Moon Base Ranking
After an imaginary rover breakdown on the moon, players rank a list of supplies alone and then as a team, comparing which ranking works best.
- Time
- 25 to 40 minutes
- People
- 3 to 30
- Where
- In person or Virtual
- You need
- printed or shared list of 12 supplies, pens
How to play
- Set the scene: the crew's rover broke down 40 miles from the moon base, and they must walk back carrying only some supplies.
- Share a list of 12 items, such as oxygen tanks, water, a star chart, a solar radio, rope, a compass and matches.
- Give everyone five minutes to rank the items alone from most to least useful.
- Form teams of three to five and give them fifteen minutes to agree on one shared ranking through discussion, not voting.
- Reveal a suggested ranking with short reasons, such as oxygen and water first and the compass near the bottom because compasses do not work on the moon.
- Have each person and team add up how far their ranking was from the suggested one, then compare individual and team scores.
- Debrief on how the team reached agreement and whether quieter voices changed the outcome.
Tips
- The point is the discussion, not the answer key, so treat the suggested ranking as a talking point.
- Ask teams to hear every member's reasoning before moving any item, so one confident voice does not decide alone.
- Online, use breakout rooms and a shared document where teams drag items into order.
Variations
- Down to earth: swap the moon for a snowed-in mountain cabin with a different list.
- Time pressure: cut team discussion to eight minutes and see how the ranking changes.