Synchronicity Game
Instructions:
The objective of the game is that both players want to end up saying the same word at the same time (think: “Jinx!”).
In the first round, one player counts down from 3. After “1” both players say a word at the same time–in this round, the word is completely random. For example:
Person 1: Cadillac
Person 2: Soap
The second round begins the associative work. In every subsequent round, both players choose words that they feel link thematically to the words that were chosen in the previous round. For example,
Person 1 & 2: Carwash
Hopefully through repeated sequences, participants get closer and closer to saying the same word at the same time.
Praxis (why + theory):
The challenge of this game, when played with someone you have a decent reservoir of knowledge about, feels like it requires rapidly contextualizing interpersonal intuition: a true speculation exercise. I have learned that it is helpful to know what access to certain information your partner may have. For example, I would not name a niche football reference if I am playing with someone who has no interest in sports.
As each round progresses, the words will ideally become more logically connected. This is because participants are revealing to each other common cultural overlaps and/or pausing to exchange insights as one person will inevitably ask the other, “What does that word mean?” or “How did you draw that connection?”
A synchronicity ultimately develops as participants share aloud internal associations informed by their knowledge and speculation about the other person. The two people are literally attempting to hop on the same train of thought together.