Mad Dash
A cooperative game played in a video call where the players rush to all find the same item in their home.
Tried and tested by Friday Afternoons
3+ players
5 minutes
Requirements
- A video calling platform (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Zoom)
- A device for each player from which they can join the video call
- A house full of typical household items for each player
The aim of Mad Dash is for everyone to bring the same household item onto a video call at the same time, without discussing the items that they'll be collecting. The game is played in rounds called "runs", which finish when the group suceeds in all colecting the same item.
Important
Players must not discuss the item they will be collecting either during or in between runs; the purpose of the game is to try to guess, sense or deduce what the other players are going to collect based on the results of the previous run.
Runs
A run consists of the following:
- Each player leaving their video call screen
- Each player collecting an item from somewhere in their home (everyone must move into another room at least once, even if they're collecting an item they've already used or that is currently in the same room they're calling from)
- Each player returning to their video call screen with the collected item visible
Variations
Under the standard rules, runs continue until the group succeeds, and the aim is to complete the challenge as quickly as possible. The variations below change this so that it's possible to lose the game.
Calm Dash
This version of the game requires the group to succeed within a set number of runs. The limit is equal to the number of players, so a group of five must succeed within five runs. With no emphasis on time, the group can take more time to think about what item to bring back.
Mad Dash Teams
If there are enough players on the call (ideally 8+ and an even number), you can play competitively in two teams, where the first team to all collect the same item wins.
When playing in teams, it's best to have a clear way to distinguish which team each player belongs to (e.g. shirt colour, on-scren mascots, boys vs. girls).
