Wink Murder

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Practice observational awareness and non-verbal deduction in an active group setting.

Use it when: Use during an energizing break or warm-up when a group needs a lively, low-stakes observation activity.

Skip it when: Skip if participants find direct eye contact uncomfortable or if the room lacks open space for safe mingling.

Group arrangement: Whole group mingling in an open room.

Timing: UWT suggested timing based on source recommendation to play several short rounds.

Materials and tools

• One slip of paper per participant, with exactly one marked Assassin and the rest blank
• One container (hat, bowl, or bag) for drawing role slips

Before participants arrive

1. Clear chairs and tables to provide an open floor where participants can move safely.
2. Prepare the slips of paper with exactly one marked Assassin slip and blank slips for all other players.

Say this to open

In this game, one person is secretly designated as the assassin. Everyone mingles, greeting each person with a smile and brief eye contact. The assassin eliminates players by winking. If you catch a wink, wait five seconds, then theatrically eliminate yourself and sit down. If you think you know the assassin, call out 'I accuse.' You will need a seconder to test it. No one may communicate or indicate who they suspect before pointing. Let us draw roles and begin.

How to run it

1. Explain rules and draw roles 3 minutes

   Speak the opening script. Explain movement, winking, the five-second elimination delay, and accusation rules. Stress that players must not whisper, point, or signal their suspicions to anyone before an official accusation. Carry the container around. Have each participant draw one slip, inspect it privately without showing anyone, and put it away out of sight.

2. Run round one 5 minutes

   Invite everyone to mingle and make eye contact. The assassin winks at targets discreetly. Anyone winked waits five seconds, acts out a dramatic death, and sits down. To accuse, a player shouts, 'I accuse!' and raises a hand. All movement freezes. If a seconder raises a hand, count to three. Both point simultaneously. If they point at different people, or both point at an innocent person, both accusers are eliminated. If both point at the assassin, the group wins. Play stops when caught or all are eliminated.

3. Run round two 4 minutes

   Collect and redistribute the role slips to select a new assassin secretly. Bring all participants back into the playing area. Run a second round using the identical mingling, five-second delay, silent suspicion, and dual-pointing accusation rules.

4. Debrief observations 3 minutes

   Gather everyone in a standing circle or seated group. Ask the debrief questions about physical cues and deduction tactics. Take two or three volunteer responses within the allotted time.

Debrief questions

• What non-verbal cues or movement patterns helped you identify the assassin?
• For the assassins, what tactics helped you disguise your actions while maintaining eye contact?
• How did the five-second delay affect your ability to track where the wink came from?

Finished output: Completion of two rounds of deduction concluding in either successful identification of the assassin or full elimination of the group.

Remote

Run in gallery view with all webcams active. Privately message the assassin to assign the role. Participants watch faces. Because screen winks are hard to target subtlety, the assassin sends a private chat containing 'wink' to a target. The target waits five seconds, acts out a dramatic death, and turns off their camera. An accuser types 'I accuse' in chat. If a seconder types 'Second', both privately message the facilitator their suspect's name within five seconds. The facilitator reads both names aloud simultaneously. If they differ or both pick an innocent person, both are eliminated. If both match the assassin, the group wins.

Hybrid

Hybrid play is not recommended because the mechanic depends on mutual line of sight, shared physical proximity, and direct eye contact. If running with a mixed audience, split remote and in-person players into two separate concurrent sessions or run everyone on individual webcams using the remote protocol.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose to serve as an official referee seated at the perimeter instead of walking.
• Participants who cannot wink easily may substitute a deliberate double-blink as their signal.
• Anyone may step out to the room perimeter at any time without disclosure.

If the session gets stuck

An accuser blurts out their suspect's name before a seconder appears.

Pause the round immediately. Remind players that naming or pointing is forbidden until a seconder joins and the facilitator counts to three. Continue play or redraw if the identity was revealed.

Eliminated players look at or point toward the assassin while exiting.

Remind eliminated players that once eliminated, they must sit quietly at the edge without gesturing toward active players.

Terms used here

• Seconder: A second participant who also suspects they know the assassin and agrees to point simultaneously on the facilitator's count.