Unhinged TED Talk

Total confidence about a theory you invented on the walk over.

Five slides, one big idea, and absolutely no qualifications. Fabricate the data, include a personal anecdote that goes nowhere, and land the implications like you're changing the field. Rated on Thesis, Unearned Authority and Standing Ovation.

4–10 players5-slide starter deck7 min to buildChalkboard theme
Start a Unhinged TED Talk party

How it works

  1. 1.Everyone gets a different big idea
  2. 2.The data must be fabricated and charted
  3. 3.Include one personal anecdote
  4. 4.End on implications for humanity

Your deck is already started

Nobody starts at a blank white slide. Every player gets these 5 slides pre-laid-out in the Chalkboard theme, with a prompt on each one telling you what goes there.

The Big Idea

1/5

The Data

A chart. The axes do not need labels.

2/5

A Personal Anecdote

Starts specific, ends nowhere, still moves the room.

3/5

The Implications

Scale it to all of humanity. Immediately.

4/5

Thank You

Say something that sounds profound and means nothing.

5/5

How you're scored

After each presentation the room votes on three things specific to this mode — not generic “was it good”.

The Thesis

Was there a real thought underneath?

No idea there → Genuinely interesting

Unearned Authority

How qualified did they sound, despite everything?

Uncertain → Tenured

Standing Ovation

Did the room want to applaud?

Seated → On my feet

Unhinged TED Talk prompts

Every player is dealt a different one of these.

  • The hidden economics of the aux cord
  • Why group projects predict divorce rates
  • A unified theory of why the third slice hits different
  • What your water bottle says about your attachment style
  • The case for permanent name tags
  • Queueing as a moral system
  • Why every friend group has exactly one driver
  • The correlation between phone battery percentage and trustworthiness
  • Elevators and the collapse of small talk
  • Why nobody knows how tall they are
  • The economics of who pays for the taxi
  • Seating position as a predictor of life outcomes

Ready to run Unhinged TED Talk?

Free, in the browser, nothing to install. Share a six-character code and your friends are in.

Start a party

Other game modes

Classic Shuffle

The original. One topic, everyone suffers together.

3–10 players3 slides

Startup Roast

Pitch a company that should not exist. Get funded anyway.

4–8 players5 slides

Things I'd Replace My ___ With

One slot. One replacement. Defend it to the room.

4–10 players4 slides16+

Conspiracy Defense

Five slides. Zero evidence. Make us believe.

4–8 players5 slides

Corporate Cult

Onboard us. We are not allowed to leave.

4–8 players5 slides

Red Flag Runway

Present your worst quality like it's a feature.

4–8 players4 slides16+
See all 12 modes