James Carse’s book, Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility, speaks to designing games which cultivate play, improvisation and engaging the unknown, creating as you go. I first read it about 18 years ago, and it is still one of my favorites. He writes:
"A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play...infinite games are unscripted and unpredictable...the rules of an infinite game are like the grammar of a living language, whereas those of a finite game are like the rules of a debate...Finite players play w in boundaries...infinite players play w boundaries...the rules of a finite game may not change in the course of play...the rules of an infinite game must change in the course of play..."
Finite and infinite games can both generate creativity. Finite games have tighter constraints. They are played w in structure. Infinite games play w structure. For example, in improv, when you’re first learning the games, you play them finitely, by the rules. There’s a beginning, middle, and end. The creativity emerges within these constraints. The seasoned improvisers play w the structure of the game itself. They discover the new structure, not just the content w in the structure, as they go. That makes it more of an infinite game.
As facilitators of creative process we can design for both. Any finite game can be adapted to become an infinite game. Try new, unplanned ideas, using whatever comes to u in the moment. Try a new variation in real time. Let them co-create rules of the game as you go, asking them to add or change a rule. It then becomes a living, co-creative game structure.
If approached w the spirit of play and discovery, it moves from binary, static “the game worked/didn't work” to a dynamic exploration of what was learned. Cultivating group creativity works best w both finite and infinite design.
Generative Questions to Inspire Your Design
• How do I design for participation and interaction?
• How do I make it safe for sharing diverse values and perspectives?
• How do I inspire contribution?
• How do I create shared understanding (even without agreement)?
• How do I make the design inclusive for all participants?
• How do I balance context w content?
• How do I create the conditions for participants to take risks?
• How do I incl. space for the unpredictable to emerge?
• How do I set conditions for a “we” space?
• How do I design for diff. learning/creating styles?
• How do I design to challenge assumptions?
• How will I partner w participants in co-creativity?
• How will I go beneath platitudes into meaningful conversation?
• How will I include check-ins & reflection time?
• How will I bounce back if the focus gets derailed?
• How will I record what emerges?
• How will I get feedback from the group?
From my book, Pattern Breaks: A Facilitator's Guide to Cultivating Creativity
Link to book
