Remember the Future

Remember the Future is an innovation game by Luke Hohmann, part of the Innovation Games. It involves placing oneself in the future, for example, one year after the launch of a product, and recounting why this product was a success. Instead of asking what needs to be done, the facilitator invites participants to write in the past about what made them satisfied. The game helps to produce a shared definition of success and reconstruct the milestones that led to it.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Set the framework and intention

   5 min

   The facilitator gathers 4 to 12 participants and reiterates the objective: to build a shared vision of a future success. They say: "We are not going to list abstract ideas; we are going to remember a successful future." They specify the topic being worked on: product, service, project, or initiative. Participants listen, ask necessary clarifying questions, and agree on the scope. This step avoids scattered responses and secures the projection framework.

   Tip — Write the exact topic at the top of the visible support for all; if the scope changes during the game, bring each contribution back to this phrase.

2. 2

   Choose the point of projection in the future

   5 min

   The facilitator establishes a clear future horizon, for example, one year after the product launch, if this horizon is relevant for the group. They formulate the central instruction: "We are in the future, the product has been a success. What has it done to make you so satisfied?" They emphasise that responses must be written in the past. Participants project themselves into this situation as if it has already occurred. The goal is to activate a concrete description of an accomplished result.

   Tip — Use a date or a common visible marker, without multiplying horizons; a single shared future makes the final chronology much more usable.

3. 3

   Individual writing in the past

   10 min

   The facilitator distributes post-its or opens a digital space for individual writing. They say: "Note what happened, what the product enabled you to do, and why you are satisfied. Write as if it has already happened." Each participant writes several items alone, one item per note, without debate at this stage. The facilitator ensures a working silence and encourages concrete formulations. This short solitude limits the influence of dominant voices.

   Tip — If someone writes in the future or as a wish, gently ask them to rephrase: replace "we should" with "we achieved" or "the product enabled."

4. 4

   Share memories of success

   10 to 15 min

   Each participant reads their notes aloud, one by one, while remaining in the posture of the accomplished future. The facilitator displays the contributions without judging them and only asks for short clarifications if an idea is ambiguous. They remind: "We are looking to understand what made the success visible and satisfying." Other participants listen and can identify similarities. This step brings out the diversity of perceived benefits.

   Tip — Have the notes read in quick turns rather than all at once by one person; this maintains attention and prevents an individual narrative from structuring the entire game.

5. 5

   Group elements of success

   10 min

   The facilitator invites the group to group notes that speak of the same benefit, result, or type of event. They say: "We will group what tells the same dimension of success, without losing nuances." Participants move the notes, propose simple titles, and discuss the groupings only when necessary. The facilitator reformulates the titles in the past when possible. The group thus obtains a shared and structured definition of success.

   Tip — Do not seek perfect categories too early; accept provisional groupings, then rename them when the common pattern becomes evident.

6. 6

   Reconstruct the chronology of milestones

   10 to 15 min

   The facilitator draws a timeline from the present to the chosen future. They ask: "What events had to occur, and in what order, for this success to exist today in our narrative?" Participants place the notes or add intermediate milestones, always as events that have already been accomplished. The group discusses the order, dependencies, and essential passages. This chronology transforms the vision of success into a comprehensible path.

   Tip — When the group debates a milestone for too long, ask: "Without this event, would the success described still be true?" This helps to distinguish key milestones from secondary details.

7. 7

   Synthesize and prepare the debrief

   5 min

   The facilitator rereads the major groups of success and the main milestones of the chronology. They say: "Here is what we collectively consider a success, and here are the steps that seem to have made it possible." Participants validate, complete, or highlight any still fragile points. The facilitator photographs or saves the support to retain the produced material. This closure makes the result usable after the workshop.

   Tip — Finish with a summary sentence dictated by the group; it becomes a simple reference for the next product or project decisions.

Variants

• Client variant: have only users, clients, or external stakeholders play to gather their vision of a success experienced from their perspective.
• Internal team variant: ask each department to recount success from its own perspective, then compare the groupings to identify alignments and tensions.
• Remote variant: use a digital whiteboard with an individual writing area, a grouping area, and a shared timeline; ask participants to write in silence before any discussion.
• Short variant: reduce the sharing time and focus the grouping on the three most recurring success themes, then only build the associated milestones.