Value Squares is a game that teaches how the XP values - Courage, Communication, Feedback & Simplicity - map to XP’s practices. Players are asked a value question about a specific card and must decide which value is most applicable for that card.Value Squares will help you learn about:

  • XP Values
  • problems that arise when XP Values are lacking
  • solutions that embody XP Values

Value Squares is appropriate for groups and teams actively engaged in learning XP.

Rules

To play this game, you’ll need all of the problem and solution cards from your deck of eXtreme Programming Playing Cards and you’ll need to create a giant matrix on the floor that looks something like this:

Courage Communication
Simplicity Feedback

To begin playing, someone selects a card from the deck. If the card is a problem card, players must physically move to the value square that corresponds with the value most lacking in the stated problem. If the card is a solution card, players must move to the value square that corresponds with the value most present in the stated solution.

Once everyone has finished moving to a selected square, the group discusses why they think their value square is correct. After a few minutes of such discussion (limit it to a maximum of 5 minutes), a new card is selected and the process begins again.

Players

Value Squares is usually played with a large group or an XP team.

Time

You can play this game for a set amount of time (say 30 minutes) or until you run out of cards.

Variations of Play

You can play Value Squares in a variety of ways:

  • Problem/Solution Stories: Play a version of this game in which someone makes up a story around a specific problem or solution card. The missing or most present value will be hinted at in the story.

  • Tell us about your variation.

Feedback

We’d love to hear your feedback about this game.