Four Kingdoms: Alliances and Betrayals at Timeouts
Four kingdoms each guard three crowns (bandanas) in their castle and may steal the others'. The key is the diplomatic timeouts: ambassadors sign written alliances (no attacks, joint attacks on another kingdom) that can be broken, but breaking a signed pact costs a crown. Students work on negotiation, trust and conflict management.
How to play
- Split the field into four quadrants with a 3 x 3 m castle in each corner holding three bandanas; explain that on someone else's land you can be tagged and must return to your castle (3 min).
- Each kingdom names an ambassador, a defense captain and an attack captain, and picks a first target (3 min).
- Game phase 1: steal one crown per trip and bring it to your castle; tagged players return to their castle and rejoin (6 min).
- Diplomatic timeout: ambassadors meet and sign pacts on cards (who with whom, what commitment and for how long) and hand them to the teacher (3 min).
- Game phase 2 and a second timeout, followed by phase 3; if a kingdom breaks a signed pact, the teacher announces it and hands one of the traitor's crowns to the betrayed kingdom (11 min).
- Guided discussion: why alliances held or broke, how betrayed kingdoms felt and what parallels exist with real sport (4 min).
Rules
- Tag with an open hand, no pushing or grabbing.
- One crown per trip, carried in the hand, never hidden in clothing.
- Defenders may not enter their own castle except to return a crown.
- Pacts are kept or broken inside the game; outside it there is no blame or teasing.
Variations
Easier
Pacts cannot be broken during the phase in which they were signed.
Standard
Four kingdoms, three crowns each, two diplomatic timeouts and a penalty for betrayal.
Harder
One kingdom gets a secret mission to break up at least two other alliances without breaking any of its own.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: serve as ambassador, a decisive role that requires no movement during play phases.
- Autism: is told in writing beforehand that betrayals may happen and are part of the challenge, and may choose a defensive role.
- Hearing impairment: pacts are written and phases are signaled by raising a colored cone.
Learning goals
- Negotiate agreements and assess whether they are kept.
- Manage betrayal and frustration emotionally within the game.
- Reflect on trust and fair play in competition.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 32
- pinnies: 28
- bandanas: 12
- cards: 8
Teacher tip
The final discussion is the most valuable part: save at least 4 minutes and moderate it so students talk about the game, not each other. Keep the pact cards as assessment evidence.
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