Materials:

• One or more decks of playing cards

Setup:

1. Divide players into groups of four or five.
2. Shuffle the cards well.
3. Randomly deal three cards to each player. Players should not show their cards to anyone.

Game Play:

1. On a count of three, each player chooses and shows one card from their hand. They try to pick a card that will beat the others in their group.
2. The player with the highest card wins the round. If there is a tie, the tied players can flip a coin or play rock-paper-scissors to decide the winner.
3. The winners from each group advance to the next round.
4. Winners are grouped again into new groups of four or five. Each player gets one new card to replace the card they already played.
5. Repeat the rounds. Players keep choosing and playing one card at a time until only a few winners remain.
6. The game continues until one final winner is decided.

Additional Notes:

• If time allows, play the game more than once. This gives everyone a chance to improve and experience moving further in the game.
• To add variety, try playing with teams instead of individuals. Players can work together to choose which cards to play.
• For safety, remind players to avoid rough play or grabbing cards too quickly. Keep the game calm and respectful.

For more information, see https://young-catholics.com/12489/extreme-war-card-game-icebreaker/