exercise · all tools

The Yes/No Game

Depth · what it can open●●○○2 — reflective
Holding · facilitation1 — host
Trust · group readinessany
Disclosure · what is sharednone

One partner may only say yes, the other only no, back and forth for a minute — then swap. Can you hold a no while the other presses? Can you say yes to someone saying no to you? The manual plays it at the start of events to teach its 'Respect/Honor Yourself' agreement, and calls it a fast route into boundaries, resilience and consent.

Hold with care
  • The Desire Calibration variation has one partner asking for things they actually want; that is a different exercise from the word game and belongs with the Giving Game's consent framing

Practical

Time
5-10 min
Group
2 · pairs
Settings
in-person, online
Mechanisms
behavioral-rehearsal, dialogic-encounter, somatic-awareness
Change scope
state → skill · repeatable

Instructions

Where
authrev.org/ar-games-manual Authentic Relating Games Manual, paid
Availability
In the source document — the instructions live inside the material linked, on its terms
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0 (Authentic Relating Games Manual)

Source link checked 31 Aug 2026 — unchanged since we recorded it on 29 Aug 2026

This directory describes and points home; the instructions stay with the people who made them.

Origin

Not attributed in the manual — Authentic Relating (Authentic Relating Games Manual, 2025 edition)

In this directory via Authentic Relating Games Manual

Variations in the manual: Yes/No/Maybe, and Desire Calibration.

status: checked · added 2026-08-31