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Free team icebreaker Closest Guess Wins.
Everyone guesses a number in secret, the closest guess scores, and the farthest takes the forfeit the wheel picked. Five rounds, five minutes, no trivia needed.
How to play
One question, a room full of guesses.
Every round goes the same way, and takes about a minute.
Spin the wheel
Before each round the forfeit wheel spins and lands on what the farthest guess will have to do.
Read the question
Everyone sees the same question, with a number for its answer: how many, how far, what year.
Lock your guess
Type your guess and lock it, in secret, within 20 seconds (the host can change it). A locked guess is final.
Reveal the guesses
As soon as everyone has locked one, when the time is up, or when the host says so, every guess shows at once.
See the answer
The answer comes with a line on why it is so, and the closest guess lights up.
Score and go again
Points go on the leaderboard, and the farthest guess takes the forfeit. The final scores follow the last round.
| Player | Guess | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Anna | 210 | 4 🏆 |
| Daniel | 195 | 11 |
| Mark | 250 | 44 |
Correct answer: 206. Babies are born with around 300 bones; many of them fuse together as they grow.
The rules
Simple enough to explain in a breath.
The whole game in six lines, so nobody needs the rules read out.
5 rounds, about 5 minutes
The host picks 3, 5, 7, 10 rounds; each question has 20 seconds by default, a few more for the wheel and the reveal.
Closest guess scores
1 point for the closest guess, 2 for the exact answer.
Ties all score
Guesses equally close to the answer each get the point.
Hidden until the reveal
Nobody sees anyone else's guess, or whether it was high or low, until the round is revealed.
Farthest takes the forfeit
The farthest guess, and anyone who locked none, do what the wheel landed on. When every guess is as close, nobody does.
The host runs it
The host or a facilitator sets the time to answer (or none, revealing each question by hand), starts each round and can play again with new questions.
The forfeit wheel
Light enough for any team.
Quick and low-key, mostly a sentence or two, and fine on a video call. The wheel lands on a different one each round.
- RecommendRecommend a film, series, book or podcast.
- JokeTell your best, or worst, joke.
- Fun factShare a fun fact about yourself that nobody here knows.
- First jobTell everyone what your first job was.
- Your mugSay what is in your mug or glass right now.
- WeekendShare one thing you did last weekend, or will do next.
- CommentatorRead the next question out like a sports commentator.
- ComplimentPay someone in the room a compliment.
Questions
What is Closest Guess Wins?
An online icebreaker for teams: in each round, 5 by default, everyone guesses the number that answers a question, in secret, and the closest guess scores. Before each round a wheel picks a light forfeit for whoever guesses farthest.
Do we need to know trivia to play?
No. The questions are about everyday things, numbers, nature, places and technology, with answers anyone can guess at. The fun is in how far off everyone is, and in the short explanation that comes with each answer.
How many people can play?
Anyone with the link joins from their browser, with no sign-up and no install. Two people make it a game; a whole team makes it better. Someone who only wants to watch can join as a spectator.
Can we play it in our planning poker room?
Yes. In a live room, the host or a facilitator opens the icebreakers from the snowflake in the top bar. When the game ends, the room goes back to its stories, with nothing about the estimates changed.
Can the host choose how many questions there are?
Yes. In the lobby, the host picks 3, 5, 7, 10 rounds, a question each, and how long everyone has to answer.
Can the host reveal the answers by hand?
Yes. In the lobby, the host can set no time limit and turn off revealing when everyone has locked a guess: each question then stays open until the host presses Reveal now. The host can reveal early in any game.
What happens if someone does not answer in time?
Each question is open for 20 seconds unless the host picks another time in the lobby (10, 20, 30, 60 seconds) or no limit. A player who locks no guess before the reveal scores nothing that round, and takes the forfeit along with the farthest guess.