I need suggestions for games (video or otherwise) for large groups

May 10, 2014 10:52 AM

I teach MBAs entrepreneurship, but also do research on video games. I was thinking of creating an entirely optional night session (maybe with drinks) that would focus on playing games that would be fun and maybe include teachable moments for 15-30 students. I was thinking of starting with Space Team, and then doing an improv game around crazy business pitches, but I am looking for other ideas. The games need to be easy to play with large groups (or small teams off a large group), be high energy, not be inappropriate for grad students, and have some sort of vague businesses point (improvisation, teamwork, leadership, dealing with ambiguity, etc.). Any ideas?
posted by blahblahblah to Education (9 answers total)

Response by poster: I should mention that the goal is mostly bonding for the students in an intense program, with a secondary, slightly more pedagogical, goal built around comfort with ambiguity. We will have a little discussion after each game.
posted by blahblahblah at 10:57 AM on May 10, 2014

Diplomacy?

Its all about ambiguity and negotiation and persuasion.
posted by notyou at 12:07 PM on May 10, 2014

Settlers of Catan could work too if you added an alternate rule or two to increase resource trades. I'm thinking the share ports rule, and the bribery rule.
posted by notyou at 12:16 PM on May 10, 2014

Best answer: Mafia(Aka Werewolf) has a lot of game theory stuff to it.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:53 PM on May 10, 2014

Best answer: Ladies & Gentlemen (here's a video review/description of how it plays)

Panic on Wall Street (and here's another video from the same people discussing it as a roundup of shouting games)

Mafia/Werewolf are good suggestions, and there are lots of variant rulesets. Also 2 Rooms and a Boom.
posted by kavasa at 1:12 PM on May 10, 2014

Apples to Apples can involve some serious thinking outside the box, because you're finding the "best" fit from a very constrained set of possibilities.
posted by rmd1023 at 2:54 PM on May 10, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: These are great, thanks - I would like to have large groups play together if possible, and to complete games relatively quickly (thus, no Diplomacy, also - I don't want to be hated)

More stuff welcome, of course!
posted by blahblahblah at 2:56 PM on May 10, 2014

Best answer: Along the lines of Mafia // Werewolf:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41114/the-resistance

Has the added benefit of not being an elimination-style game, though watching the goings-on is part of the fun of that.
posted by isauteikisa at 3:29 PM on May 10, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Mascarade is similar to werewolf/mafia/resistance, in the sense that you have hidden roles, but very different because your role is also hidden from YOU.

You have to make trades and game plans and decisions based on an extremely limited information set that changes constantly.
posted by AmandaA at 6:55 AM on May 12, 2014