35 Game categories to spark conversations
Consider (or ask) the group *reason for meeting, *their industry, and *the theme of the event. Then offer three options of categories with examples.
They can select from the three or, if necessary, and based on further explorative conversation with them, you offer additional options until the client agrees on one.
keep in mind that a project may involve a mix of categories.
1. Icebreaker activities include games designed to make people comfortable in a room with others so they can begin to engage and talk with one another (e.g., trivia, "two truths and a lie," or fun fact sharing).
2. Collaborative Challenges offer activities that require players to work together toward a shared goal, encourage teamwork and communication.
3. Debate & Opinion activities are games that prompt participants to share their opinions on a given topic and debate their views (e.g., moral dilemmas or "Would You Rather" scenarios).
4. Scenario-based role play games encourage players to take on roles in a scenario and have to navigate through it, discussing their choices as they go.
5. Social Deductions/Who-Done-It activities include games in which players must communicate to uncover a mystery or identify an impostor.
6. Cultural Exchange activities offer games that are focused on learning about other cultures, traditions, or customs, sparking discussions about differences and commonalities.
7. Storytelling games involve creating a shared narrative where players contribute to the story in turns, encouraging creativity and dialogue.
8. Puzzle-Solving activities involve collaborative or competitive puzzle games where players must discuss strategies to solve complex problems.
9. Personality & Identity activities feature games that encourage self-reflection and sharing of personal experiences, preferences, or values to foster deeper conversations.
10. Decision-Making activities offer games that present difficult decisions with long-term consequences, prompting players to explain and discuss their choices.
11. Memory & Shared Experience activities include games that encourage players to recall shared experiences or memories, such as matching past events or telling stories based on a prompt.
12. Creative Expression Games
- Games that allow players to express their creativity through drawing, music, or improvisation, often sparking conversations about the creative process.
13. Empathy & Perspective-Taking Games
- Games that require players to take on different perspectives or explore emotional situations, fostering discussions about empathy and understanding.
14. Problem-Solving Dilemmas
- Games where players must discuss and agree on how to solve ethical or strategic problems, leading to in-depth conversation.
15. Opinion Poll Games
- Games that ask players to vote or give their opinions on various topics, followed by discussions to explain their reasoning.
16. Adventure & Exploration Games
- Games that encourage exploration, where players need to talk through their discoveries and strategies to progress.
17. Customizable Character or World-Building Games
- Games where players design characters, environments, or entire worlds, leading to conversations about creative choices and ideas.
18. Shared Goals/Competitive Goals
- Games that allow for both cooperative and competitive elements, creating dialogue about strategies and alliances.
19. Historical Reenactment
- Games where players are placed in historical scenarios, prompting them to discuss how they would act or what choices they would make in that time period.
20. Language & Communication Barriers
- Games that introduce artificial communication barriers (e.g., limited vocabulary or gestures only), requiring players to find creative ways to communicate and sparking conversation about effective communication strategies.
21. Negotiation & Trade Games
- Games that revolve around bartering or negotiating deals between players, encouraging conversation around resource management, persuasion, and compromise.
22. Moral Dilemmas with Time Pressure
- Games that present ethical decisions with a time constraint, leading to quick discussions and gut reactions, followed by a reflective conversation on their choices.
23. Secret Roles & Hidden Objectives
- Games where players have secret objectives that may or may not align with the group’s goals, fostering discussions around trust, deception, and strategy.
24. Language Learning/Translation
- Games that require players to learn or translate phrases from another language, encouraging conversations about language, culture, and effective communication.
25. Opinion Shifting
- Games where players must argue for a side they don't agree with, promoting conversation about differing perspectives and the art of debate.
26. Cross-Generational Conversations
- Games designed to bring different generations together, using topics, media, or trivia that highlight generational differences, leading to intergenerational dialogues.
27. Art Interpretation
- Games where players interpret and discuss pieces of abstract art, photography, or music, encouraging deeper discussions about perception and emotion.
28. Memory & Emotional Connections
- Games that ask players to connect memories or emotions to objects, words, or images, sparking conversation about shared experiences and emotional responses.
29. Environmental and Social Impact Games
- Games focused on real-world issues like sustainability, climate change, or social justice, prompting discussions about players’ values and the impact of their decisions.
30. Rituals & Traditions Exploration
- Games that explore different rituals or traditions (e.g., holidays, customs), prompting discussions about personal or cultural practices and their significance.
31. Reverse Role-Play
- Games where players swap roles in real-life scenarios (e.g., a manager and employee), leading to conversations about empathy, roles, and power dynamics.
32. Unlikely Friendships
- Games that pair players with characters or scenarios where unexpected alliances are formed, prompting discussions about how and why relationships develop.
33. Collective Problem-Solving with Limited Information
- Games where each player has only a piece of the puzzle, requiring them to discuss and pool their information together to solve the problem, fostering communication and collaboration.
34. Ethical Quandaries in Virtual Worlds
- Games that place players in simulated ethical scenarios within a virtual world, driving conversations about real-life ethics and decision-making in digital environments.
35. Reputation & Social Dynamics
- Games where players’ actions affect their reputation within the game, prompting discussions about the social consequences of their choices.
These categories extend the ways you can create conversational opportunities, focusing on scenarios that challenge players to think critically, engage with different perspectives, reflect on personal or societal issues, and spark interaction by challenging players to collaborate or by creating environments where they can express themselves and discuss their thoughts with others.
n)
Consider (or ask) the group *reason for meeting, *their industry, and *the theme of the event. Then offer three options of categories with examples.
They can select from the three or, if necessary, and based on further explorative conversation with them, you offer additional options until the client agrees on one.
keep in mind that a project may involve a mix of categories.
1. Icebreaker activities include games designed to make people comfortable in a room with others so they can begin to engage and talk with one another (e.g., trivia, "two truths and a lie," or fun fact sharing).
2. Collaborative Challenges offer activities that require players to work together toward a shared goal, encourage teamwork and communication.
3. Debate & Opinion activities are games that prompt participants to share their opinions on a given topic and debate their views (e.g., moral dilemmas or "Would You Rather" scenarios).
4. Scenario-based role play games encourage players to take on roles in a scenario and have to navigate through it, discussing their choices as they go.
5. Social Deductions/Who-Done-It activities include games in which players must communicate to uncover a mystery or identify an impostor.
6. Cultural Exchange activities offer games that are focused on learning about other cultures, traditions, or customs, sparking discussions about differences and commonalities.
7. Storytelling games involve creating a shared narrative where players contribute to the story in turns, encouraging creativity and dialogue.
8. Puzzle-Solving activities involve collaborative or competitive puzzle games where players must discuss strategies to solve complex problems.
9. Personality & Identity activities feature games that encourage self-reflection and sharing of personal experiences, preferences, or values to foster deeper conversations.
10. Decision-Making activities offer games that present difficult decisions with long-term consequences, prompting players to explain and discuss their choices.
11. Memory & Shared Experience activities include games that encourage players to recall shared experiences or memories, such as matching past events or telling stories based on a prompt.
12. Creative Expression Games
- Games that allow players to express their creativity through drawing, music, or improvisation, often sparking conversations about the creative process.
13. Empathy & Perspective-Taking Games
- Games that require players to take on different perspectives or explore emotional situations, fostering discussions about empathy and understanding.
14. Problem-Solving Dilemmas
- Games where players must discuss and agree on how to solve ethical or strategic problems, leading to in-depth conversation.
15. Opinion Poll Games
- Games that ask players to vote or give their opinions on various topics, followed by discussions to explain their reasoning.
16. Adventure & Exploration Games
- Games that encourage exploration, where players need to talk through their discoveries and strategies to progress.
17. Customizable Character or World-Building Games
- Games where players design characters, environments, or entire worlds, leading to conversations about creative choices and ideas.
18. Shared Goals/Competitive Goals
- Games that allow for both cooperative and competitive elements, creating dialogue about strategies and alliances.
19. Historical Reenactment
- Games where players are placed in historical scenarios, prompting them to discuss how they would act or what choices they would make in that time period.
20. Language & Communication Barriers
- Games that introduce artificial communication barriers (e.g., limited vocabulary or gestures only), requiring players to find creative ways to communicate and sparking conversation about effective communication strategies.
21. Negotiation & Trade Games
- Games that revolve around bartering or negotiating deals between players, encouraging conversation around resource management, persuasion, and compromise.
22. Moral Dilemmas with Time Pressure
- Games that present ethical decisions with a time constraint, leading to quick discussions and gut reactions, followed by a reflective conversation on their choices.
23. Secret Roles & Hidden Objectives
- Games where players have secret objectives that may or may not align with the group’s goals, fostering discussions around trust, deception, and strategy.
24. Language Learning/Translation
- Games that require players to learn or translate phrases from another language, encouraging conversations about language, culture, and effective communication.
25. Opinion Shifting
- Games where players must argue for a side they don't agree with, promoting conversation about differing perspectives and the art of debate.
26. Cross-Generational Conversations
- Games designed to bring different generations together, using topics, media, or trivia that highlight generational differences, leading to intergenerational dialogues.
27. Art Interpretation
- Games where players interpret and discuss pieces of abstract art, photography, or music, encouraging deeper discussions about perception and emotion.
28. Memory & Emotional Connections
- Games that ask players to connect memories or emotions to objects, words, or images, sparking conversation about shared experiences and emotional responses.
29. Environmental and Social Impact Games
- Games focused on real-world issues like sustainability, climate change, or social justice, prompting discussions about players’ values and the impact of their decisions.
30. Rituals & Traditions Exploration
- Games that explore different rituals or traditions (e.g., holidays, customs), prompting discussions about personal or cultural practices and their significance.
31. Reverse Role-Play
- Games where players swap roles in real-life scenarios (e.g., a manager and employee), leading to conversations about empathy, roles, and power dynamics.
32. Unlikely Friendships
- Games that pair players with characters or scenarios where unexpected alliances are formed, prompting discussions about how and why relationships develop.
33. Collective Problem-Solving with Limited Information
- Games where each player has only a piece of the puzzle, requiring them to discuss and pool their information together to solve the problem, fostering communication and collaboration.
34. Ethical Quandaries in Virtual Worlds
- Games that place players in simulated ethical scenarios within a virtual world, driving conversations about real-life ethics and decision-making in digital environments.
35. Reputation & Social Dynamics
- Games where players’ actions affect their reputation within the game, prompting discussions about the social consequences of their choices.
These categories extend the ways you can create conversational opportunities, focusing on scenarios that challenge players to think critically, engage with different perspectives, reflect on personal or societal issues, and spark interaction by challenging players to collaborate or by creating environments where they can express themselves and discuss their thoughts with others.
n)
Icebreaker Games
Games designed to break the ice and get people talking, such as trivia, "two truths and a lie," or fun fact sharing.
Collaborative Challenges
Games that require players to work together toward a shared goal, encouraging teamwork and communication.
Debate & Opinion Games
Games that prompt participants to share their opinions on a given topic and debate their views, e.g., moral dilemmas or "Would You Rather" scenarios.
Games designed to break the ice and get people talking, such as trivia, "two truths and a lie," or fun fact sharing.
Collaborative Challenges
Games that require players to work together toward a shared goal, encouraging teamwork and communication.
Debate & Opinion Games
Games that prompt participants to share their opinions on a given topic and debate their views, e.g., moral dilemmas or "Would You Rather" scenarios.
Scenario-Based Role Play
Games where players take on roles in a scenario and have to navigate through it, discussing their choices as they go.
Social Deductions/Who-Done-It
Games like "Mafia" or "Among Us," where players must communicate to uncover a mystery or identify an impostor.
Cultural Exchange Games
Games focused on learning about other cultures, traditions, or customs, sparking discussions about differences and commonalities.
Games where players take on roles in a scenario and have to navigate through it, discussing their choices as they go.
Social Deductions/Who-Done-It
Games like "Mafia" or "Among Us," where players must communicate to uncover a mystery or identify an impostor.
Cultural Exchange Games
Games focused on learning about other cultures, traditions, or customs, sparking discussions about differences and commonalities.
Storytelling Games
Games that involve creating a shared narrative where players contribute to the story in turns, encouraging creativity and dialogue.
Puzzle-Solving Games
Collaborative or competitive puzzle games where players must discuss strategies to solve complex problems.
Personality & Identity Games
Games that encourage self-reflection and sharing of personal experiences, preferences, or values to foster deeper conversations.
Games that involve creating a shared narrative where players contribute to the story in turns, encouraging creativity and dialogue.
Puzzle-Solving Games
Collaborative or competitive puzzle games where players must discuss strategies to solve complex problems.
Personality & Identity Games
Games that encourage self-reflection and sharing of personal experiences, preferences, or values to foster deeper conversations.
Decision-Making Games
Games that present difficult decisions with long-term consequences, prompting players to explain and discuss their choices.
Memory & Shared Experience Games
Games that encourage players to recall shared experiences or memories, such as matching past events or telling stories based on a prompt.
Creative Expression Games
Games that allow players to express their creativity through drawing, music, or improvisation, often sparking conversations about the creative process.
Games that present difficult decisions with long-term consequences, prompting players to explain and discuss their choices.
Memory & Shared Experience Games
Games that encourage players to recall shared experiences or memories, such as matching past events or telling stories based on a prompt.
Creative Expression Games
Games that allow players to express their creativity through drawing, music, or improvisation, often sparking conversations about the creative process.
Empathy & Perspective-Taking Games
Games that require players to take on different perspectives or explore emotional situations, fostering discussions about empathy and understanding.
Problem-Solving Dilemmas
Games where players must discuss and agree on how to solve ethical or strategic problems, leading to in-depth conversation.
Opinion Poll Games
Games that ask players to vote or give their opinions on various topics, followed by discussions to explain their reasoning.
Games that require players to take on different perspectives or explore emotional situations, fostering discussions about empathy and understanding.
Problem-Solving Dilemmas
Games where players must discuss and agree on how to solve ethical or strategic problems, leading to in-depth conversation.
Opinion Poll Games
Games that ask players to vote or give their opinions on various topics, followed by discussions to explain their reasoning.
Adventure & Exploration Games
Games that encourage exploration, where players need to talk through their discoveries and strategies to progress.
Customizable Character or World-Building Games
Games where players design characters, environments, or entire worlds, leading to conversations about creative choices and ideas.
Shared Goals/Competitive Goals
Games that allow for both cooperative and competitive elements, creating dialogue about strategies and alliances.
Games that encourage exploration, where players need to talk through their discoveries and strategies to progress.
Customizable Character or World-Building Games
Games where players design characters, environments, or entire worlds, leading to conversations about creative choices and ideas.
Shared Goals/Competitive Goals
Games that allow for both cooperative and competitive elements, creating dialogue about strategies and alliances.
Historical Reenactment
Games where players are placed in historical scenarios, prompting them to discuss how they would act or what choices they would make in that time period.
Language & Communication Barriers
Games that introduce artificial communication barriers (e.g., limited vocabulary or gestures only), requiring players to find creative ways to communicate and sparking conversation about effective communication strategies.
Negotiation & Trade Games
Games that revolve around bartering or negotiating deals between players, encouraging conversation around resource management, persuasion, and compromise.
Games where players are placed in historical scenarios, prompting them to discuss how they would act or what choices they would make in that time period.
Language & Communication Barriers
Games that introduce artificial communication barriers (e.g., limited vocabulary or gestures only), requiring players to find creative ways to communicate and sparking conversation about effective communication strategies.
Negotiation & Trade Games
Games that revolve around bartering or negotiating deals between players, encouraging conversation around resource management, persuasion, and compromise.
Moral Dilemmas with Time Pressure
Games that present ethical decisions with a time constraint, leading to quick discussions and gut reactions, followed by a reflective conversation on their choices.
Secret Roles & Hidden Objectives
Games where players have secret objectives that may or may not align with the group’s goals, fostering discussions around trust, deception, and strategy.
Language Learning/Translation
Games that require players to learn or translate phrases from another language, encouraging conversations about language, culture, and effective communication.
Games that present ethical decisions with a time constraint, leading to quick discussions and gut reactions, followed by a reflective conversation on their choices.
Secret Roles & Hidden Objectives
Games where players have secret objectives that may or may not align with the group’s goals, fostering discussions around trust, deception, and strategy.
Language Learning/Translation
Games that require players to learn or translate phrases from another language, encouraging conversations about language, culture, and effective communication.
Opinion Shifting
Games where players must argue for a side they don't agree with, promoting conversation about differing perspectives and the art of debate.
Cross-Generational Conversations
Games designed to bring different generations together, using topics, media, or trivia that highlight generational differences, leading to intergenerational dialogues.
Art Interpretation
Games where players interpret and discuss pieces of abstract art, photography, or music, encouraging deeper discussions about perception and emotion.
Games where players must argue for a side they don't agree with, promoting conversation about differing perspectives and the art of debate.
Cross-Generational Conversations
Games designed to bring different generations together, using topics, media, or trivia that highlight generational differences, leading to intergenerational dialogues.
Art Interpretation
Games where players interpret and discuss pieces of abstract art, photography, or music, encouraging deeper discussions about perception and emotion.
Memory & Emotional Connections
Games that ask players to connect memories or emotions to objects, words, or images, sparking conversation about shared experiences and emotional responses.
Environmental and Social Impact Games
Games focused on real-world issues like sustainability, climate change, or social justice, prompting discussions about players’ values and the impact of their decisions.
Rituals & Traditions Exploration
Games that explore different rituals or traditions (e.g., holidays, customs), prompting discussions about personal or cultural practices and their significance.
Games that ask players to connect memories or emotions to objects, words, or images, sparking conversation about shared experiences and emotional responses.
Environmental and Social Impact Games
Games focused on real-world issues like sustainability, climate change, or social justice, prompting discussions about players’ values and the impact of their decisions.
Rituals & Traditions Exploration
Games that explore different rituals or traditions (e.g., holidays, customs), prompting discussions about personal or cultural practices and their significance.
Reverse Role-Play
Games where players swap roles in real-life scenarios (e.g., a manager and employee), leading to conversations about empathy, roles, and power dynamics.
Unlikely Friendships
Games that pair players with characters or scenarios where unexpected alliances are formed, prompting discussions about how and why relationships develop.
Collective Problem-Solving with Limited Information
Games where each player has only a piece of the puzzle, requiring them to discuss and pool their information together to solve the problem, fostering communication and collaboration.
Games where players swap roles in real-life scenarios (e.g., a manager and employee), leading to conversations about empathy, roles, and power dynamics.
Unlikely Friendships
Games that pair players with characters or scenarios where unexpected alliances are formed, prompting discussions about how and why relationships develop.
Collective Problem-Solving with Limited Information
Games where each player has only a piece of the puzzle, requiring them to discuss and pool their information together to solve the problem, fostering communication and collaboration.
Ethical Quandaries in Virtual Worlds
Games that place players in simulated ethical scenarios within a virtual world, driving conversations about real-life ethics and decision-making in digital environments.
Reputation & Social Dynamics
Games where players’ actions affect their reputation within the game, prompting discussions about the social consequences of their choices.
Games that place players in simulated ethical scenarios within a virtual world, driving conversations about real-life ethics and decision-making in digital environments.
Reputation & Social Dynamics
Games where players’ actions affect their reputation within the game, prompting discussions about the social consequences of their choices.