Nibble
How it works
Nibble is a 2 player game. Here's how to play:
- You play with 6 playing cards (Ace-6) arranged in a row
- The 2 players take turns taking cards
- On your turn, you can only take a card from one of the ends of the row (not the middle)
- When all the cards have been taken, the player whose cards add up to the higher number wins (Ace counts as 1)
Could you guarantee you win the game every time if you get to go 1st, regardless of the order of the cards? What if there are 7 cards (Ace-7)? 8 cards?
In this activity, students work together to figure out how to beat a facilitator with 6 cards if they get to go 1st, but the facilitator gets to arrange the cards. If students are able to beat the facilitator, they then try to beat the facilitator with 7 cards, but now the facilitator goes 1st and the students get to arrange the cards. Students also explore playing the game with more than 7 cards. For 8+ cards, they try to determine whether it's better to be the player who goes 1st or the player who gets to arrange the cards.
Why we like this activity
It’s fun! Students enjoy playing the game and trying to beat the facilitator.
It helps students to develop numerical reasoning.
It helps students to develop game-theoretic reasoning.
It requires students to engage in mathematical habits of mind:
- Using logic and finding and using strategies to beat the facilitator
It has a low floor and a high ceiling: Students can start playing the game by trial and error, but figuring out how to guarantee you win against a facilitator is more challenging!
