Point at Something
Point at whatever I call. Then point at the last thing instead.
You call things in the room and everyone points, then you change the rule so they have to point at the previous thing rather than the current one. A room that was easily pointing at windows falls apart within three calls, and everybody stays in.
Everyone point at whatever I call out. Something in this room, so point at the real thing. In a minute I'll change the rule, so listen carefully — but for now, just point at what I say.
A room needs a sharp mental jolt with no space and no props, and you have three minutes.
Props: None — the room itself
Run this when…
If none of these is your room, pick another.A packed room with no floor space
A quick attention reset between sections
A group who need a mental gear change
How to run it
Written to be glanced at mid-room, not memorised.
- Everyone stays where they are and just needs one arm free.
- Call things in the room — a window, a door, the ceiling. Everyone points at the real thing.
- Run it straight for thirty seconds until it is easy.
- Change the rule: now point at the thing I called before this one.
- Go slowly at first, then speed up. Most of the room will be wrong within three calls.
- Finish on a call everyone gets right, and move on.
Running it well
Only the host sees these. Participants never do.
- The straight round has to be genuinely easy and slightly boring. That is what makes the rule change land — a room that is already struggling just gets confused.
- Go slowly for the first two calls after the switch. People need one success under the new rule before you speed up.
- Finish on something they get right. Ending on a call that catches everybody leaves the room feeling stupid rather than warmed up.
Watch out for
Space, safety and the traps worth knowing before you start.
- Only an arm moves, so it works in the tightest seating there is.
- Anyone who cannot raise an arm easily can look at the thing instead — the mental work is identical.
Already seated
Nobody has to stand for this one.
It is already seated and needs nothing but one free arm.
On a video call
The cards work as they are. This is what changes about how you call it.
Better on a call, and it becomes a different and more interesting activity: everybody is in a different room, so nobody can copy anybody. Call things that exist in every home — a window, a door, something you drink from, something you have had over ten years. The previous-thing rule works identically.
Run it yourself
Free for thirty days, no card. Put it on the projector and step through it — nobody in the room needs a phone.
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- Where
- Remote or in person
- Props
- None — the room itself
- Big screen
- Required
- Teams
- Individual only