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.

Flip

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

Flip

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

Shuffle

Flip

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?

Shuffle

Flip

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.

Shuffle

Flip

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?

Shuffle

Flip

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

Friend Card for The Group Game has text Meaning. Ask the group to think about the deeper meaning of the work, the inner flaws of the project and what larger cultural trends it reflects. Are you working on a history project that only tells the story from one point-of-view? Is your college built on land that was stolen from Native Americans? Are you selling a product that damages the environment? Is the war you are fighting in a just war?

Shuffle

Flip

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 Quit. Ask the group what would happen if no one did any work at all. What are the stakes of the group work you are doing? Ask each member of the team to think of the specific consequences to them of stopping all work. If no one from your team has ever quit anything before, talk them through the stages of quitting and show them how great it can be.

Shuffle

Flip

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 image of a card joker and text The Joker. Instead of assigning each player to choose a card from their own Action Card deck as is usually done, this time ask one member to choose a card from another Role’s deck (i.e. The Credit Hog chooses from The Drudge deck).

Shuffle

Flip

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 has knife graphic and text Backstabber. Everyone must reveal something about someone else, and or make an accusation against another member of the group.

Shuffle

Flip

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