Spot It! Is a card game that is arguably one of the most popular family games in the country. More than 12 million copies of the game have been sold since its first release in 2009, with more than 500,000 sold each year in the United States alone. The basic structure of the game is this: the deck has 55 cards, with eight symbols on each card, culled from a bank of 57 symbols in total. If you choose any two cards at random, one symbol always matches. The original includes directions for several different ways to play, but they all hinge on the speed with which you spot the match—the padlocks, the ladybugs, the snowmen, etc. In the basic game, two players divide the deck into two. Each person turns over the top card of their deck. The first person to find the common symbol wins both cards to their side. The person with the most cards at the end of the game wins! A competitive version of ‘I Spy’ or ‘Where’s Waldo’, if you will.

The history of this game is pretty fascinating, so much so that The Smithsonian Magazine did an extensive article on the math behind the game. The roots of this game dates back to 1850 Britain when a man by the name of Reverend Thomas Penyngton Kirkman submitted a puzzle called The Fifteen Schoolgirls to “The Ladies and Gentleman’s Diary,” an annual recreational mathematics magazine that took content from both amateurs and professional mathematicians. It uses the logic of combinatorics (combinations of objects under specified criteria), which are similarly used in more recognizable games such as Sudoku.

The original card game design and attributions go to Denis Blanchot and Jacques Cottereau. It was originally called Dobble and released in France in 2009. Dobble was released in the UK and North America in 2011 as Spot It! and is now distributed by Asmodee.

With the attributes of the cards always having one matching symbol, this translates beautifully into the team building world reinforcing the concept that we can always find a connection with others. No matter what our backgrounds, beliefs, upbringing or areas of interest are, through meaningful dialog we can always find a way to connect with the people around us. They are a perfect tool for Icebreaker activities, but we use them as a tool for facilitators to gauge the learning styles of their participants and as challenge and communication activities.  

In our book, Team Building From the Toy Aisle, Matthew Broda, Trevor Dunlap and I share 4 games using Spot It Cards.

Here are directions for one activity using these cards we call Back to Back:

Set Up:  You need one card per person.

Props Needed: Spot it Cards or Ubuntu Cards

Time Needed: 8-10 minutes

Group Size: Can be played with 10-100+ people



Activity Directions: 

• Distribute one card to each person. 
• Invite participants to pair up and stand back-to-back with a partner while looking at their Spot It card. 
• Partners alternate asking yes/no questions in attempts to determine what the common image is between their cards. They may not say the names of any of the objects, only descriptive questions or statements (Do you have something red? Do you have an animal? Do you have something pertaining to winter?) 
• When they find the match, they can trade cards and find a new partner.
• Encourage 3-4 partner exchanges.

Facilitator Script:

• “This activity will use a deck of cards called Spot It Cards. Each card in the deck has eight different images on it. What’s unique about these cards, is that one image on each card that will connect with one image on every other card in the deck. There is always one match, even when you think there’s not, there’s always one common bond. 
• In a moment, I’m going to toss out these cards and everyone needs to pick up a card. Once you have a card, find a partner and stand back-to-back with them. (Demonstrate this with someone standing near you.) 
• You and your partner are going to try to figure out what the common image is between your two cards, however you cannot say the names of any of the items. You can alternate asking each other yes or no questions though, such as ‘Do you have any red items? Do you have any household items? Do you have any insects?’ 
• Once you find the common item, turn and give your partner a high-five, then trade cards (demonstrate this), and then find a new partner. Then repeat the process. Try to get through 3-4 different partner exchanges. Are there any questions?”

Tips for Success & Troubleshooting:

• With larger groups, it can get too loud to hear your partner when you are standing back-to-back. Have partners face each other, looking at their cards in a way that their partner cannot see the images on the card. 
• If you have an odd number of players, the facilitator can join the game.
• There are 55 cards in each deck. Multiple decks can be combined for large groups, however keep in mind that there will be duplicate cards circulating. We recommend marking each deck with a unique dot sticker or marking (star, dot, check mark, etc) to easily sort the cards back into complete decks.

Possible Reflection Questions:

• What are some examples of questions you asked your partner when trying to figure out your common image?
• How did this challenge your communication?
• How did creativity come into play in this activity?
• Can you think of any scenarios or projects back in the real world that could benefit from a good dose of creativity? Or ways our communication is sometimes challenged?