To run a Who Am I networking game, collect a short, safe clue about each participant, let people guess or find the person behind a clue, award points for conversations and correct matches, and make sure the clues are friendly and opt-in. The game works when the best way to win is to talk to someone you have not met.
The problem it solves
At a dealer or partner meet, people arrive in clusters: the Pune team together, the Delhi distributors together, the head office staff by the coffee. A formal networking session often fails because nobody wants to be the first to walk across the room. A game gives people a reason and a script. “I am looking for the person who has run marathons” is easier to say than “May I introduce myself?”
Who Am I is a guessing game at heart. One participant’s clue is shown and others try to identify them. For networking, that guessing becomes a hunt for people.
Choose a format
There are three workable formats.
| Format | How it plays | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Clue hunt | Each player receives clues about other attendees and must find and meet them | 100 to 500 people, a full day |
| Stage guess | A clue is shown on the screen and the audience guesses a leader or guest | A hall segment of ten minutes |
| Team match | Teams match a list of clues to a list of names | Small groups, workshop settings |
The platform format and controls for the game are set up with the team for each occasion, so confirm which format fits your brief.
Collect the clues
Clues are the heart of the game, and also the main risk. Ask each participant, in advance, for one or two light facts they are happy to share: a hobby, a first job, a favourite film, a place they have lived. Make it voluntary and tell them how the clues will be used. Do not use clues drawn from private records, health, family or politics.
A good clue is specific enough to be fun and vague enough to need a conversation. “Has trekked to a base camp” works. “Is the regional manager for the west” does not, since it can be found in a directory.
Give participants a simple form with examples. Collect them a week ahead and review them. Remove anything that could embarrass or exclude. For senior leaders, ask the executive assistant to confirm.
Mix people on purpose
The game’s value comes from crossing group lines. Design the matching so that people are paired with those from different zones, departments or categories. If everyone’s clues point to people in their own team, you have recreated the clusters. Use the groups that already exist, such as zone or dealer category, to ensure the cross-mixing. Make sure each participant’s clues appear in someone else’s set.
Decide how people confirm a match
Confirmation prevents guessing games from turning into cheating. Options include:
- Peer scan. The finder scans the other person’s QR contact card, which confirms the meeting.
- Answer entry. The finder types the person’s name or a code the person shares.
- Facilitator check. A staff member verifies at a desk.
A scan is best because it records the interaction and can double as a contact exchange. Allow each match to score once, and set a cap so that people cannot work only one corner of the room.
Score for conversation
Award points for each correct match, a bonus for matching across groups and a bonus for a complete set. Keep the numbers modest and the leaderboard visible. Add a “most connections” award, which rewards generosity rather than speed.
Brief the room
Introduce the game in the opening session, in one minute. Say what the game is, how long it runs, how to join and when winners are announced. Offer an easy way out. People who prefer not to take part should not feel pressured. Remind people at breaks and show the leaderboard at lunch.
Make it inclusive and kind
Keep the tone friendly. Make sure the clues do not reveal anything that someone could be uncomfortable with. Offer alternatives for people with mobility needs, such as a seated clue set. Be sensitive to language: provide clues in simple English and, where needed, the local language. Remember that some people are shy. A kind facilitator who invites quiet attendees to join a group can make the difference.
Pitfalls
- Clues too easy to look up. The game ends in minutes.
- Clues too obscure. Players give up.
- No opt-in. People feel exposed.
- No cross-group design. Clusters stay as they are.
- No closing moment. Announce winners and thank everyone.
Example clue types and what they reveal
Clues can be grouped so the set stays varied and fair.
| Clue type | Example wording | Risk to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Has sung in a choir | Low |
| Travel | Has been to a place few colleagues have | Low |
| Career story | Started in a different industry | Check it is not sensitive |
| Food and film | Cannot watch a match without a particular snack | Low |
| Challenge | Once ran a long race | Avoid health implications |
Avoid clues about age, caste, religion, politics, marital status or health. Keep the tone light. If a clue could make someone feel singled out, rewrite it.
A pacing plan for a one-day dealer conference
Open the game just before the first tea break so people have a reason to mingle immediately. Release a second set of clues after lunch, when the room needs to move. Close the game an hour before the final session, so the winners can be announced in the closing ceremony. Place reminders on the venue screen between sessions. A leaderboard update at lunch keeps momentum. If you have a hosted dinner, consider a final clue that can only be solved at the dinner tables, to mix the seating further.
Connecting the game to follow-up
The best networking game ends with a result that lasts. Scanned contact cards give participants a list of the people they met. Encourage them to follow up within a week, and consider a short message from the organiser a few days after the event with the same list. For a dealer meet, sales leaders can use the connection data to see which zones mixed and which stayed apart, and plan the next meet’s seating or breakout groups around it. The point of a Who Am I game is not the score; it is the number of useful conversations that would not otherwise have happened.
How Sociana handles this
Sociana’s games library lists Who-Am-I among its party formats, with organiser controls for availability windows, timers, points per result and whether results count towards team boards. The delegates directory and QR contact exchange gives each member a personal QR, called My QR Code or Networking Card in different apps, so scanning another person can confirm a meeting. Content, such as clues, is supplied by the client and loaded by Sociana.
HCCB Partners Meet 2026 in Goa ran Who Am I alongside Conference Bingo and Trivia, with content scoped separately for partners and employees. Read the case study. Related: dealer and partner meets, conferences, Who Am I game and personal QR.
Frequently asked questions
Do people have to share facts about themselves?
No. Participation should be voluntary. Collect clues from people who agree, and give others the option to play without being a clue.
How long should the game run?
A stage version fits in ten minutes. A networking version can run across a day, with a short window at breaks to find and meet people.
Can it work with 1,000 attendees?
Yes, if confirmation is by scan and clues are spread across groups. The limit is the physical space and the time people have between sessions.
What if two people have similar clues?
Make clues specific, review them for duplicates and keep a facilitator ready to settle a dispute with a quick check.