Broken Squares

Broken Squares is a non-verbal cooperation exercise created by Alex Bavelas and popularised by Pfeiffer & Jones. In teams of 5, participants manipulate cardboard pieces until each person has a complete square in front of them, with all 5 squares being the same size. The game highlights the tension between individual success and collective success, as well as the frustration of not being able to ask or explain. It is particularly useful for working on attentiveness to others, mutual support, letting go, and team blocking mechanisms.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Prepare the groups and the setting

   5 min

   The facilitator sets up separate tables and forms groups of 5 players; with more participants, they create several groups and designate observers. They place a closed envelope containing cardboard pieces in front of each player, without revealing the contents before the start. They say: 'Your objective will be collective: by the end, each person must have a complete square in front of them, and the 5 squares must be of the same size.' They specify that the observers do not play and do not provide any assistance. This setup immediately creates a shared responsibility.

   Tip — Slightly distance the tables between groups: silence is easier to maintain and observers can focus better on their own team.

2. 2

   State the strict rules

   5 min

   The facilitator gives the rules before any manipulation: 'Total silence during the exercise: no words, no sounds, no comments.' They add: 'You are not allowed to gesture to ask for a piece, nor to take a piece from someone else. The only permitted action is to GIVE one or more of your pieces to another player.' They emphasise that a completed square in front of oneself does not necessarily mean success for the group. They check for questions now, then announce that after the start, they will no longer answer questions about the content.

   Tip — Have participants repeat the prohibitions aloud before starting; this avoids discussions like 'I thought we could show' during the exercise.

3. 3

   Launch the silent construction

   10 à 15 min

   The facilitator gives the signal: 'Open your envelopes and start. From now on, total silence.' Players assemble, test, give pieces, and observe the progress of others without being able to ask. The facilitator circulates calmly, reminding with a neutral sign about the silence or the prohibition of taking a piece if necessary. They never advise on the solution, even if a group seems stuck. The goal is to allow spontaneous behaviours of cooperation or withdrawal to emerge.

   Tip — Stand at a distance rather than hovering over the players: your proximity can be interpreted as validation or implicit help.

4. 4

   Observe individual blockages

   5 à 8 min

   While the groups work, observers note behaviours without intervening: who gives spontaneously, who keeps their pieces, who looks at others, who focuses on their own square. The facilitator discreetly reminds them to also identify moments when a player has a complete square but prevents the collective solution. Certain combinations can indeed form a square that blocks the 5 squares of the same size. Players must then accept to undo their individual success to help the group. This phase is often the emotional core of the game.

   Tip — Give observers a simple instruction: note visible facts, not judgments. For example, 'gives two pieces' rather than 'cooperates well.'

5. 5

   Conclude the exercise

   3 à 5 min

   The facilitator stops the game when all groups have succeeded or when the allotted time is reached. They say: 'Stop, do not touch the pieces anymore and keep the configuration as it is.' If a group has not finished, they value the process: the interest is not only in the final success, but in what happened to achieve it or remain stuck. They invite everyone to breathe and observe the table before speaking. This short pause avoids an overly immediate and defensive debrief.

   Tip — Do not let participants 'finish quickly' after the stop: unfinished frustration is often very rich material for the debrief.

6. 6

   Debrief feelings and strategies

   10 à 15 min

   The facilitator first opens the floor to the players: 'What did you experience during the silence? At what moment did you feel like asking, explaining, or taking a piece back?' They then ask the observers to share only observed facts. They draw out the links between attentiveness to the needs of others, resource circulation, and collective success. They explicitly return to the individual squares that seemed successful but blocked the solution. The aim is to transform the experience into team learning.

   Tip — Start with emotions before analyses: frustration, pride, or annoyance often explain behaviours better than declared strategies.

7. 7

   Transfer to work situations

   7 à 10 min

   The facilitator concludes by linking the game to daily life: 'In your projects, what pieces are you keeping that would be useful elsewhere?' They invite the group to name situations where a local success can prevent a collective success. Participants then identify a concrete behaviour to test: looking at the needs of others, offering a resource, accepting to revisit a solution already built. The facilitator notes the key commitments or learnings visible to all. The session ends with a transferable action.

   Tip — Ask for a specific professional example, not a general intention: 'In which meeting or project will you test this?'

Variants

• With dedicated observers: in each group of 5 players, add one or two observers who note the giving of pieces, the looks, the blockages, and the moments of letting go of an individual solution.
• Enhanced learning version: conduct two rounds with the same principle, keeping the strict rules. Between the two, allow only a short exchange on useful behaviours, then observe what changes.
• Large group version: create several teams of 5 in parallel and compare the observed dynamics in the debrief, without turning the activity into a speed competition.
• Remote variant not recommended: the game relies on physical pieces, silence, and giving without asking. If necessary, use an appropriate visual platform with movable objects and limited rights, strictly maintaining the prohibition on speaking, asking, or taking.