Playtest: Zoom game

Quick Count is a game for two or more players on an online video conference.

Overview:

1. Each player finds a group of items in their immediate proximity that can be counted, for example shoes, plates, photos, eggs… etc. (this could also be done with a Zoom background, for example, a picture of bubbles or bumblebees)
2. Each player takes a turn to show this group of objects on their video camera for 3 seconds, during which other players will formulate a guess of how many objects are present. (Players must choose groups large enough so that this guess can only be an estimate, not an exact count)
3. Each player’s guess is written down, then the items are counted. The difference between the correct count and the guess is added to that player’s score.
4. After everyone has shown their items, the player with the least amount of points wins!

Playtest

Feelings

It seemed to be pretty delightful for the players, they enjoyed finding things in their house that could be counted. They noted it was similar to “counting jelly beans in a jar” type games. They said this could easily scale to a larger group.

Learnings

1. It’s important to inform players of what they will be counting before it comes on screen.
2. It would also be good to establish a “one Mississippi, two Mississippi” rule to standardize the amount of time items are shown.