5 Innovative Learning Agile Games

Iteration is a tool used in agile software development to enhance agile procedures. Furthermore, development teams improve self-organization through the application of agile concepts. Through iteration, enhancing the Scrum framework improves quick deliveries and product results.

Agile games: what are they?

Teams can play online games called “agile games.” These games were designed as means of fostering teamwork. By encouraging everyone to strive toward a single objective, they support the development of strong teams. Everyone benefits—including product owners—when agile teams work collaboratively, communicate clearly, and embrace new knowledge.

Through team-building activities that foster a fresh viewpoint, team-building games promote creativity. Agile games are not only entertaining but also useful. Team members are able to take on new habits because of this pragmatic attitude.

Teams in software development adopt more effective working methods when they engage in agile gaming. Agile games encourage team development by experimenting and introducing new learning opportunities.

Agile games ultimately enhance the effective communication and self-organization of DevOps teams. Your team members will adopt agile software more quickly if you play agile games with them.

Agile teams get several advantages as their problem-solving abilities advance that may have been overlooked if they hadn’t employed an agile approach or these agile games.

Agile game types

You may introduce new teams to agile software using a variety of agile games. Many of these easy activities were created by Tastycupcakes as icebreakers to help introverts participate more fully in Scrum processes. Any agile coach would be pleased to utilize these games to assist develop multitasking abilities in high-pressure DevOps scenarios.

After reading this introduction to agile game theory, you’re undoubtedly eager to learn more about the kinds of games you may play to foster collaboration.

To get you started, try these few games that require agility. These are a collection of games, each with a different goal, arranged from the shortest to the longest playing periods.

1. Chocolate Bar Game

For new teams that are not familiar with agile principles, the Chocolate Bar Game is a great option. As participants play this game and get more knowledge about iteration, teamwork develops. This is a game that entire teams may play to learn how to incorporate consumer input into their retrospectives.

The game can be played in person or virtually with distant teams.

The Chocolate Bar game functions as a model for Scrum. Making a chocolate bar with the owner of the product’s instructions in mind is the aim. The product manager, who may also be the product owner, is chosen by the development teams. The customers make up the remainder of the agile team.

As a facilitator, the product owner gives team members instructions on how to make a chocolate bar that will appeal to the target market. You may use milk, white, or dark chocolate to make this chocolate bar, and it has to taste well.

The group may also choose from a variety of fillings to enhance their offering. Teams might target a certain market by offering organic or gluten-free features, toppings, and other distinctive elements.

The project manager gives the team consumer feedback following each iteration. If customers are happy with the chocolate that the agile team produced, they may give the software development team (or the team that created the chocolate bars) a thumbs up for their work. If customers don’t like the first steps in the manufacture of their chocolate bar, they may also give team members a thumbs down.

In order to make modifications before the next iteration, which concerns the chocolate bar fillings, teamwork entails documenting consumers’ answers. The group members will keep constructing their chocolate bar, adjusting toppings and fillings until the majority of consumers are satisfied with what they have produced.

As you can see, the goal of this agile game is to go through repeated iterations depending on client feedback—the Chocolate Bar Game.

2. How to Hug.

A little game called How to Hug can help teams work together better, especially when they’re working remotely. When welcoming new team members, the How to Hug exercise is a fantastic icebreaker.

This agile team-building exercise is available online for the Scrum team to use. Every member of the team contributes a photo to be included on the How to Hug virtual circle. After that, the team as a whole may decide which image goes in the middle of the circle.

The remaining members of the agile team move their pictures to contact the Scrum Master’s image in the center of the circle after they have established a central image.

Each member of the team gets a turn placing their image in the middle of the circle, and the procedure is then repeated. This is a basic game, but it’s one of those online team-building exercises that makes you laugh a lot.

During this virtual hugging session, team members get to know one another better, and cooperation and camaraderie contribute to the formation of a strong team.

3. Ball Point Game

Playing Ball Point is aimed at helping the Scrum team become more adept at managing agile projects. Thanks to their comprehension of the agile production process, the team now recognizes the value of self-organization. The foundation of successful Scrum processes is self-organization, which enables the team as a whole to participate in productive iterations.

Using the game symbols on the virtual whiteboard, entire teams may play this game both in person and virtually.

The team’s objective is to move one or more balls around the table. Every team member has to make one touch with the ball or balls. The next player on the team has to touch the ball after that. If the Scrum team is able to move the ball around the table, they score a point.

To determine who wins the Ball Point game, the entire team must compete in five sprints, each lasting three minutes. The team talks about their plan and makes notes during the first sprint in order to estimate how many points they will score in the first minute.

The ball must be moved around the table in the second minute. In the third minute, the Scrum team logs their observations and fresh insights.

As the game goes on, players must cooperate together more as they add additional balls in subsequent sprint rounds. The game gets more complicated when the team passes balls at the same time. Team members must think more carefully during the iteration process in an effort to improve their scores. The teams have a quick postmortem following every round to discuss strategies for increasing their point total for the following sprint. Easy to use but very powerful!

4. Marshmallow Tower

The team will require the following materials for this in-person team-building exercise:

Spaghetti without moisture

A single yard of tape

One string yard

Marshmallows

This is a learning exercise that team members must do in groups of four. Each team receives 20 pieces of spaghetti from the Scrum master in addition to the other resources.

Using these materials, the goal is to construct the tallest marshmallow tower possible. Team members need to arrange all of the marshmallows at the top of the tower so that it can stand alone. While some agile games only require one marshmallow, others require players to match spaghetti sticks with marshmallow numbers.

When the crew reaches the top with the marshmallow, it eventually falls apart. However, the objective is to replicate the Scrum retrospective throughout a number of iterations. To become better in every round, the squad as a whole has to get back together fast through effective teamwork and communication.

Though it seems straightforward, the notion may be somewhat difficult to execute. Teams must work together swiftly, and as they race to put the marshmallow atop their buildings, you can bet that many towers will topple at the last second.

However, if you give the task to teams several times, you’ll see them improve their methods for working together and make improvements to their initial designs.

5. The LEGO Flow Game

The main feature of the LEGO Flow game is a Scrum simulation. Agile teams create a digital version of a LEGO Advent Calendar to list tasks in a productive manner. Specific role players are involved in each phase of the workflow.

Building the objects, figuring out the next advent calendar number (analysis), and identifying a set of LEGO parts that have to match the supply source (suppliers) are the common objectives.

As the Scrum team advances in the game, they construct (builders) the LEGO object. To ascertain if the build is accurate and acceptable to the product owner or market representatives (acceptors), team members must continuously iterate.

This game is a great tool for introducing new teams to Agile, therefore coaches that support Agile development will appreciate utilizing it. Through a simulated Scrum activity, LEGO Flow provides new teams with an opportunity to participate in innovative learning activities.

Three rounds are needed for the nimble game LEGO Flow, each with a distinct goal. These goals include flow-based, time-boxed, and batch operations as well as phase-driven and batch processes.

Teamwork entails sprint retrospectives following each of the three rounds to ascertain what went well and what difficulties the team faced. The aim is to evaluate the merits and demerits of every sprint methodology, showcasing the advantages of collaboration. The construction of an overall Cumulative Flow Diagram marks the game’s conclusion.

With this graphic, the entire team can see its plans and choices, reflect on where things went wrong in each iteration of this agile game, and improve workflow.

The Scrum master may ask team members to suggest policy modifications for next sprints if time permits.