Merge!

Merge! is a serious game that encourages participants to combine ideas from randomly drawn cards to create innovative concepts. This game promotes collaboration and divergent thinking, allowing teams to think outside the box and generate creative solutions to complex problems.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Introduction to the game

   10 min

   The facilitator introduces the game and its objectives: 'Today, we will explore our creativity by merging ideas to create innovative concepts. You will draw cards at random and work together to find new solutions.' Participants are divided into small groups to encourage collaboration.

   Tip — Use concrete examples of idea merging to illustrate the process and inspire participants from the start.

2. 2

   Card drawing

   5 min

   Each group draws two cards at random from a deck prepared by the facilitator. The cards contain various words or concepts. The facilitator explains: 'Your mission is to combine the ideas from these two cards to create something new and useful.'

   Tip — Ensure that the cards are varied enough to encourage unexpected combinations.

3. 3

   Group brainstorming

   20 min

   Groups discuss and exchange ideas based on the drawn cards. They seek to creatively combine the ideas. The facilitator moves from group to group to encourage discussion and pose stimulating questions: 'What problems could this new concept solve? How could it be implemented?'

   Tip — Encourage participants to note down all ideas, even the most outlandish, to stimulate creativity.

4. 4

   Presentation of concepts

   15 min

   Each group presents its innovative concept to the rest of the participants. The facilitator asks the groups to focus on the originality and feasibility of their idea. Other participants can ask questions or suggest improvements.

   Tip — Ensure that each group has an equal speaking time to guarantee balanced participation.

5. 5

   Voting and feedback

   10 min

   After the presentations, the facilitator organises a vote to elect the most innovative concept. Participants exchange constructive feedback on the presented ideas, focusing on what worked well and what could be improved.

   Tip — Use post-its or an online voting application to facilitate the voting and feedback process.

Variants

• Use cards with images instead of words to stimulate visual imagination.
• Introduce an additional constraint, such as a limited budget or a specific market target.
• Conduct a second round with the same cards to see if new ideas emerge.