“Being happy in a relationship is the perfect basis for hot sex.”

Keeping a relationship fresh and fulfilling isn’t always easy. But if there is a shared set of values, that definitely makes it a lot easier. This was the inspiration for “Kompass durch dick und dünn“ (Compass through thick and thin), a game for couples that was recently released by Julia Lüpfert’s company Julinga. In our interview, Julia tells us about her game and her plans for the future of her company.


Julia, the slogan of your company, Julinga, is “Spiele zur Partnerschaftsentfaltung” (Games for relationship growth). What is your definiton  relationship growth?
Julia Lüpfert: To me, relationship growth means deliberately reflecting on your relationship so as to realise its full potential and make it a truly fulfilling experience in the long run. It is a bit like personal growth, but for couples.

You are also the founder of sex tech start-up Laviu? Why did you decide to develop games on top of that? 
Laviu was unfortunately shut down due to technical problems before we ever got to series production. Which is a pity because there was definitely a lot of interest in our product, a completely noiseless sex toy.

So, after Laviu fell apart, I decided that I still wanted to create my own company, and of course, it had to be about the topic that is closest to my heart – relationships. My husband and I have taken part in numerous couples coachings, but not because we were fighting or anything like that; we did it just for fun, which lent a wonderful sense of levity to the whole thing. It really made us happier as a couple, and it is this sense of fun and levity that I want to share with people. Ultimately, we decided on games as the perfect medium for achieving this goal. 

Were there any lessons learned during the Laviu project that helped you with Julinga?
Quite a few, actually. And most of them I’m probably not even consciously aware of. All the things I learned about online marketing and press work definitely helped get Julinga on track, and there are also more general aspects such as business structure and production planning that carried over from this previous experience.

“Kompass durch dick und dünn“ enables couples to share their values in a playful way

Recently, you launched a game called “Compass Through Thick and Thin”, intended to help couples discover the values they share and stimulate them to have open and honest conversations. How does the game achieve these goals? 
“Compass Through Thick and Thin” is aimed at guiding a couple’s conversation about the values they have individually, and the values they share, helped along by playful elements such as special cards, guessing games, and racking up points together.

Could you tell us how the game is played? What happens in a round of “Compass”?
A game is divided into four parts, each of them building on the one before. Firstly, you focus on your own values, then there is a quiz game about the values of your partner. The third part of the game is about acknowledging and appreciating these values, and in the final phase of the game, you use questions to find the four values that are most important for you as a couple.

What inspired you to create this game? What were the main influences?
My husband and I have been delving into the concept and the various facets of relationships for a long time, and since we are both entrepreneurs, we are keenly aware of values in our professional lives, and we started talking about the values in our private lives as well, seeing how they make fascinating points of reference in our relationship. We actually have a list of our family values hanging on the wall in our living room, and we regularly consult them when making important decisions or when we find ourselves on opposite sides of a discussion. The values stand for the things we want in life, how we want our relationship and our family to evolve, so they help us keep our bearings in the daily routine of our relationship. They are indeed a compass, leading us through thick and thin.

Julinga already have other projects in the pipeline following the launch of their latest game

Could you see your product being sold in erotic stores as well? If trade members in this market are interested in adding your product, with whom should they get in touch?
Being happy in a relationship is the perfect basis for hot sex, and there is  a great overlap with our own target audience. Also, people who buy adult products generally like to try new things every once in a while, so yes, this is definitely a market for our game. As a matter of fact, I could see us catering more to this innovation-driven market in the future. If trade members are interested in carrying our products, they can get in touch via info@julinga.de.

Will there be other language versions for this game or future projects you are working on?
At present, the game is only available in Germany, but an English-language version is on our agenda for 2020.

What other plans do you have for the future of Julinga? Are more games in the pipeline? Do you have ideas for other types of products?
There will be a whole world of products in the Julinga brand. At the end of January, we’ll present our next game, which is all about making decisions together. And we are also working on a different game project that will see the light of day later this year. And yes, other types of products will definitely follow suit. Anything that is in line with our goal of personal growth in a relationship.