Hello, World Cup

How to play

Six games, one scoring system. Each set of rules takes under a minute to explain.

Wiki Race

Race from one Wikipedia article to another using only the links on the page.

You need
1 phone or laptop per team, internet
Time
5 min per race
  1. The TV shows a start and a target article. Everyone opens the start article.
  2. On “Go,” click only the blue links inside the article. No search bar, no typing URLs.
  3. The back button is allowed. So is Ctrl+F (find on page).
  4. When you reach the target, shout “Wiki!” and hold up your screen. A referee checks it.

Scoring: 1st place 5 points, 2nd 4, 3rd 3. Any other team that finishes within the cap gets 2; teams that don’t finish get 1 for playing.

Variants and officer tip
  • Fewest Clicks: speed doesn’t matter. The team with the lowest click count wins (6-minute cap).
  • Checkpoint: you must pass through a third article on the way.
  • Reverse: swap the start and target from the last race.

Teach the trick after race one: head for big hub pages (countries, “Science,” “Computer”), then narrow down.

Bug Hunt

A short snippet goes up on the screen with exactly one bug. Find it and fix it.

You need
The screen, plus paper or a mini whiteboard per team
Time
90 sec (easy) to 2 min (hard) per snippet
  1. The TV shows a numbered snippet and its difficulty.
  2. Teams write down the line number and the corrected line.
  3. When time is up, everyone holds their answers up together.
  4. Reveal the answer, and have the referee explain it in one sentence.

Scoring: +1 for the right line, +1 for a working fix, +1 for the first team to raise a correct sheet.

Variants and officer tip
  • Bug Bounty: each team writes a buggy snippet on paper and swaps with another team.
  • Lightning: 45 seconds per snippet, easy ones only.

Keep a note of the funniest wrong answer each week. It decides the “Best Bug” award at the Final.

Code Relay

One keyboard per team. Only the driver types, and the driver changes every two minutes.

You need
1 lab computer per team, any language your team knows
Time
12-minute cap per problem
  1. The problem and its test cases go up on the TV.
  2. Only the driver touches the keyboard. Navigators can talk and point.
  3. The timer chimes every 2 minutes. Swap drivers right away, even mid-line.
  4. When you think you’re done, raise a hand. The referee runs the test cases.

Scoring: 6 points if every test passes, 3 if some do. The first three teams to solve it get +3, +2, +1.

Variants and officer tip
  • Whiteboard Relay (no laptops): each person writes one line, then passes the marker.
  • Silent Relay: nobody talks. Comments in the code are the only way to communicate.

Any language works: Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, whatever your team knows. If the lab computers don’t have an editor set up, onecompiler.com runs most languages in the browser with no account.

Output?

What does this code print? Write it down before the reveal.

You need
The screen, paper
Time
30 sec per question
  1. A tiny snippet goes up on the screen.
  2. Teams write down exactly what it prints.
  3. Reveal and explain in one sentence.

Scoring: +1 per correct answer. The last question of the set is worth 3.

Variants and officer tip
  • Sudden death: the first correct sheet held up wins. Used as the championship tiebreaker.

This is the best game to run while people are still arriving. Nobody needs a laptop.

Tech Pictionary

Draw a tech word on the whiteboard while your team guesses.

You need
Whiteboard and markers
Time
60 sec per drawing
  1. The drawer reads the word on an officer’s phone (Host → Pictionary). Never on the TV.
  2. Draw it with no letters, numbers, or symbols.
  3. Your team has 60 seconds. After that, other teams get one guess each to steal.

Scoring: 2 points for a correct guess, 1 for a steal.

Variants and officer tip
  • Speed round: teams take turns, with one minute on the clock per team.

Zero prep and works with any number of people. Use it to fill the time while the room fills up.

Human Compiler

Write instructions for an officer “robot” who follows them exactly as written.

You need
Paper, whiteboard, one officer who can keep a straight face
Time
4 min to write, about 1 min to run
  1. The TV shows a task, e.g. “Draw a house with a door and two windows.”
  2. Teams write numbered instructions on paper.
  3. The robot follows each team’s instructions literally, in front of everyone.

Scoring: The room votes 0–5 on how close the robot got.

Variants and officer tip
  • Debug round: teams get 1 minute to fix their instructions, then the robot runs them again.

Play the robot completely literally. If the paper says “draw a circle,” draw one anywhere, at any size.

Scoring

Tonight: teams earn points in each game. The final round of every night counts double. Points reset every week.

Season XP belongs to you, not your team, so switching teams never costs you anything. The app tracks it when you join.

+3Show upShowing up is worth more than winning.
+3 / +2 / +1Your team finishes 1st / 2nd / 3rd that nightThe biggest gap between teams in one night is 3 XP.
+2Bring someone newYou and your friend each get +2.
+1Theme bonusCostume at Spooky Bugs, and similar.
×2Boss Battle show-up+6 for coming the night before Thanksgiving.

Built for comebacks

  • The final round of every night is worth double.
  • Weekly results become XP by finishing place, not by margin. Winning by 1 point or by 20 is worth the same.
  • Showing up (+3) is worth more than winning (+3 to +1). Someone who never misses a week will outrank someone who wins twice and then stops coming.
  • Championship nights reset everyone to 0. A first-timer can win the Golden Keycap.
  • All-In Bug Hunt: in the last round of a championship, teams can wager any or all of their points.
  • Teams are reshuffled every week, so nobody is stuck on a losing team all season.

Season awards

Season 0 Champions
Win the Final. You sign the Golden Keycap.
Season MVP
Most XP by the end of the season. Being there every week is how you get it.
Rookie of the Season
Most XP among people who joined after the kickoff.
Best Bug
Funniest wrong answer of the season, picked by the officers.
Founding Members
Everyone who came to the kickoff. Read out the roster.