# Awkward Moment

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**Awkward Moment** is a [playing-card](/source/Playing_card) [party game](/source/Party_game). It was developed by the [Tiltfactor Lab](/source/Tiltfactor_Lab) as part of a [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation)-funded project called “Transforming Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math ([STEM](/source/STEM_fields)) For Women and Girls: Reworking Stereotypes & Bias.”[1][2] It is a 20-minute game for [middle](/source/Middle_school) and [high school](/source/High_school) students (ages 12 and up) that places players in socially awkward circumstances. The game won Meaningful Play's Best Non-Digital Game Award in 2012.[3]

## Gameplay

Players take turns assuming the role of the Decider. The Decider reveals a Moment Card that describes a humorous, embarrassing, or stressful situation for the group and a Decider Card that provides a guideline for choosing a winning Reaction. Players submit a Reaction Card from their hand face down, and the Decider selects the Reaction Card that they think is the best response to the Moment, given the Decider Card's rule.[4]

## Research

The gameplay of Awkward Moment encourages players to consider other's viewpoints and assess their own biases.[5] Data suggests that Awkward Moment strengthens associations between women and STEM and reduces people's trained [biases](/source/Biases).[6][7]

## References

1. ["Tiltfactor "Pox," "Buffalo," and "Awkward Moment""](https://web.archive.org/web/20131109230240/http://www.differentgames.org/tiltfactor-pox-buffalo-and-awkward-moment/). Different Games Conference. Archived from [the original](http://www.differentgames.org/tiltfactor-pox-buffalo-and-awkward-moment/) on 2013-11-09.

1. Barber, Bonnie. ["Professor Mary Flanagan Participates in White House Consortium"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130904143845/http://now.dartmouth.edu/2012/08/professor-mary-flanagan-participates-in-white-house-consortium-2/). Dartmouth Now. Archived from [the original](http://now.dartmouth.edu/2012/08/professor-mary-flanagan-participates-in-white-house-consortium-2/) on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.

1. ["2012 Meaningful Play Awards"](http://meaningfulplay.msu.edu)

1. Kalajian Jr., Robert. ["Toy Fair 2013-Tiltfactor"](http://www.purplepawn.com/2013/02/toy-fair-2013tiltfactor/). Purple Pawn. Retrieved 12 October 2013.

1. Dixon, Drew. ["Bit Creature blog post"](http://www.bitcreature.com/editorials/my-gen-con-2012/). Retrieved 12 October 2013.

1. Alexander, Leigh. ["How can games contain and convey values?"](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/how-can-games-contain-and-convey-values-). Gamasutra. Retrieved 16 August 2013.

1. ["Creating Values from Play - Tiltfactor"](http://classroom-aid.com/2013/04/18/creating-values-from-play-tiltfactor/). Classroom Aid. Retrieved 17 September 2013.

## External links

- [Awkward Moment](http://www.tiltfactor.org/awkward-moment)
- [Tiltfactor](http://www.tiltfactor.org)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Awkward Moment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awkward_Moment) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awkward_Moment?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.