Trivia is for the "Well, actually..." guy in your meetings.
Riddles Are Not Fun is for everyone.
Your team doesn’t need another pub quiz to stroke one person's ego. They need a system update. Welcome to Riddles Are Not Fun. An engineer-designed, high-stakes cognitive gauntlet where where your phone can't help you, but your team can.
Your team building is running on legacy software.
Standard team building is built on a lie: that forced fun equals better performance. It doesn't. Bowling is just distraction. Axe throwing is just dangerous. And trivia? Trivia is just data entry for people who can’t let go of their GPA.
You don’t need a distraction. You need a challenge.
We built a platform that removes the safety net. No screens. No multiple choice. No "phoning a friend." Just a raw, analog feedback loop that forces your team to communicate, negotiate, and untangle linguistic knots under pressure.
The Science of "Hard Fun."
We built a game on three principles of organizational psychology. You bring the team; we bring the friction.
Most corporate workflows rely on System 1 thinking—fast, automatic, and intuitive. It’s efficient, but it kills innovation. We design for the opposite: Cognitive Friction.
By removing visual cues and using complex linguistic scenarios, we force your team to abandon System 1 and engage System 2 thinking, the slow, analytical mode required for deep problem solving. We intentionally introduce this cognative friction to snap the collective brain out of autopilot.
"Play" is often dismissed in the boardroom, but empirical research shows that unstructured play increases inventive solutions by up to 20%. Standard training is rigid. Our game is a sandbox.
While the rules are strict, the path to the answer is wide open. We create a high-stakes environment where your team must experiment, fail, and pivot in real-time. This isn't just a game; it is an analog of the ambiguity you face in the market.
Innovation requires risk. If your team is afraid to look stupid, they will stay silent. We gamify the risk. Our mechanics demonstrate that a "wrong" answer is often the necessary spark for the right one. A loud, incorrect guess eliminates a variable or triggers a connection in a teammate's brain, allowing them to triangulate the solution.
We teach your team that speaking up, even if you're wrong, is a contribution, not a failure.
Designing for Cognitive Friction
The ROI of "Unstructured Play"
Reverse Engineering Psychological Saftey
Strictly Analog. High-Fidelity.
We stripped away the tech to expose the talent.
Audio-Only Architecture: We don't use projectors. We don't use apps. The Operator provides the auditory input; your team provides the processing power. If you stop listening, you lose.
The "Anti-Google" Protocol: Facts are cheap. Logic is expensive. Our challenges are designed so that a search engine is useless. You can't look up the answer, you have to construct it.
Structured Sabotage: Politeness is the enemy of progress. Our game mechanics encourage strategic interruption, loud debates, and the "Mute Button" protocol, and more.
Protocol A: The Happy Hour
Status: High Velocity / Low Friction Best For: Team Mixers, Holiday Parties, Sprint Celebrations Duration: 60 Minutes Location: In-Person
Mechanics: Hink-Pinks (Rhyming Ciphers), Word Chains, Speed Logic.
Tone: Loud, fast, kinetic.
Requirements: Alcohol/Beverages recommended. Zero screens required.
Cost: $950 Flat Rate | $750 Zoom Rate
The Deployment Tiers
Flat-rate pricing is based on a standard "Squad Size" of up to 8 Teams (approx. 6-50 Players). For larger groups, see the "SCALABILITY" section below.
Protocol B: The Team Calibration
Status: High Fidelity / Strategic Depth Best For: Departmental Offsites, Project Kickoffs, Quarterly Summits Duration: 90 Minutes Location: In-Person
Mechanics: Lateral Thinking Scenarios, The Pitch (Persuasion), The Veto (Risk Mgmt).
The Sabotage Suite: Includes "The Mute Button," "Red Tape," and "The Consultant."
Tone: Ordered Choas, Reflective, Fun.
Output: Deep collaboration and cognitive trust building.
Cost: $1,500 Flat Rate | $1250 Zoom Rate
The "Data Injection" (Custom Content):
We interview you prior to the event to build 3-5 custom riddles based on your company culture, jargon, or specific pain points. (Example: A riddle where the answer is "The Q3 Roadmap" or "The Freight Elevator." or the name of your CEO)
Cost: +$350
The "All Hands" Upgrade (50+ Players):
For groups larger than 8 Teams (or 50+ players), the operational friction increases. To maintain game speed, we deploy a Field Assistant (Runner).
Cost: +$400
Role: The Assistant manages answer deliberation, sabotage distribution, and scorekeeping logistics.
Benefit: Allows The Operator (Mace) to remain focused on audience interaction without latency/delays.
Note: We strictly do not allow "Self-Grading." Subjective validation by The Operator is core to the experience.
Operational Parameters
Logistics (In-Person)
AV Requirements: None. The Operator brings all necessary audio hardware. We are Analog-Only (No screens/projectors).
Space: Any room where people can hear each other. Tables are preferred for Protocol B.
The "Quiet Zone" Rule: For mixed-use events where only some guests are playing, we require a separate acoustic space. We cannot run a verbal logic game next to a DJ or a crowded bar.
Travel & Location
Core Zone (Complimentary): San Francisco, Oakland, & Berkeley.
Extended Range (Flat Fee): Flat rates for the greater Bay Area.
Peninsula / South City: +$50
Silicon Valley / South Bay: +$100
North Bay / Marin: +$100
Booking & Terms
Retainer: 50% non-refundable deposit to secure the date.
Payment: Net 15/30 terms available for corporate invoicing (upon approval). Credit cards accepted with a 3% processing fee.
Insurance: Fully insured ($2M General Liability). Certificate of Insurance (COI) available for building management upon request.
Expertise Over Enthusiasm
Mace isn't a motivational speaker. He will never ask "Are we having fun yet?" and he definitely won't shout "I can't hear you!" to get a reaction.
He is a UC Berkeley engineer who spent his early career in robotic mission planning at NASA. He approaches your event with the precision of a technician, not a performer. He runs the room with a sharp, observant style—part referee, part project manager. He sets the parameters and enforces the logic; your team provides the rest.
F.A.Q.
Q: Is this going to be too hard? I haven't done math since high school.
A: Zero math. No logic grids. No Sudoku. The difficulty comes from ambiguity and language, not calculation. If you can negotiate a contract or explain a bug to a Product Manager, you can play this game.
Q: Why is it called "Riddles Are Not Fun"?
A: Because when you get down to it, riddles kinda blow. They're trying to dupe you. So while riddles are not fun, "Riddles Are Not Fun" is very fun, and relies on the collective distain for duping.
Q: Is this appropriate for HR?
A: Yes. We are "Industrial," not "Dirty." The content is safe for work, but the attitude is designed to break down corporate stiffness.
Book your Event Today!
Phone
415-432-7110
info@bhotobooth.com