In his book The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, Daniel Coyle refers to a competition at Stanford. In it business students in university squared off against kindergartners. The four-person teams had to beat the clock and build a tower using uncooked spaghetti, tape and string with a marshmallow on top. You would think that obviously, the group of MBA student would easily outperform a group of kindergartners. It turns out it’s good to act like a bunch of 5-year-olds. Well, at least when it comes to working in a groups. The kindergartners do better than the business school students.
Coyle further mentions a “sociometer” which can measure the energy level of an interaction, and use it to determine levels of engagement. Most important, it can combine its data with email and social media to form detailed maps that reveal the inner workings of a team, company, or classroom. There are lots of interesting insights he derives from that.
Altenatives to the Spaghetti Tower Competition
You may not wish to invest in a spaghetti tower competition or a sociometer. However, you might try the Broken Squres exercise that’s worked for me in putting teams of four to compete against each other. Or, see further below, a variant of the game of Blokus and other games reimagined.
Table of Contents
- Broken Squares
- Blokus Collaborative Edition – Rules for Building Together
- 10 Other Games Reimaged to be Collaborative
(Tetris, Jenga, Dominoes, Scrabble/Bananagrams, Connect-Four, Chess/Checkers, Uno/Crazy-Eights, Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan, Ti-cTac-Toe).
Broken Squares
Broken Squares is a fun exercise I learned on the path to my teaching credentials was Broken Squares (see various links below). You pit the groups of four against each other where each group, without speaking must complete making four squares from four envelopes of pieces give to each participant. You only win when all four squares are completed.
The sets of four envelopes are grouped such that only one holds all the pieces to make a square. The others can’t successfully complete their squares unless they get pieces from the other participants including the one who had a complete set. As you observe the competing teams, you’ll often see someone compete their square and get frustrated that his or her teammates aren’t doing their part. The team that collaborates by giving up pieces (you can give but not take and no talking) of their, possibly already completed square, to allow their teammates to all complete their squares is the one that gets all four squares.
Observing the group dynamics and then talking them through can be quite insightful. You might even choose to make the envelopes with a complete set to the people that tend to be leaders to help them discover how effectively and collaboratively they lead.
In The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, Daniel Coyle goes into the various aspects of how teams function effectively. After doing a broken squares exercise, this might be a good book to suggest to your leaders.
See Also:
- Orange Obervations
- Hunter College – Building Dynamic Groups – Broken Squares
- Humber Centre for Teaching and Learning Instructional Strategies Teaching Methods Classroom Strategies Designing Instruction Activities and Games Broken Squares
- Standford Education Department – Broken Circles, Broken Squares
- Workology – Online HR Learning on Your Schedule – Broken Squares
- Book: Daniel Coyle The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
- Stanford Store: Broken Squares: A Simulation Exploring Cooperation and CompetitionRegular price $12.95
Blokus: Collaborative Edition – Rules for Building Together
As a former school teacher and a manager of teams at disruptive tech companies, I used to love using the Broken Squares challenge to help shift focus from competition to collaboration. It came to me that other competitive games could be shifted to teaching collaboration. The first example that came to mind was Blokus. In traditional game play, the objective is to be the first and only player to place all your pieces on the board according to placement rules. In order to win, a standard strategy is also to block other players from accessing spaces where they might place their pieces. The objective is to place as many pieces (ideally all, but that’s harder than you might imagine) pieces of all players on the board as quickly as possible. Onece a piece is placed, it cannot be moved.
Download the Blokus: Collaborative Edition – Facilitator Guide
Objective
Work together as a team of four players to place all Blokus pieces from all colors on the board as efficiently as possible.
The shared goal: fill the board completely, following standard Blokus placement rules — but replacing competition with cooperation.
Setup
- Use the standard Blokus board (20×20 for XL or the regular version).
- Each player selects one color (blue, red, yellow, green).
- Arrange all pieces by color beside the board.
Gameplay
- Starting the Game
- The game begins as usual, with each player placing their first piece so that it touches one corner of the board.
- Play proceeds clockwise.
- Turn Order
- On each turn, a player places one piece of their color on the board.
- The piece must follow the traditional rule:
- It must touch another piece of the same color at one or more corners, but never along an edge.
- Collaboration Rule
- Players are encouraged to discuss strategy aloud — planning together how to maximize coverage of the board.
- The aim is not to block, but to build connections and bridges that enable everyone’s remaining pieces to fit.
- Helping Moves (Optional Rule)
- Once a player has placed all their pieces, they can use their turn to suggest or assist another player with placement ideas.
- Alternatively, if agreed before play begins, players may take turns placing any color — symbolizing team ownership over all pieces.
Winning the Game
You win as a team when:
- All pieces of all colors have been successfully placed on the board, or
- The team fills as much of the board as possible before running out of legal placements.
Scoring Options (for classrooms or workshops)
- Time Challenge:
- Set a timer (e.g., 20 minutes).
- The team that places the most total squares (sum of all colors) wins.
- Completion Challenge:
- Compete to see which group can successfully place all pieces first.
- Reflection Round (mandatory for learning settings):
After the game, pause to discuss:- What helped or hindered collaboration?
- When did individuals sacrifice ideal moves to support others?
- How did the conversation shift from “my color” to “our goal”?
Learning Objectives
This version transforms Blokus from a zero-sum game into a collaborative system exercise:
- From competition to coordination: Success depends on shared spatial planning and communication.
- From scarcity to abundance: Players learn to optimize the collective board space.
- From self-focus to system-focus: The group experiences how generosity of space and perspective creates shared success — mirroring the insights of Broken Squares .
Variations
- Silent Mode: Play without speaking for the first 10 minutes — echoing the original Broken Squares rule — to highlight nonverbal collaboration.
- Adaptive Teams: Allow groups of 3–6 people; in larger groups, two players can share a color, practicing negotiation and joint decision-making.
- Reflective Remix: After the first round, switch to competitive rules to experience how behavior shifts when the goal changes.
Debrief Prompts
After each round, invite participants to reflect:
- What changed when we played to win together instead of win alone?
- Where did we see generosity — or frustration — arise?
- How does this mirror collaboration challenges in real work or school teams?
See Also
- Building Collaborative Groups with Broken Squares – Talent Whisperers®.
This post explores how the Broken Squares exercise teaches teams to move from competition to collaboration, revealing insights about generosity, frustration, and group dynamics. It includes facilitation tips, references to Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code, and links to teaching resources.
. - The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (Daniel Coyle).
Daniel Coyle’s book examines what makes teams thrive, focusing on belonging, safety, and purpose. It’s a perfect complement to the Broken Squares or Collaborative Blokus exercises, helping facilitators understand the deeper behavioral patterns behind group success.
. - Broken Squares Facilitation Guide – Hunter College School of Social Work.
This downloadable PDF from Hunter College provides the full Broken Squares instructions, materials list, and debrief questions. It’s ideal for educators or facilitators looking for a structured, ready-to-use format for running the exercise.
. - Broken Squares: A Simulation Exploring Cooperation and Competition – Stanford University Store.
Stanford’s official Broken Squares kit provides a classroom-ready version of the exercise, including all physical materials for running small-group simulations. It’s a practical option for teachers, trainers, and leadership coaches seeking to introduce collaborative learning experiences.
. - Why It’s Good to Act Like a Bunch of 5-Year-Olds – The Hamilton Spectator.
This article illustrates research showing why kindergartners often outperform adults in creative problem-solving tasks. It highlights the value of curiosity, open communication, and experimentation—qualities the Collaborative Blokus activity aims to cultivate.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/8110904-why-it-s-good-to-act-like-a-bunch-of-5-year-
Other Games That Can Shift from Competitive to Collaborative
Below are several readily available games that can be converted from competitive to collaborative play, following the same spirit and learning goals as Broken Squares and your Collaborative Blokus design. Download a simple guide to these ten games reimagined.
1. Tetris (or Tetris-style puzzles)
Traditional goal: Outlast or outscore opponents.
Collaborative twist: Two or more players work together to fill the shared grid completely, alternating turns or controlling different shapes.
Learning focus:
- Shared strategy and pattern coordination.
- Collective problem-solving under time pressure.
- Recognizing when to “sacrifice” an optimal move for a partner’s future opportunity.
Facilitation tip: Use a shared physical Tetris puzzle or an online version projected for the group to decide each move collectively.
2. Jenga
Traditional goal: Be the last player to remove a block without collapsing the tower.
Collaborative version: The group works together to build the tallest stable tower possible — measuring height at collapse or setting a height/time goal.
Learning focus:
- Shared risk management.
- Communication and nonverbal coordination.
- Learning when restraint supports group success.
Variation: “Silent Jenga” (no talking) mirrors the Broken Squares communication challenge.
3. Dominoes
Traditional goal: Be the first to play all your tiles or score the most points.
Collaborative version: Players aim to use all tiles collectively, maximizing total coverage and connections before running out of legal placements.
Learning focus:
- Systems thinking and planning ahead.
- Balancing individual and group optimization.
- Pattern recognition and negotiation of shared priorities.
4. Scrabble or Bananagrams
Traditional goal: Score the most points through individual word creation.
Collaborative version: Teams work together to fill the board with interconnected words, maximizing creative vocabulary rather than point totals.
Learning focus:
- Creative collaboration and linguistic problem-solving.
- Building on each other’s ideas rather than competing for space.
- Shifting from “my words” to “our language.”
Scoring alternative: Track total tiles used or board coverage percentage instead of individual points.
5. Connect Four
Traditional goal: Be the first to connect four of your own color.
Collaborative version: The team works together to create as many four-in-a-rows as possible of either color within a set number of turns.
Learning focus:
- Pattern recognition and joint planning.
- Discussion of how goals shift when success is shared.
- The experience of switching from “blocking” to “building.”
6. Checkers or Chess (Collaborative Remix)
Traditional goal: Defeat your opponent.
Collaborative version:
- Players form two teams (each side) and must agree on each move through discussion — requiring consensus and shared reasoning.
- Alternatively, players play against the clock or a shared puzzle challenge, e.g., “Can we reach checkmate in the fewest moves possible together?”
Learning focus: - Collective decision-making and strategic empathy.
- Understanding others’ thought processes and tactical trade-offs.
7. UNO or Crazy Eights
Traditional goal: Be the first to empty your hand.
Collaborative version: Players win only when all cards from all players are gone — working together to sequence plays efficiently while managing wild cards strategically.
Learning focus:
- Communication and coordination under constraint.
- Managing frustration and adapting to changing conditions.
- Turning competitive tools (like “Skip” and “Reverse”) into support mechanisms.
8. Carcassonne
Traditional goal: Build and claim territories for personal points.
Collaborative version: Teams collectively construct the landscape, focusing on completing as many cities and roads as possible before running out of tiles.
Learning focus:
- Spatial negotiation and joint planning.
- Thinking of territory as shared space rather than personal gain.
9. Settlers of Catan
Traditional goal: Be the first to 10 victory points through resource control.
Collaborative version:
- Shared goal: build a thriving island where every player reaches a defined threshold (e.g., 7 points) through collective planning and trading.
- Players may pool or redistribute resources to help the team reach “Island Prosperity.”
Learning focus: - Cooperation in resource management.
- Balancing short-term sacrifices for long-term shared gains.
10. Tic-Tac-Toe (for classrooms)
Traditional goal: Be the first to get three in a row.
Collaborative version: Students alternate X and O moves with the aim of filling the board completely without any three-in-a-row — transforming the goal from winning to balance and coordination.
Learning focus:
- Pattern awareness and foresight.
- The paradox of shared constraint and mutual success.
Meta-Pattern Behind the Conversions
Across all of these, the core pedagogical pattern mirrors the Broken Squares and Collaborative Blokus insight:
| Competitive Mechanic | Collaborative Reframe |
|---|---|
| Outperform others | Achieve shared completion |
| Maximize personal gain | Maximize collective efficiency |
| Block opponents | Enable teammates |
| Win alone | Succeed together |
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