Run a survival scenario exercise without printing a single ranking sheet
Every facilitator knows this exercise. A plane goes down, a yacht sinks, an expedition is cut off, and the group has to rank what they salvaged. People rank alone first, then argue their way to one list together, and the difference between the two is the point: a team that listens beats its own best member, and a team that does not, does not. Run on paper it costs you a printer, a stack of scoring sheets and twenty minutes of arithmetic while the energy in the room drains away. This is the same exercise with the arithmetic done for you, live, while the group is still talking.
- Trainers running decision-making and consensus workshops
- L&D teams with a leadership curriculum
- Coaches and consultants
- Lecturers teaching group dynamics
What you run
The games that do this
Ranking
Rank it alone, then as a team. The synergy score shows what the conversation added.
- In the room
- Online
- Phone or laptop
- Your own content
Ranking
4 – 500 participants · 30 – 45 min + debrief · 8 credits per participant
Three scenarios — lost in the ocean, in the desert, in the Arctic — each with its own items and expert ranking. Everyone ranks on their phone, then the team ranks together, and the leaderboard shows the individual scores, the team score and the synergy between them. Bring your own list instead and the exercise works exactly the same way.
Everything about RankingUnlock
Everyone holds a piece. Only talking puts it together.
- In the room
- Online
- Phone or laptop
- Your own content
Unlock
4 – 1,000 participants · 20 – 90 min · 8 credits per participant
A natural second round when the debrief lands on listening rather than deciding. Teams have to order a set of images they can describe but not show, which puts the same behaviours under a different kind of pressure.
Everything about UnlockHow the session goes
Before, during, after
Step 1
Before
Create the session, pick the scenario, and rehearse it once from your own phone. Sessions with up to two participants are free, so a full rehearsal costs nothing. Decide your teams: three to six people each is where the argument is richest, and the platform can hold up to 99 teams.
Step 2
During
Everyone joins with a link or a QR code and ranks the items alone — five to ten minutes, no talking. Then teams get their list and have to agree on one order. Your screen shows who has finished, so you know when to call time rather than guessing. The moment the last team submits, the scores and the synergy are on the board.
Step 3
After
The debrief is the exercise. The synergy score tells each team whether the conversation added to its members or averaged them away, and that number is impossible to argue with, which is exactly why it opens people up. Thirty to forty-five minutes of play, and as long again on the conversation if it is going well.
Debrief
Questions that turn the game into learning
- 1Whose individual ranking was closest? Did the team know that while it was deciding?
- 2What happened the first time two people disagreed — did the group explore it or move past it?
- 3Who spoke least, and what did the team not hear as a result?
- 4If the team score beat every individual, what specifically did the conversation add?
- 5Where else does your team decide like this, with the same people talking and the same people quiet?
What it costs
192 credits = $192
24 participants × 8 credits for Ranking, a full workshop group in four teams of six. Rehearsing beforehand with one colleague is free.
- Sessions with up to 2 participants are free
- 100 free credits when you sign up
- You pay only for the people who actually join
Questions
Is this the same as the exercise I already run on paper?
It is the same family: rank the items alone, rank them as a team, compare both against an expert ranking, and talk about the gap. The scenarios, the items and the expert rankings are our own, and Gaminar is not connected to any other publisher's version. If you have a list you have used for years, bring it — Ranking runs on your own list too.
Do participants need an app or an account?
No. They open a link or scan a QR code and type a name. It works on any phone or laptop browser, in the room or on a video call.
How long does it take?
Thirty to forty-five minutes of play, plus the debrief. Individual ranking is the quiet part; the team round is where the time goes, and you control when it ends.
How many people can take part?
Four to 500, in up to 99 teams. Everyone plays on the device already in their pocket, so group size does not change what you have to carry.
What does it cost?
8 credits per participant who actually joins, and nothing for the people who do not turn up. Sessions with up to two participants are free, so rehearse as often as you like.
Rehearse it for free before your first real group
Sign up in two minutes, get 100 free credits, and rehearse any game as often as you like — sessions with up to 2 participants are always free.