What is Invention Botticelli?
Invention Botticelli hands each player a slip of paper and asks for one invention — something the room would recognize, but not the first thing that comes to mind. Once every slip is written, they go into a bowl or hat together and get mixed up. From there, the room draws them one at a time and works out what's on each slip by asking nothing but yes-or-no questions about what the thing is or does, until somebody lands the guess and the next slip gets drawn.
It works because a boring invention makes for a boring round. "Light bulb" or "telephone" gets guessed in one question; the game only gets good once someone reaches for something more obscure, and the questions have to work harder to pin it down. Writing a good slip is a small creative dare before the guessing even starts.
It's not the game for a room in a hurry — shuffling and re-drawing slips between rounds takes real time that a faster icebreaker wouldn't need. And it leans on everyone knowing enough about how things work to ask a decent yes-or-no question; a group with very different technical backgrounds may find some slips guessable by only a few people in the room.
The rules
- Everyone gets one slip of paper and a pen.
- Each player writes down one invention — well known, but not the first thing that comes to mind.
- Every slip goes into a shared bowl or hat and gets mixed together.
- One slip gets drawn per round. The room works out what's on it using nothing but yes-or-no questions about what it is or does.
- Whoever lands the correct guess draws the next slip.
- Play continues until every invention in the bowl has been guessed.
Before you start
- Group size: 4–30 players. Works with as few as four — any fewer and there's no one left to ask questions. Scales up easily, since every round only needs one slip and one guesser at a time.
- Paper slips, a bowl or hat, and pens. Everyone needs a slip and something to write with; the bowl holds every invention until it's drawn for a round.
- Set a round length before you start. A stopwatch or phone timer keeps rounds from dragging — pick a length that fits your group and hold everyone to it.
- Optional: name tags for a bigger room. Worth adding once the group is large enough that people don't already know each other's names.
How to run it
- Gather your group 1–2 min
Best with at least four people — the game needs enough of a room for the questions to keep coming, but it scales past that easily.
- Write down an invention 2–3 min
Each player writes one invention on their slip — something widely known, but not the obvious pick. "Light bulb" or "telephone" is too easy; push toward something more obscure.
- Collect and shuffle 1 min
Gather every slip into the bowl or hat and mix them together before the first draw.
- Draw and question 3–5 min each
Draw one slip. The room works out what's on it using nothing but yes-or-no questions about what it is or does.
- Guess, then rotate 30 sec
Whoever lands the guess draws the next slip, and the questions start again.
- Play through the bowl 20–40 min
Keep going until every invention's been guessed — as long or short as your group has time for.
← boring inventions lose the round before it starts.
Why it works
Reflection questions
For teams that want the debrief — these turn a guessing round into an actual conversation.
- What did you enjoy most about Invention Botticelli?Points at what to keep or tweak the next time you run it.
- How well do you feel the activity helped you get to know your team members?A direct read on whether the format actually built connection, not just guesses.
- Did you find any part of the game challenging or uncomfortable — and if so, why?Surfaces what to adjust so everyone stays included next round.
- What did this activity teach you about your own creative process?A short, low-stakes moment of self-reflection before the debrief moves on.
- How might you use what you learned here in your work or your life?Ties the game back to something the group will actually carry out the door.
- How did working with others shape your guesses?Names the teamwork most guessing rounds bury under the guessing itself.
- If you ran this again with a different group, what would you change?Turns a few players into future facilitators before they leave the room.