What is Kemps?

Kemps is a partner card game built around one secret: two players agree on a private nonverbal signal, then spend the round trying to use it without anyone else noticing. Deal from a standard 52-card deck — four cards to each player, four more face-up in the center — and pairs race to collect four of a kind while grabbing and swapping cards from the shared pile. Get there first, catch your partner's eye, and your signal does the rest: they call out "Kemps" and reveal the hand for the point.

It works because the entire game runs on attention. Every player is watching every other player's hands and face at once — for a signal, for a tell, for the moment someone else gets too close to a win. That's what makes the "Stop Kemps" call possible: catching another pair before they can call it themselves takes exactly the kind of close, silent observation icebreakers usually skip.

It needs a table, a deck of cards, and a group willing to grab quickly and read faces up close — so it's built for the room, not the video call. It also needs an even number of players, 6 to 10 total; anything smaller and there's no one to signal.

The rules

Play in pairs, with an even number of players in the group.
Sit in a circle with your partner directly across from you.
Deal four cards to each player, plus four more face-up in the center.
Swap cards with the center pile to chase four of a kind — never hold more than four at once.
Get four of a kind, signal your partner in secret, and have them call "Kemps" to reveal your hand.
Think another pair already has it? Call "Stop Kemps" and point at them instead.
A correct call scores a point, a wrong one costs one — first pair to 5 wins.

Before you start

Group size: an even number of players, 6–10 total. Kemps runs on pairs, so the headcount has to split evenly before you deal a single card.
Partners sit across the circle from each other. Everyone faces the center, so the whole group can reach the shared pile at once.
Give pairs a minute to build their signal. Before the deal, let each pair step aside and agree on a subtle, readable nonverbal cue — a tugged earlobe works as well as anything more elaborate.
Materials: one standard deck of 52 playing cards. That's the only thing you need. Deal in the center of the circle, ideally on a table everyone can reach.

How to run it

Form pairs and build a signal 1–2 min
Pair up and sit across the circle from each other, then take a minute to invent a nonverbal cue — subtle, but something your partner can't miss. Tugging an earlobe or sticking out a tongue both work.
Deal the cards 1–2 min
Shuffle a standard deck and deal four cards to each player, kept hidden from everyone else. Lay four more face-up in the center as the shared pile.
Start the round 1–2 min
On "3, 2, 1, go," grab cards from the center and swap them for ones in your hand — never hold more than four at once. Once nobody wants what's showing, clear the center and deal four fresh cards.
Chase four of a kind 2–3 min
Work toward four matching cards without tipping off the table. Every grab is being watched, so play it cool.
Call it — or catch it 30 sec
Get four of a kind, and your secret signal tells your partner to call "Kemps" and reveal your hand — a correct call scores a point, a wrong one costs one. Think another pair already has it? Call "Stop Kemps" and point at them instead; same stakes, reversed.
Play to five 10–20 min
First pair to 5 points wins. For a harder round, skip the pre-game huddle and have partners invent their signal live, during play.

← the tell is the whole game.

Facilitator tips

Vet the signal for visibility and cultureSome gestures read differently across cultures, and a cue that's too subtle from across the table just won't land. Push pairs toward something clear and easy to read at a glance.

Swap in a touch or sound cue when neededFor players with visual or hearing differences, let the signal move to touch or sound instead of sight — decide as a group before the deal, not mid-round.

Simple beats cleverA signal only works if a partner can execute it under pressure. Some players will need — and everyone benefits from — a cue that's easy to remember and easy to do.

Set the tone before the cards come outSay upfront that getting caught is part of the game, not a real loss — it keeps the pace quick without tipping into real competitiveness.

Variations

On-the-fly signals

Skip the pre-game huddle and have partners invent their nonverbal signal live, during play, instead of deciding beforehand — harder to build, harder for opponents to catch.

Why it works

A signal only two people shareYou and your partner invent your nonverbal cue before a single card is dealt — a private code that only works because you built it together. That's a specific kind of trust most icebreakers never ask for.

Reading faces becomes the whole gameGetting caught costs a point, so every player is quietly watching every other player's hands and face for a signal, while trying not to give away their own. Nonverbal attention, in game form.

Fast decisions under real pressureGrabbing from the center pile while tracking who's close to four of a kind — and who might be onto your pair — forces genuine quick thinking, not the performative kind.

HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"I love how much trust Kemps asks for in under a minute — you and your partner build a secret signal together, then spend the whole round reading each other from across the table. It's teamwork you can actually watch happening."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

For teams that want the debrief — a few minutes on these turns a fast card game into an actual conversation about how the group works together.

What was it like creating and using a secret signal with your partner?Surfaces how the pair actually communicated — and how much of that was planned versus improvised.
How did you grab cards from the center while keeping an eye on everyone else?Gets at strategy, quick thinking, and observation all at once.
What was your strategy for reaching four of a kind without getting caught?Prompts reflection on problem-solving and adapting mid-round.
How did you balance grabbing cards quickly against revealing too much?A real question about managing risk and making calls under pressure.
What was frustrating, and how did you handle it?Room for resilience and honesty about what didn't go smoothly.
How did your teamwork with your partner change as the game went on?Gets pairs thinking about what they'd communicate differently next time.
What did you notice about how other players signaled or gave themselves away?Turns observation of others into something the group can actually apply.