PlayDecide is a card game for simple, respectful and fact-based group discussion. All games are free. This is how they work.
Get started
The basics
A 90 minute card game in three stages
With PlayDecide, get familiar with a question, see it from different perspectives and form or clarify your own opinion. Look at issues as a group: can you reach a positive consensus? The game is divided into three stages and culminates in a vote on a number of proposed policy positions.
Online support for facilitators
A PlayDecide session lasts approximately 90 minutes. The game is suited for players aged 13+.The ideal number of players is 4 to 8: form several parallel groups if there are more than 8 players. You will need a facilitator who takes the time to get familiar with the flow and contents of the game before playing and prints out the necessary materials. This website will guide you step by step.
Preparation
Pick your game and download it in the language of your choice. The downloaded pdf contains all the necessary elements for a group of up to 8 players. You'll need A4 and A3 paper of different colours. Print and cut the cards.
Getting started
All players have a placemat in front of them. There are different types of cards that will gradually fill up the placemats. The facilitator talks the players through the aims of the game and its three main stages.
Game phase 1: Information
This part of the game takes approximately 30 minutes. Get familiar with the issue, see it from different perspectives, gather evidence and form a first personal opinion. At the end of this stage, each player has one or two of every kind of card on her or his placemat.
Game phase 2: Discussion
This part of the game takes approximately another 30 minutes. Share your first opinion with others and refine your point of view as you hear different facts and perspectives. Use the cards gathered in the first stage to sustain your arguments. Anyone can raise a yellow card to pause the discussion in case they feel someone is not respecting the guidelines.
Game phase 3: A shared group response
This last part will take approximately 20 minutes. Look at the issue as a group: what opinions are present in your group? Can you reach a positive consensus on one of the proposed positions? All vote individually and record votes directly online: you'll get a nice visual summary and will be able to compare your group’s results with that of other players around the world.
Ready to play?
350+ games are available in almost 30 languages. Topics range from vaccination to football refereeing. Pick a game.
Body
Also available in the pdf file "PlayDecide basics"
Content
Why are you playing?
Before using PlayDecide, like any other dialogue activity, have a clear statement of purpose: what do you want to achieve with your event?
Having a clear statement of purpose will help you and the players enjoy the activity.
How to play
Download your game as a pdf: it contains both detailed instructions and materials to be printed. You will need to print different sets of cards on coloured paper.
Click on the images above to understand the flow of the game. Ready? Pick a game.
Get support
Check out the PlayDecide page and PlayDecide group on Facebook, where a community of users is ready to help.
Discover PlayDecide. Download games, prepare, play. REGISTER