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 for The Group Game has text Climate Change. Your building is in a Flood Zone. A major storm is predicted for the week of an important event for your group (ie final exams, product launch, annual fundraiser). Figure out what damage will most likely affect your building and how floods have been dealt with in the past. Find out where the funds for protecting the building have disappeared to. Decide whether to take legal action against the individual embezzler and/or larcenous School Board, Board of Trustees. CEO. Monitor the rising floodwaters from your basement workroom.

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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 Mission Creep. You get drawn into doing personal tasks for another teammate. This could be babysitting their kids, sharing your HBOMax password, delivering their meals, doing their homework in another class, driving them to dermabrasion, having their septic tank pumped or cleaning their dentures. Do you draw the line at washing their underwear in a separate load when they are staying overnight?

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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 Gotcha. You falsely took credit for something which turns out to be low quality. It seemed good at the time, but then again you did not check it over carefully. The way it played out, you feel kind of cheated. You are really the victim because someone else did the shoddy work. They should be ashamed of themselves. How do you avoid blame?

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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 Deep Dark. Someone in your group has a horrible secret that is eating away at them. Perhaps they faked their credentials to be on the team or make the grade. Perhaps they took funds intended for disadvantaged people and used them for themselves. Maybe they are guilty of a federal crime and waiting to get caught. You find out about the secret by accident, no one else knows.

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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 Unite. Bond with The Credit Hog. What do you have in common? How are your roles different? The Credit Hog may not be happy to be associated with you. It is in the interest of The Credit Hog to seem busy, engaged and hard-working. But since The Credit Hog also likes to make themselves scarce, both to increase their allure and to avoid being asked to do things, you should be able to locate them at the Starbucks around the corner.

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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 for The Group Game is Confession with text: The Friend chooses one Player to engage in Self-Criticism. The chosen player must publicly reflect on their mistakes, failures, and fears. The chosen player must make a genuine apology to at least one person.

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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