IS APPARITION DIFFERENT FROM THE DISPERSION GAME? 
Apparition is a Marian game for ages 8 and up that plays in 20–30 minutes with up to 4 players — designed for children to play with their friends, family game nights, classrooms, and parish events. Dispersion is a more advanced strategy game for ages 14 and up about the missionary journeys of the 12 Apostles, with deeper strategy and complexity. Many households own both: Apparition for the children, Dispersion for older teens and adults. 
 
CAN APPARITION BE USED IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION? 
Yes — it is actively used in Catholic schools and parish religious-education programs from grades 3 through 12. We provide 18 free downloadable lesson plans on our Learn page, written for hands-on theological inquiry, personal reflection, and creative expression. Studies consistently show that hands-on learning improves comprehension and retention across age groups, and the QR-coded cards turn the deck itself into a research tool. 
 
WHICH MARIAN APPARITIONS DOES THE GAME INCLUDE?
Apparition features ten Marian apparitions formally approved by the Vatican: Our Lady of Banneux, Beauraing, Fatima, Guadalupe, Knock, La Salette, Laus, Lourdes, the Miraculous Medal, and Pontmain. Bishop-approved apparitions also included are Our Lady of Akita (Japan), La Vang (Vietnam), Gietrzwald (Poland), Pompeii (Italy), Zion (Italy), Vailankanni (India), Valvanera (Spain), Aparecida (Brazil), Mt Carmel (Israel), Kazan (Russia), Good Success (Ecuador), Sorrows (Italy), the Rosary (Argentina), and the Pillar (Spain) — Mary's first recorded apparition, in 40 AD. 
 
HOW LONG DOES A TYPICAL GAME TAKE?
Games typically take 20-30 minutes, whether played by adults, children, or a mix. The rules are simple to learn and the game moves quickly, so it fits comfortably into a single sitting after dinner or between religious-education sessions. 
 
IS IT SUITABLE AS A CONFIRMATION GIFT FOR A TEENAGER?
Yes. Apparition provides teenagers a meaningful connection to Mary at the moment of receiving the Holy Spirit, and as a game they can bring to youth groups, take to college and play with friends and family. Teens engage especially with the QR-coded readings about the saints, such as Therese of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, Padre Pio, and Francis of Assisi, whose witness shaped Catholic devotion.  
 
GAME COMPONENTS
1 Game board
The board holds the scoring tokens. 
 
100 Apparition cards (ringed in gold)
Each of the 10 apparition sets includes 4 “Title” cards, which name the apparition and have a brighter image than description cards, and 6 “Description” cards that share information about the apparition, such as Mary’s appearance, messages, dates and names of seers
 
50 Rosary Theme cards (ringed in silver)
Each of the 5 themes contains 10 cards
Themes are: Ancient Names (for Mary), Marian Epithets, Marian Invocations, Places (where Mary has appeared), and Marian Virtues
 
18 Saints cards (ringed in red)
Each of these saints had a significant encounter with Mary in their lifetimes
 
31 Heavenly Grace Tokens
Tokens display a symbol for that card category on one side and its name and Graces value on the other side.
10 Apparition
20 Rosary Themes
1 Saints