ABOUT US
HOW IT STARTED
Paul and Stevie Berryman both got involved with music growing up and going to school in Oklahoma. Stevie played the violin and Paul the trombone. The couple settled in the Houston area in 2005 after Paul's Navy service and started their careers. Paul works in IT security and education and Stevie in music and conducting.
In the summer of 2017, Stevie was looking for a unique item to donate to a silent auction at the Handbell Musician of America (HMA) National Seminar. She had played a few popular question/answer card games and thought that would be a great match for handbells. Stevie came up with the content for Crimes Against Handbells and Paul helped her get it printed. After it sold at auction for $345.67, they (mostly Paul) realized this could be business idea. Presales of Crimes Against Handbells started immediately after.
In the fall of 2017, Stevie, who at the time was the producer for Choir Ninja, worked with the owner to produce Choirs Are Horrible. Presales over one weekend were a big hit, exceeding expectations! The first editions of Crimes Against Handbells and Choirs Are Horrible were delivered end of 2017 / beginning of 2018.
Stevie attended the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) in February 2018 where she was introduced to Jeremy and Dominic, band directors from Aldine ISD, near Houston. Paul, Stevie, Jeremy, and Dominic met at a coffee shop a few weeks later to line up their first collaboration, Band Is Horrible, which was the first game of Paul and Stevie’s new company, Truly Horrible Things, LLC.
The savvy duo has found a way to combine their passions and skills. To them, card games and sarcasm should go hand-in-hand…
“It seemed natural that at some point someone would start paying us for that.”
Paul has a passion for security, education, and bad puns, bringing them together whenever possible. After 2 decades of protecting people from the usual suspects of hackers, criminals, and bored teenagers, he is now the Security Education and Awareness Program Manager at New Relic, Inc.
He’s a big fan of colleges, having attended 7 different ones. He most recently earned a doctorate in education and is a part-time professor molding graduate students into security managers.
Prior to working in security, Paul had 6 years of swashbuckling adventures with the US Navy. He's figured out that strong security starts with teaching how to behave online. It isn’t rocket science, but just in case he has a degree in that, too.
Stevie is astonishingly good at the game Boggle. She can fold a fitted sheet so it looks like it came right out of the package. Likewise, her skills as music director and teacher have also been acquired through long hours of arduous and dedicated practice.
Her effusive energy and wild creativity found a perfect setting in 2013 when she became the Artistic Director of the Houston Chamber Ringers, which has let her smash together her love for music, laughter, and tacos in a truly remarkable way. She has a particular passion for teaching children how to ring, and her innovative methods have made her a sought after educator at area and national handbell festivals. Stevie serves as the handbell director at First Congregational Church Houston, and loves helping other choirs as a private clinician or planning epic concerts for them as a creative consultant.
WE DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING.
But we always like learning. We find creative, funny, passionate people to work with to create the game that speaks directly to their tribe. We believe the world is a better place when everyone gets to enjoy a game night with friends once in a while.
WHY TRULY HORRIBLE THINGS?
The value of being able to interact with people in real life doesn't go away just because the world is getting more digital. It actually gets more valuable. A game from Truly Horrible Things lets you share experiences with others in a way that no amount of small talk ever can.
Do you know something horrible that would make a great game? Let us know. We love horrible things.
BEYOND CARDS…AND REASON
Wheel of Musical Mayhem + More
TRULY HORRIBLE PEOPLE
Here are some people who paid money to get their name on this website.