The Group Work Game

4+ Players * Role-Playing Game * Improv/Narrative-Based * 30+ min * Replayable * Age 13+/Adult

Rules of the Game Click to Flip the Card

What Is The Group Game? card is black with a picture of a mirror on a stand. Flip to learn about the game.

Card reads: The Group Game: This improv-based, story-telling role-playing game promotes group work on the subject of group work. What participants take from project-based group work depends on their personality and their social position, as well as their gender and race. The Group Game gives players an opportunity to approach a project from multiple perspectives and learn about their roles while having a hilariously good time.

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Trigger Warnings Click to Flip the Card

Trigger Warning Card for The Group Game is orange and shows a bear with his hand up to indicate STOP

Text of card reads Trigger Warnings: Confronting these problems without solving or resolving them in real life: Racism Sexual Harassment Fascism Dementia Climate Change Zombies Your Entitlements

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Each Player Chooses a Role Card

(If you get a repeat card, shuffle the deck and draw again. More than 4 players, any extra players are Slackers)

Click for Your Role Card shows curious dog on black background.

Goofy animal with tongue hanging out on blue background for The Slacker Card in the Group Game

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The Drudge Picks a Scenario Card and Reads it Aloud

Scenario Card for The Group Game with old time movie camera on green background

Scenario Card for The Group Game has text Racism. One group in your town lives in a racially segregated neighborhood that receives all of the road work funds, all of the new tree plantings, all of the regular public lawn care, the new library funds, the public beaches, the new school science lab funding, the new bus stop shelters, the internet infrastructure upgrades, all of the fire truck upgrades, all of the outsourced special ed evaluations, all of the new public park benches, all of the traffic study results, all of the decorative seasonal lighting and all of the new Yeti coolers in their nearest police station. Racism is not a game. How can you fix this?

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Take Turns Drawing an Action Card Based on Your Role and tell the story

If you get a repeat card, shuffle the deck and draw again

The Drudge action card shows sad owl. Click to get actions.

Drudge Card for The Group Game has text Error. You have done all the work for the project. The group expects that, as usual, your excellent work will earn them an A grade and or/a promotion or bonus. Right before the presentation, you realize you have made a significant error. There is no chance that the other members of the group will notice this error, but it is possible that the teacher/supervisor will see the problem.

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Happy hog cartoon character on red background of Credit Hog Card for The Group Game

Credit Hog Card for The Group Game has text Upstage. Show up the teacher/supervisor/patriarch and get away with it. Figure out what the supervisor’s weak spot is. Look for vanity, fear, blindspots. In private, be sympathetic to the supervisor. In public, let the supervisor bask in your temporary approval and benefit from your high status. Then slowly undermine the supervisor and steal their remaining power for your own.

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Happy cartoon Bird on bright yellow background for The Friend Role Card in The Group Game

Friend Card for The Group Game has text Triangulate. Turn to a member of the group and ask them how they are feeling about another member of the group. Help the teammates talk through their feelings about each other. You should work with your intuition about conflicts and unresolved issues between the teammates, and also use any private/secret information you may have collected at this point in the game. Dig deep.

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Goofy animal with tongue hanging out on blue background for The Slacker Card in the Group Game

Slacker Card for The Group Game has text Value. It is common to assume The Slacker contributes nothing to the group. But sometimes the person who is outside the group has valuable insights that could be useful to the team. While you were vaping behind the dumpster did you overhear a crucial private conversation? Could you find a much simpler, easier, low-stress way of doing what the group is doing without all the angst and effort built into the existing institutional dynamic?

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At any time The Slacker can choose a Wild Card

Funny smiling dinosaur cartoon on purple background for The Wild Card for The Group Game

Wild Card for The Group Game has rotating arrow graphic and text Switcheroo. If you are in a rich school or family or successful company, switch to a poor or struggling one. If you are in an impoverished setting, choose a very privileged and or wealthy one. If, like most people, you believe yourself to be middle class, choose a wealth extreme on either end.

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At any time The Friend can select a Time Out Card

Stopwatch cartoon on an aqua background for Time Out Card for Group Game

Time Out Card :Tell All Card for the Group Game has circular arrow graphic and text: The Friend goes around the circle and asks everyone to reveal their secrets and any roles or instructions they have that are not known to the group.

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The Credit Hog decides when the work is done

If multiple groups are playing, The Credit Hog presents the group’s work to the larger group

If multiple groups are playing, The Credit Hog presents the group’s work to the larger group