The game guide · Empathy
How to play Ask Before Advising
A friend says their day was difficult and starts explaining. Which reply checks what support they want? Read the scenario and consider three replies. Choose a considerate response without guessing somebody’s private feelings.
Your starting point
A friend says their day was difficult and starts explaining. Which reply checks what support they want?
The rules
Read the scenario and all the possible replies. Choose the response that respects the person’s stated needs and choices. Review the feedback and reflect on the wording.
A helpful approach
Use only the information in the scenario. Look for a response that asks, listens or explains clearly without assuming what another person secretly thinks. Notice the difference between the information you have been given and the story you might be assuming around it.
After the game
What made one response leave more room for the other person’s own choice? What respectful question could help you understand someone’s experience without deciding their feelings or needs for them?
There is no need to turn a small moment into a perfect performance. Play again if you want to explore it, or leave it here and take the thought into your day.
The feeling behind it
Listen before deciding what someone must feel. Make room for a perspective that is different from your own.
A women’s storytelling tradition inspires attention to perspective. These games are original and do not reproduce Hikaye tales.
Read our empathy story, inspired by Palestinian Hikaye in Palestine. The UNESCO: The Palestinian Hikaye provides the source context.
Share the invitation
I am here to listen, without writing your story for you. Try Ask Before Advising with me, if you fancy a little empathy today.
If someone comes to mind, send them a game they might enjoy. Add your own words, let them choose whether to play, and keep private details out of a public link.