What if the thrill of a party game could capture the messy, competitive, and collaborative reality of scientific research?

That’s the idea behind Two Labs and a Nobel Prize, a large-scale social deduction game inspired by Two Rooms and a Boom.

Players become scientists, technicians, professors, or students.
Two labs — the Blue Team led by Marie Curie and the Red Team led by a Mad Scientist — battle it out.
The goal? Outsmart your rivals and secure the Nobel.

Tested with 200+ participants (from schoolchildren to researchers), the game showed how play can:
– Break barriers between people
– Foster teamwork and strategy
– Make the hidden dynamics of science—collaboration, competition, recognition—tangible and fun

But it’s more than entertainment. It’s a tool for education and outreach, turning the scientific process into an immersive, participatory experience.

Full paper here: Two Labs and a Nobel Prize (Journal of Chemical Education)