This is a paper handout intended to accompany a set of "meta-games" to help the audience understand leading gamestorming and using games to facilitate ideation and problem-solving.

1. GAMESTORMING – CATALYST CAFÉ :: bit.ly/CCGst0rm
What is Gamestorming? Well, we’ll get to But I would take it a bit further to say that
that (since you have this handout – you can games & Gamestorming help in these ways:
read ahead!). What you’re holding is
intended to address these three questions: Priming – it stimulates teams/groups and
encourages them creatively address an
 Why Gamestorming? issue, problem, or situation.
 What is Gamestorming?
 How do we lead Gamestorming? Engagement – for willing participants, it
vastly increases the level of engagement
The best intro is likely the talk from Dave experienced as it is easy to get “lost” in a
Gray, one of the authors of Gamestorming, game and it can quite enjoyable.
gave to UX Week 2010. Heck – the website
for the book is a great launching point. So, Self-Selection – people that are not
you could start learning more like this: willing to take part in games are not likely
to help you in the creative process anyway.
Understanding – observing game
sessions & activities as a facilitator gives a
unique window into groups, thus, it offers
novel insights about dynamics.
Let’s operate with Gamestorming
defined as “brainstorming in game Reenergize – the passion and glee of
format” until we can discuss & playful activity helps suspend the reality of
experience it. work day allowing access to thought
processes a cubicle-driven life shuts down.
Now, you could leave now since you have
this, or you can stay. But you went through I consider the above the Gamestorming
the trouble to come to Catalyst Café – so Sweet Spot! Dave Gray says that
stick around & experience some games. everything is a game, if you choose to
Hopefully, by the end – you’ll have your approach it that way. So you can use
own answer to this question: games & Gamestorming for pretty much
Why Gamestorming? any activity or group setting. I think the
above attributes are why you would put in
Like I said, Dave Gray offers an answer [1]. the effort to lead Gamestorming.
And through the power of summary, I’ll
provide some of his thoughts: What is Gamestorming?
“Games are accessible to beginners As we stated earlier, Gamestorming is
without being boring to experts” “brainstorming in game format.” There is
nothing really novel or new about
“Games generate new possibilities, new Gamestorming. It is a collection of
insights.” activities that creative & innovate orgs, like
IDEO [2] have been doing for quite some
“Games provide mechanisms for time. In fact, David Sibbet’s activities as a
interaction & creative collaboration…” Graphic Facilitator [3] are a major factor in
why Gray, Sunni Brown, & James
“The constraints of a game encourage, Macanufo decide to write their book.
rather than restrict, creativity”

2. GAMESTORMING – CATALYST CAFÉ :: bit.ly/CCGst0rm
What separates Gamestorming from
brainstorming is the usage of an  Optionally, use a game (like
interaction format close to that of the 3 Act Plus/Minus) to get feedback
Play, yet “game-like.” Games will fit into:
1. An opening period that introduces One rule to gamestorm by is “anything you
the world & gets divergent thoughts ‘open’ you must ‘close.’” If your gamers
flowing. [OPEN] leave without a tangible outcome or some
2. A middle period that promotes artifact that indicates progress your
exploring & gets collects emergent gamestorming session is no better than the
ideas. [EXPLORE] meeting formats that you are trying to
3. A closing period that wraps up the supplant. Closing a game might be as
activities & offers a convergent simple as identifying some thread does not
summary of the accomplishments or look fruitful & moving on. Or, it could be a
results [CLOSE] handout (sort of like this!).
The book visualizes that format like so: During the explore phase, if you see your
gamers getting caught up in details
encourage them to experiment. If you see
your gamers lost in high-level abstraction
encourage them to examine the most
interesting of their ideas.
Forcing people to participate is not going
to make for happy gamers. You will get the
Now, that we have more clarity to our best results with willing folks. If people
“WHAT” question, let’s start of a have laptops, ask them to put them away.
discussion about this: If they don’t, encourage them to take a
break, go for a walk, or ask them to leave.
How do we lead Gamestorming? Note taking or “knowledge capture” should
Here’s the SUPER lightweight how-to: not require a laptop – that’s what all the
Post-Its, index cards, & paper is for!
 Find a topic or problem
Materials [4]
 Pick a game (or a series of games)
Gamestorming – Gray, Brown, Macanufo
 Determine how you would introduce Visual Meetings – David Sibbet
the game world to a group (think about Visual Teams – David Sibbet
whether the group would need an
icebreaker to develop comfort) Innovation Games – Luke Hohmann
References – bit.ly/CCGst0rm
 Let the group explore the game space
that you have introduced. Only The numbered references that appear here
intervene if you observer them are called in the above link along with more
struggling or the flow of the information on related topics.
exploration has not be established Beyond Today
 Plan how you would bring together the @alenards / #CCGstorm / andrew.lenards@gmail.com
emergent ideas from the exploration to
a tangible outcome