Empires

Energiser / Warm up, Fun, Icebreaker

Team – building

Communication

Up to 15 min, Up to 30 min

6-15 persons, 16 – 30 persons, More than 30 persons

Skilled

Stretch

Introduction

This activity could work between sessions as an energiser or an icebreaker. It builds on participants’ memory and communication.
The goal of this game is that one player has all the other players in his/her empire.

Necessary tools (what you need)

Pick a videoconferencing tool of your choice.
Pick an online whiteboard toolthat allows using large, zoomable canvas.

Steps

Decide on your topic (celebrities, favourite bands, fictional characters…). For example celebrities.
Ask each participant DM you their choice via chat, Slack…
Read out all the names to the group. Depending on skill level, read these out a second time so people can remember them. Once the game has begun – the names are NOT to be read out again. It is up to the players to remember what names have been read out.
After the names have been read out, nominate a player to start the game. Player A asks player B if they are [insert a name that has been read out]. If player A guesses right, then player B joins player A’s empire. If player A is wrong, then player B gets control of the game and gets the chance to build their empire.
The game gets slightly complex here. If player A has an empire, another player (player C) can go after player A’s entire empire. To do this, player C must guess who player A is, as player A is the head of the group. If player C is correct, player A and all of their empire joins player C’s empire. Once a player joins an empire, they can not be separated from it, only the head of the empire can be guessed.
Players in an empire can confer between themselves – however, it is up to the head of the empire to make the statement and ask the other player. (This is were communication comes in, as players will forget the famous people, so collectively they can work out who is left.)
The game continues until one player has all the other players in their empire.

Tips & Tricks

Brief the exercise though keep it simple at this stage – this activity becomes much clearer when playing.
When facilitating full group discussion, we’d recommend that participants use non-verbal means to indicate they’d like to speak. You can use tools like Zoom’s nonverbal feedback tools, a reaction emoji, or just have people put their hands up. The facilitator can then invite that person to talk.
Encourage participants to talk and discuss in the side chat – the fun of this game comes from accusing and discussing who is who!
Delineate which empire players belong by using Zoom icons, by raising a hand when asked which empire they belong to, or by having each user change the background based on their empire.

Empires

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Introduction

Necessary tools (what you need)

Steps

Tips & Tricks

The exercise is successfully completed when? Conclusion?