Debates: Convince Me!
A game where it is easy to get caught up in the debate and, at the same time, learn to speak more clearly, confidently and convincingly.
It works much like a real debate, except the game chooses the topic and the positions for you. Two teams defend opposing sides, listen to each other’s arguments, respond to them and learn to express their ideas in a way that people actually want to listen to.
How to play
🎤 Game Rules
In Debates, two teams discuss the same topic while defending opposite sides.
It does not matter whether you personally agree with the position you are given. Your goal is to find strong arguments, respond to the other team and defend your side convincingly.
1. Get your topic and position
At the start of the game, players are randomly divided into two teams. Each team is then assigned a position on the same topic.
The game chooses your side, so sometimes you will have to defend an opinion you do not actually agree with. That is part of what makes the debate interesting.
2. Prepare your arguments
Before the debate begins, each team gets some time to prepare.
Discuss your position, choose your strongest arguments, decide who will cover which points and think about what the other team might say.
More arguments do not necessarily make a stronger case. A few well-explained points are usually better than ten weak ones.
3. Present your position
The teams take turns presenting their position and laying out their main arguments.
Keep your points clear and focused. Your goal is to make sure the other team and the judge understand what your position is based on and why it makes sense.
4. Respond to the other team
Once both teams have presented their case, the rebuttal round begins.
Now you can respond to the other team's arguments, point out weaknesses and explain why your own position is more convincing.
Listen carefully. A good response addresses what the other team actually said, not what you expected them to say.
Challenge the arguments, not the people making them. Criticizing a position is part of the game. Making it personal is not.
5. Convince the judge or the audience
The game can include a judge. The judge listens to both teams and decides which side presented the more convincing arguments.
If there is no judge, the game does not choose a winner automatically. The teams can decide among themselves or ask people who watched the debate which side they found more convincing.
The winning team is not necessarily the one with the “right” opinion. It is the one that explained and defended its position better.
6. Find out the result
If there is a judge, the game announces the winning team after the judge makes a decision.
Without a judge, the result is left to the players or the people who watched the debate.
What debates help you practise
Debating is a great way to practise putting your thoughts into words, building strong arguments and defending a point of view with confidence. It also teaches you to listen to the other side, notice weaknesses in your own reasoning and respond quickly during a discussion.
It is useful practice for public speaking, negotiations, studying and everyday situations where saying “that's what I think” is not enough and you need to explain why.
Most importantly
Debates does not require any public-speaking experience. You can improvise, joke, make mistakes, change your approach and come up with new arguments as the discussion unfolds.
Listen to each other, speak with confidence and do not be afraid to defend a position even if you would argue the opposite outside the game.
A quick example
Topic: Should city centres be car-free?
Team 1 argues in favour: fewer traffic jams, less noise and pollution, and more space for pedestrians.
Team 2 argues against: cars are important for residents, businesses, deliveries and people who cannot easily get around on foot.
First, both teams present their arguments. Then they respond to each other's points. If there is a judge, the judge chooses the winner. If there is no judge, the teams or the audience can decide for themselves.
Speak more clearly and with confidence
In a debate, having an opinion is only the beginning. You need to find arguments quickly, put them into words and respond in a way people can follow.
Think of arguments fast
Get used to finding strong points quickly and responding when the other team pushes back.
Say what you mean
Practise explaining your position clearly without losing the main point along the way.
Think on your feet
Listen to the other side, spot weak points and work out your answer while the conversation is moving.
Game scenarios
Everyday Arguments
FreeEveryday topics that seem simple until someone takes the opposite side.
This scenario is built around familiar situations that need almost no explanation. Everyone understands the context, everyone can join in quickly, and it rarely takes long before the discussion becomes surprisingly serious.
There are no heavy philosophical questions or complicated background to learn first. Just recognisable situations, two opposing positions and plenty of room for quick reactions, strong arguments and a bit of stubbornness.
A good choice for a relaxed group that wants to start debating straight away and see how far an ordinary disagreement can go.
What Matters More?
FreeTime or money? Stability or freedom? Convenience or independence? These are the kind of questions that seem easy until you actually stop and think about them.
This scenario is built around everyday choices with no obvious right answer. What sounds like common sense to one person can feel like an uncomfortable compromise to someone else. That is exactly what makes these topics worth talking about.
Work, rest, money, plans, comfort, personal space, habits and everyday decisions. No special knowledge or complicated terms. Just familiar situations people often see very differently.
It works well for groups of friends, conversation clubs and language classes when you want topics that are easy to understand but still give people plenty to talk about.
Relationships Without a Manual
How much time should a couple spend together? Is the date of a first kiss worth remembering? Is it better to say things directly or choose your words carefully? Relationships are full of small decisions that never came with a universal manual.
These topics are about closeness, personal space, shared habits, money, friends, everyday routines and the little traditions couples create. There is no villain here and no single model that works for everyone.
What feels caring to one person can feel like too much control to another. Some people value shared rituals, while others need more freedom and time of their own. Both can make perfect sense.
It is all about the different ways people imagine a good relationship, even when they are often looking for the same things in the end.
Unwritten Rules
Some people always bring something when they visit, even after being told not to. Some think you should text before calling. And some are convinced that real help means giving advice, even when nobody asked for it.
Most of us have dozens of these unwritten rules. We rarely talk about them because they feel obvious. Until one day you realise that someone else thinks the exact opposite is perfectly normal.
This scenario is built around familiar situations involving friendship, hospitality, communication, shared plans and everyday agreements. There is no obviously correct answer. Just two different ways of dealing with people, and both have their own logic.
It is often in these small moments that you notice just how differently people can read the very same situation.
There's a Catch
A free trip, but someone else chooses the destination. A bigger home, but farther away from everything. A better price, but no chance to change your mind.
Almost every option here sounds great at first. Then comes the catch, and suddenly the choice is not quite so obvious.
Sometimes you give up time, sometimes freedom, comfort, privacy, or control. And it quickly becomes clear that the same condition can feel like a tiny inconvenience to one person and a deal-breaker to another.
Simple choices where both sides come with something to gain and something to give up. That is what makes them much harder to settle than they first appear.
A game for friends and groups
Play in your browser
Debates: Convince Me! runs directly in your browser, so everyone can join from their phone without installing an app or preparing anything in advance.
Made for groups
Play together with friends, at a party, in a speaking club or with a group in class. Create a room, share the link and everyone can join the same game from their own device.
Play for free
You can play for free. Full scenarios are available from the start, and extra ones are only there if you want more choice.