Line Game
Used For 💡
Warming up for creative work
Surfacing self-imposed constraints
Reframing how people approach problem-solving
Group Size 👫
Any
Total Time ⏳
~12 minutes with debrief
Energy Level ⚡
Low to Medium
Noise Level 🔊
Low (silent focus, occasional laughter)
What This Is 🤔
The Line Game is a deceptively simple learning exercise that reveals how often our biggest limitations are not technical — but mental. Using a classic nine-dot challenge, participants experience firsthand how assumptions, invisible rules, and habitual thinking shape (and constrain) problem-solving.
It’s a powerful warm-up for creative and strategic work, especially before innovation or leadership conversations.
How It Works 🔩
1. Set the Scene
Give each participant this sheet with nine dots arranged in a square.
Explain that this is an individual challenge — no collaboration.
Each round lasts 4 minutes, with time reminders at 3, 2, and 1 minute.
2. Round 1 — Four Lines
Challenge: Connect all nine dots using four straight lines, without lifting your pen.
What Happens
Most participants stay “inside” the square of dots and get stuck.
Reveal
The solution requires extending lines beyond the dots.
First assumption exposed: “I can’t go outside the frame.”
3. Round 2 — Three Lines
Challenge: Connect all nine dots using three straight lines, without lifting your pen.
What Happens
Many assume lines must pass through the center of each dot.
Reveal
Drawing through the edges of dots works just fine.
Second assumption exposed: “There are rules that were never stated.”
4. Round 3 — One Line
Challenge: Connect all nine dots using one continuous line.
What Happens
Resistance, disbelief, then curiosity.
Breakthrough
Folding the paper, bending assumptions, or redefining “a line” opens new possibilities.
This is where the mindset shift happens.
Facilitation Material 👩🏫
What You’re Practicing 🎯
Noticing hidden assumptions
Challenging default rules
Creative reframing
Curiosity over certainty
Staying with ambiguity instead of shutting it down
Why It Works 🏗️
The Line Game creates a lived experience of constraint — not as something imposed externally, but self-generated. By progressively removing assumed rules, participants feel the shift from “this is impossible” to “what else could be true?” — a core move in innovation and leadership.
Pro Tips 🥠
Keep instructions minimal — clarity kills insight here.
Let frustration happen before revealing solutions.
Emphasize that “failing” is part of the learning, not a problem.
Use slides or visuals to reveal solutions only after each round.
Common Pitfalls ⚠️
Explaining the lesson too early.
Letting participants collaborate (it dilutes the insight).
Rushing through the rounds without letting tension build.
Optional Debrief 💬
What assumptions did you notice yourself making?
Which rules turned out to be imaginary?
Where do similar assumptions show up in your work or leadership?
The Takeaway 🥡
The Line Game is a mindset shift disguised as a warm-up. It reminds us that innovation rarely fails because of lack of intelligence — but because of unquestioned assumptions. When we learn to step beyond the invisible lines we draw for ourselves, new possibilities appear.
Get out of your own way.