the science of play at work
Wits and Wagers
Bet on your smarts in the trivia game where being close counts
PLAYERS
Minimum:
3
Maximum:
10
Ideal:
6
EXPERIENCE
Duration:
Medium
Physical:
Yes
Virtual:
Yes
CLASSIFICATION
Genre:
Trivia
Dynamic 1:
Dynamic 2:
Applied Knowledge
Betting / Bluffing
COMPLEXITY
To Play:
Simple
To Setup:
Intermediate
To Custom:
Simple
MATRIX
Instinct:
Think
Intent:
What
BONDING
Materials
VIRTUAL SETUP
+ Answer cards (ideally dry erase)
+ Voting chips for betting
+ Quirky questions with numerical answers
+ Timer
You can also buy the physical game here.
Physical Setup
Wits & Wagers is a popular and simple game to customize, as players could be asked any bizarre question. The key is asking for numeric answers that will likely result in estimates, not exact values (i.e. what’s the diameter of the moon in football fields).
First, explain the rules of the game, then assign an answer area/card and 5 voting chips (helpful if different color/shape) to each player.
Next, place a bank of voting chips off to the side to reward players with.
Finally, set the timer. 30 seconds to 1 minute should suffice.
Virtual Setup
Use a sharable answer and voting platform, such as Google Slides or Miro, to draw everyone's attention to the center of play
Gameplay
Ask the Question: Read out the prompt and tell players to write answers privately, then start the timer
Vote: After the timer expires or when everyone is ready, players must vote by betting a certain number of chips on who they think got the closest to the correct answer
Reveal: Players share their answers and determine who was closest. If there’s a tie, those players are all closest. Voting on the right player doubles chip bets. Voting on the wrong player loses bets.
Endgame: Play continues until a final round is announced and scored. Whoever has the most chips wins.
Variations
Teams: Instead of players competing individually, group players into a team that answers and bets together
Furthest Answer: Instead of trying to get the closest, flip the winning answer to be the number that is most incorrect. It might help to set guardrails for what’s reasonable.
Middle Answer: similar to the furthest answer, the winning answers are the responses not closest or furthest. For example, if playing with an odd number of players, than there is an exact middle answer. If an even number, select the 2 middle answers.
Pulse Check
Q. Does everyone seem open to keep playing? Are the disengaged able to be more engaged?
Q. Are people having fun — smiling, laughing, in deep thought?
Q. Do you hear productive strategizing about how to improve round-to-round?
BUILDING
Think
Position the reflection around rational planning and communication methods:
Did this game illuminate any patterns in how you give and receive information?
How might it be helpful to know the preferences and tendencies of your colleagues?
Could your team benefit from additional or more diverse perspectives?
What
Position the reflection around goals and metrics, as well as the skills and roles to succeed:
What is one thing about you that would help your team members work with you better?
Did this game give you ideas about how to better advocate for yourself?
What strengths and talents did you witness, and how could the team better leverage them?