Can you win without losing the biosphere?
An empty desert. An ambitious biodome project. Limited resources and a clock that keeps ticking.
Each team builds its own production system, gathers resources and tries to earn as many Bio Points as possible. But your decisions also affect the shared biosphere.
That’s where the tension begins. The highest score wins, but only if the biosphere remains strong enough to multiply that score. Teams that focus solely on their own success may ultimately lose everything.
THE MISSION
Build life in an empty desert.
You are put in charge of an ambitious biodome project in The Empty Quarter.
In each round, you decide which investments will generate the greatest return. Do you first build a strong production system? Do you already invest in the biosphere? Or do you take a risk in order to grow faster?
Every card costs resources. Every decision changes your options for the next round. Teams that think ahead start building momentum.
THE CATCH
Your score is yours. The biosphere belongs to everyone.
The teams compete for the highest individual score. At the same time, their decisions affect the same energy supply, infrastructure, food reserves, water resources and pollution levels.
At the end of the game, the weakest core parameter becomes the multiplier for your Bio Points. Neglecting just one element can wipe out an impressive lead entirely.
Your competitors are therefore also the teams you may need. When do you collaborate? When do you choose your own advantage? And who is willing to start the conversation?
THE PRESSURE BUILDS
A good plan is only the beginning.
The first rounds feel manageable. Then production increases, more opportunities become available and decisions become increasingly dependent on one another.
Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking.
Teams need to share information quickly, keep their priorities clear and be willing to adjust their strategy. A decision that seemed smart only a few minutes ago can suddenly become a problem.
The Empty Quarter rewards teams that do not cling to their original plan, but work together to recognise what the new situation requires.
FROM GAME TO WORKPLACE
What does your team do when everything speeds up?
During the game, familiar team patterns quickly become visible. Who keeps the overview? Who makes the decisions? Are doubts voiced? And does the team notice in time when the situation has changed?
After the simulation, the facilitator uses the game results and key decision-making moments for a focused debrief.
This creates a concrete conversation about collaboration, communication and dealing with change, based on what the team actually did just a few minutes earlier.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions about The Empty Quarter.
Yes, the highest score wins, but only if the shared biosphere stays strong enough. At the end of the game, the weakest core parameter becomes the multiplier for your Bio Points. Neglecting just one element can therefore wipe out an impressive lead entirely. Your competitors are also the teams you need: a team that plays only for itself may end up losing everything.
It is a table game with cards and a central game board for each team. Every card costs resources and every choice changes your options in the next round. And every action your team takes has an impact on the other teams. The game is similar to Before Mars, but less complex and therefore more accessible.
The theme touches on it: you build a biodome in the desert, with a shared biosphere of energy, infrastructure, food, water and pollution. But you need no knowledge of ecology and it is not a climate lesson. Above all it is about working together: every action by one team affects the options of the other teams, and yet you share one central goal, making the biosphere thrive.
Yes, the debrief sits within the total duration of 90 to 120 minutes. The facilitator uses your game results and key decision moments for a focused debrief. Who kept the overview, who made the decisions, and did the team notice in time that the situation had changed? That way you talk about collaboration based on what you actually did a few minutes earlier.
In teams of five to six people. Four teams together form one biosphere, so every decision affects the whole. If there are more of you, we build two competing biospheres. We come to your office or a venue of your choice and bring all the game materials. The Empty Quarter is played indoors, for 15 to 100 participants.
No stress, just flexibility
From idea to WOW, without the worry
Cancel up to 48 hours before your event
Can your team building no longer go ahead? Let us know no later than 48 hours before the start. We will convert the value of your booking into Moodmaker credit, valid for two years.
Adjust the number of participants up to 7 days before your event
Is your final group size not confirmed yet? You can adjust the number of participants up to seven days before the event.
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