Why Not?: A Game for Solving Real-World Problems

Instructions

The Why Not? Game is for 3 or more players, ages 7 and up.

Object of the game

To solve real world problems. In each round, players will vote on who has the best solution. The first player to earn 10 votes wins.

Preparation for play

Collect one to two dozen "Problems in search of Solutions" and/or "Solutions in Search of Problems" Each player should try to write down on separate pieces of paper real world problems that they would like the group to try to solve. They can be problems in business ("How could AAA improve it's business?") or government ("How could the IRS be improved?") or everyday life ("How could we induce more polite driving behavior?").

Or flipping things around, players might write down existing solutions that might be applied elsewhere or might be improved by flipping things around. Again these existing solutions might be taken from business ("What other problems might the spin-pop idea solve?"), government ("What other problems might the needle exchange idea solve?") or everyday life (What other problems might the 15% tipping norm solve?).

Alternatively, you can download a set of ten problems in search of solutions or ten solutions in search of problems by clicking on www.whynot.net/game. If you come up with a good solution, you can post it to the web and it will be automatically emailed to the original questioner. Be sure to write down the problem number (found in []'s next to the problem title).

Once you have your collection of problems to be solved fold them up and place them in a bowl (a la charades) and fill out the names of the players on a Why Not scorecard (also downloadable from www.whynot.net/game). Each player should also be given a number of clean sheets of paper (that they will use later to write their answers on).

Playing the game

1. Each round of the game is led by a moderator. The oldest person in the game is the first moderator. In each successive round, the moderator role rotates clockwise among the players.
2. The moderator begins a round by randomly drawing a piece of paper from the bowl. The moderator than reads aloud the “Problem in Search of Solution” or the “Solution in Search of Problem.”
3. Each player (including the moderator) then has 5 minutes to invent his or her best answer for the problem-solving task and to write this answer legibly on a clean sheet of paper. You should not let other players see your answer. If time remains, a player is free to write more than one solution -- but each solution should be written on a separate piece of paper. Each player should write his or her initials on each answer at the bottom. When the 5 minutes is up, the players should hand their folded answers to the moderator.
4. The moderator then looks at all the answers to make sure that he/she can read all the words. (The moderator should consult privately with the author to help decipher any incomprehensible writings). The moderator should then briefly shuffle the proposed answers and read aloud each proposed answer. The moderator should not indicate who authored particular answers and should take particular pains not to show preference for his or her own answers. If the moderator receives two similar answers, the moderator should still read each answer aloud.
5. If requested, the moderator may read the proposed answers a second time. In extreme cases, a third reading may be necessary (at moderator's discretion).
6. Starting with the player directly to the Moderator’s left (and continuing clockwise), each player then votes for the best problem solving answer. Players can vote for any answer EXCEPT THEIR OWN. As each player chooses an answer, the moderator keeps track (possibly by writing a mark on the answer in question) of how many votes each answer receives.
7. After every player has voted, the moderator reveals the author of each answer and writes the number of votes that each author received on the scorecard -- keeping a running total of all the votes the player has received in this and prior rounds.
8. The player directly to the moderator's left becomes the new moderator, and play continues for subsequent rounds of problem solving.

How to win the game

The first player to receive 10 votes is the winner. [If a shorter game is desired, the first player to receive 5 votes is the winner]. No ties allowed. If two or more players, simultaneously equal or exceed 10 votes, then additional rounds are played until a single player leads.

How to really win the game

The Why Not? Game is the first game where players try to solve real world problems. The real point is problem solving with a purpose. So if you uncover real answers, why not share them with world. If you downloaded a problem from whynot.net/game, come back and post your answer at whynot.net/game/. We'll make sure that it is forwarded to the person who originally asked. [By the way, even if the other players didn't like your idea, you might want to post it and let a larger community judge its worth. Remember the Fed-Ex idea was originally given a C as an undergraduate paper at Yale.]

Dedication

This game is dedicated to Lynne Neary and the good people at NPR's Weekend Edition. Neary turned the tables on us and asked us if we could extemporaneously solve the problem of people who speak too loudly on their cellphones in trains or restaurants. We learned not only that necessity really can be the mother of invention, it can be a lot of fun. We hope you also have fun with necessity's child.