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.

Happy cartoon Bird on bright yellow background for The Friend Role 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 The Group Game has text Murder. Your group is involved in a murder. The media loves it and everything related to the murder is gold for online popularity. But this is a very scary time for your group. It is hard to trust anyone. Will The Drudge take care of it? Does The Credit Hog want to get credit for the murder? Is The Slacker the killer? Does The Friend know the secret? Choose your own questions as the investigation begins.

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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 Fraud. After the project is submitted, you notice that The Credit Hog has committed obvious plagiarism or fraud on the small part of the project they agreed to do. If you turn The Credit Hog in for the fraud, it will destroy their chances of getting into college/medical school/upper management. If you don’t identify the fraudster, you could be blamed or punished as everyone knows you did almost all the work. Since The Credit Hog is also a Big Blamer, you are pretty sure they won’t admit to their crime.

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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 The Big Picture. You make friends with someone on another team (or another family in your neighborhood, military unit etc). What you learn about the other group will have a big impact on your own group. Perhaps the other group has already solved the problem you all face, or maybe the other group is planning an attack on your group. The Credit Hog in their group may be planning to steal your group’s work. Who should you tell and when?

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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