Game Storming

Game Storming #

Gamestorming is a collaborative approach to problem-solving and innovation that uses structured games to help groups think creatively, communicate more effectively, and explore complex challenges together. By combining elements of play, visual thinking, and facilitated activities, gamestorming creates an engaging environment where participants can generate ideas, uncover insights, and align around shared understanding. Rather than relying on abstract discussions, it encourages hands-on participation, making thinking visible and helping teams break down assumptions, discover new perspectives, and move from exploration to actionable outcomes.

Making Not-Knowing Desirable #

Chapter 1.

Create conditions in which humans venture into new spaces of possibility. Temporarily exchanging certainty for doubt in order to unlock collaboration, problem solving, agility, imagination, innovation and boundless adventure. There are 5 game storming features that help unlock these.

  • Thinking Moves - Meta-cognitive processes through which we better understand and engage with the world.
    • When done well: new resources, knowledge acquisition, breakthroughs, and surprising solutions.
    • Examples
      • Reason With Evidence
      • Make Connections
      • Uncover Complexity
      • Capture The Essence
      • Build Explanations
      • Describe What’s Here
      • Wonder
      • Consider Different Views
      • Identify Patterns
      • Generate Possibilities
      • Evaluate Evidence
      • Make Plans
      • Identify Assumptions/Bias
      • Prioritize/Rank
  • Thinking Beyond The Brain - Refers to the idea that effective thinking is not limited to what happens silently inside an individual’s mind, but is enhanced through physical, visual, and social interaction. In gamestorming activities, participants externalize their thoughts by sketching, moving objects, writing on sticky notes, and interacting with others, which reduces cognitive load and reveals patterns that might otherwise remain hidden. This approach leverages the body, space, and group dynamics as part of the thinking process, allowing ideas to evolve through shared artifacts and collective sense-making rather than isolated mental effort.
  • Visualization - Gives immediate access to what’s inside of other people’s space. Sketches make the invisible, visible. Internalized knowledge becomes externalized.
  • Games - Powerful and purposeful thought experiments.
  • Games Sequences - We might want to pipe different games to build a bigger journey.

Volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments are the norm. We all know that the military uses games and simulations as a way to practice for war. But they also use something called a concept of operations, or CONOPS, to (I) create an overall picture of the system and the goals that they want to achieve, and (2) communicate that picture to the people who will work together to reach those goals. A concept of operations is a way to say, “Given what we know today, here is how we think this system works, and here is how we plan to approach it.”

A Game #

Chapter 2.

  • Game Components
    • Game Space - A alternative world, a model world. Ordinary life is suspended and other rules apply. (just like with DD)
    • Boundaries - In space and time. There is a time where the game starts and ends. Usually the game happens in a space, if outside, you step outside the game. (I go to the toilet)
    • Rules For Interaction - The rules of engagement, interaction, etc.
    • Artifacts - Board, post-its, ball, chess board and pieces, anything you might need/use for the game.
    • Goal - When is the game over? End state. Something understood by all players.
    • Conclusion: Every game in game storming has these components.
  • Game Flow/Story
    • Imagine The World - Before the game start, imagine one for the players. (aka, create the Game space)
    • Create The World - Expand the Game Space with Boundaries, Rules, and Artifacts.
    • Open The World - Explain and share the world to all players so they can participate.
    • Explore The world - Players explore the world via its rules towards the game goal(s).
    • Close The World - The goals are met, so a ceremonial ending, provide closure.
    • Conclusion: Gamestorming is about creating game worlds to explore and examine challenges and complexities, improve collaboration, and to generate novel insights. Games can last from minutes to days.
  • The Game Of Business
    • You start from a initial conditions to a target space (goal). Between is the challenge space.
    • When there are clear goals and linear processes on how to achieve that goal, we have a simple business process that can take care of that.
      • Here there is no goal for creativity, we want predictable clear outcomes.
    • When there are fuzzy goals there are no clear steps to achieve that goal. We need creativity.
      • We need a framework (gamestorming) for exploration, experimentation, and trial and error. The path is not clear, it will/might change.
    • Goals, by their nature, are attempts to predict and control the future. Specific goals are for production, Fuzzy goals for search. In search, it’s not what you are seeking that matters most, It’s what you find.
  • Fuzzy Goals
    • To define one you need ESP
      • Emotional - Fuzzy goals must align with people’s passion and energy for the project.
      • Sensory - The more tangible you can make a goal, the easier it is to share it with others. Sketches and crude physical models help to bring form to ideas that might otherwise be too vague to grasp. You may be able to visualize the goal itself, or you may be able to visualize an effect of the goal, such as a made explicit in some way.
      • Progressive - Fuzzy goals are not static; they change over time. This is because, when you begin to move toward a fuzzy goal, you don’t know what you don’t know. The process of moving toward the goal is also a learning process, sometimes called successive approximation. As the team learns, the goals may change, so it’s important to stop every once in a while and look around. Fuzzy goals must be adjusted (and sometimes, completely changed) based on what you learn as you go.
    • Examples
      • A dining experience unlike anything you’ve had.
      • A home away from home.
      • Land people on the moon and return them safely to Earth.
      • A faster way to move things from here to here.
      • A cure for cancer*
  • Game Shape
    • img
    • img
      • Opening people’s minds, possibilities, explosion of ideas. Not a place for critical thinking or skepticism. GENERATE IDEAS.
    • img
      • Create conditions that will allow unexpected, surprising and delightful things to emerge. This is done by exploration and experimentation. You look for patterns and analogies, try to see old things in new ways.
    • img
      • Move towards conclusion, decisions, actions.
      • Now asses ideas with a realistic, critical eye. You converge, filter, narrow down.

Gamestorming In Practice #

Foundational Concepts and and ideas (Chapter 3)

Energy #

  • The mental, emotional and physical energy that participants bring.
  • Use the available energy productively or waste it.
  • We want to adjust energy accordingly, steady. A campfire is contained and channel energy , a forest fire is energy out of control.

Structure #

  • Harnessing energy requires thinking about structure
  • Structures are different templates that help channel the energy to get different results. Each “part” of game storming has a different expected outcome, so we choose appropriate template/structure.
    • Result Types: New Ideas, Agreement, Tough Decision, Problem-Solving, Unraveling Complexity, Planning, …
  • Energy follows structure
  • Room layout matters, a presenter focused room will channel energy differently than a room with round tables. Sitting opposite, side by side, stand at flip charts… it all influences how energy will flow.
  • A agenda is a set of activities that create a story from beginning till end. Output of one activity flows seamlessly in the next.

Natural Energy Flows #

  • Bright and Stimulating Environments
    • Natural light over fluorescent light
    • Big windows and high ceilings
    • Bright colored sticky notes and markers
    • Anything fun and inviting
  • Energy Gradients
    • Most people peak between mid-morning and mid-day with mid-afternoon dip. Include that in your agenda and planning if possible.
  • Time-Boxing
    • Mostly attentive at start meeting and end
    • Usually attention wanes after 10 minutes
    • Consider designing an agenda so there is a change-up every 10-15 minutes. Frequent change ups is a cheat code.
      • Re-energizes and refocuses
  • Introvert and Extrovert Energy
    • Introverts recharge when working alone, drains when working with others
    • Extraverts recharge when working with others, drains when working alone
    • Follow a energy flow that allows all types to recharge
    • Example:
      • Start with group activity (introduce the challenge)
      • Then, Do something that they can individually (come up with solutions)
      • Then, do something in smaller groups (discuss the solutions)
      • Then, present again in the larger group the results
      • IMG

Opening and Closing #

img

  • Any agenda/session needs a proper opening and closing.
  • Opening invites anticipation and exploration of what comes next.
    • Divergent - spark imaginations
    • Create warm, inviting environment for participants that will open their minds and explore possibilities.
    • Set frame of reference, context, and lay out journey (agenda).
  • Closing invites reflection and decision about next steps.
    • Convergent
    • Making choices and decisions, realign with the group.
  • Risks
    • Don’t open and close at the same time
      • When you explore creative possibilities, shut down judging and critical mind.
      • When you you are making difficult choices, shut down the creative part.
      • Separate them and keep them in order
    • Close everything you open
      • If you don’t, there might be many ideas and opportunities but no plan tackling them.
      • Can be as simple as “This thread doesn’t seem to be taking us anywhere, let’s not waste any more time on it.”

Artifacts #

  • Artifacts are any objects that holds information.
    • Index cards, post its, cards, counters, …
  • Artifacts are aids.
  • Artifacts can make things explicit, clear, tangible, persistent.
  • Sticky Notes - One of the best tools, allows for breaking down into small movable artifacts.
  • Nodes - Can be be pretty much anything when seen as a part of a larger system.
    • Nodes are more an abstract concept, and you can use sticky notes or index cards for that.
    • Now you can cluster, pile, or shuffle these nodes.
  • Linking - You can connect nodes based on the context
    • Flow Charts
    • Mind Maps
    • …

Meaningful Space #

  • General Concept
    • Concept Introduced in ‘The Language Of Graphics’
    • Framing any space to make relationships within more meaningful. (like a grid on a chessboard)
    • Affinity Mapping uses meaningful space for grouping nodes into related domains. You can do this by drawing a few vertical lines to create clusters/domains for nodes. Avoid naming the clusters at first, you are looking for patterns. Redundant/duplicates can be stack on each other.
    • Gives the position of artifacts exact meaning.
  • Components
    • Borders - Lines that frame a space, a box, a column, imaginary lines with great impact
    • Axes - Lines that give direction within a space. It has force, direction compared to border lines.
      • There are also hidden/implied axes
        • We read from left to right, so we assume you want us to read nodes from left to right.
        • We read from top to bottom usually. we expect high level or more important things to be on top and lower level details below.
    • Circles and Targets - Excellent for “distance” between nodes or places (e.g. Distance from the node and a goal)
      • Inside the scope, in the circle, outside the scope, outside the circle.
      • Concentric circles give more gradients (WHY, HOW, WHAT, BEST, BETTER, GOOD)
    • Metric vs Ordered Space
      • Metric space is a space we measure - Exact numbers or approx size (Small, Medium, …). We care about individual information.
      • Ordered space is space where precedence is what key - E.g. From less to most likely. We care about relation between things.
    • Grids - Grids, quadrants, columns, rows…
      • Allows to order, structure
    • Landscape and maps - Sometimes it makes sense of information in a landscape, to express the journey or topology between nodes of information.
      • A journey tells more about a direction (we need to launch a new product in stages), a map gives more context and topology (business conditions, competition, etc…)
      • TIP: Search for visualization examples
      • img
    • Metaphor - Organizing information so you see the relationships. Perfect reframing.
      • Represent as a house, airplane, building, animal, ship, anything that will help you break out of habitual thinking patterns.¨
      • Can help to ask new and thought provoking questions that you might not have considered before. It’s like reframing.
      • House example: What are the foundations? What are the columns and beams that support he roof
      • VisualFrameworks
      • img

Sketching And Modelmaking #

Easy building blocks for visuals, without being an artist.

  • Visual Language - Confidence is keys, see Visual Thinking School for help.
  • Visual Alphabet - The small visuals elements that allow you to compose any visual.
    • Glyphs: Point, line, Angle, Arc, Spiral and Loop
    • Forms: Oval, seed, triangle, rectangle, house and cloud
    • From these 12 you can draw alphabet, numbers, and complex shapes.
  • Drawing People (page 53) - With the 12 basic components you can draw these things. Often when drawing humans, you want to draw a certain action.
    • Get a reference (over time you won’t need it anymore) - Image
    • Start with the center of gravity (not the head), so the trunk of the body - Image
    • Then the feet, then legs with knees, and finally the floor - Image and Image
    • Then the hands, usually a small circle for the hands, then the arms with elbows - Image
    • Then the head, notice that the head not always aligns with the center of gravity - Image
    • Finally the face, the nose can be a simple line, adjust expression accordingly - Image
  • Perspective

Randomness, Reversal, Reframing #

Fire-starting #

Setups #

Asking Questions #

Improvisation #

Selection #

Try Something New #

Practices #

Resources #

2026-01-30 @ 13:45:40
Edit this page
Previous Facilitation Intrapreneur Next