You know what makes a great speaker? Confidence, clarity, strategy, and connection. You know what else builds those things? Game night.

At ModernBrain, we spend plenty of time coaching Extemp structure, cross-examination tactics, and blocking in DI. But between rounds and rehearsals, there’s a surprising tool you can use to build those same skills: modern board games.

We’re not talking about Monopoly or Sorry. These five games are fun, fast-paced, and secretly full of speech-training gold.

1. Codenames – Impromptu’s best friend

In Codenames, players give one-word clues to help teammates guess the right words on a grid—without accidentally pointing them toward the wrong ones. Sounds like a vocabulary game? Sure. But it’s also a lesson in clarity under pressure.

When you only have one word and a number to communicate an idea, every syllable counts. You learn how to connect concepts, avoid confusion, and think on your feet—just like in Impromptu or SPAR. It's quick, creative, and rewards players who understand their audience.

2. Wavelength – For nailing relatability and pathos

This game is basically emotional calibration. You’re given a spectrum (“Hot ↔ Cold” or “Innocent ↔ Evil”) and have to give a clue that helps your team guess where the hidden target is on that line.

To succeed, you have to understand how other people think—not just what you believe. It’s a soft skill that’s central to events like Original Oratory and Informative Speaking. If your examples are too niche or your metaphors fall flat, you lose your judge. Wavelength trains you to find that sweet spot between personal insight and universal understanding.

3. Dungeons & Dragons – The ultimate training ground for character, storytelling, and spontaneity

At first glance, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is just a fantasy roleplaying game. But dig deeper and you’ll find it’s a masterclass in dramatic interpretation, improvisation, and persuasive speaking.

Every D&D player builds a character, adopts a voice, reacts in real time to unpredictable situations, and makes strategic decisions—all while collaborating and occasionally debating other players. That’s Dramatic Interpretation. That’s SPAR. That’s Mock Trial, with a sword and a cloak.

Dungeon Masters (DMs) practice storytelling structure, pacing, and emotional tone—just like an Original Oratory speaker crafting a personal narrative arc. Players learn to adapt instantly when the plot shifts. And if you’ve ever needed to cross-examine a surprise witness in Mock Trial or recover mid-Extemp when a point doesn’t land? That’s D&D training in action​.

4. Just One – Expository polish in disguise

Here’s how it works: one player doesn’t know a mystery word. Everyone else writes a one-word clue—but if any clues match, they’re eliminated. So you need to be original and helpful.

It’s a perfect metaphor for Expository Speaking. The best Expos don’t rely on common knowledge—they dig deeper, present fresh angles, and avoid cliché. Just One rewards players who take risks, find creative connections, and know how to frame something in a surprising way without losing clarity.

5. So Clover! – Audience-centered thinking, gamified

In So Clover!, you get random pairs of words and have to write clues that link them—then your team has to reverse-engineer what you meant. It’s a puzzle, but also a communication challenge.

This game builds the exact kind of audience-focused framing that makes speeches click. It’s not about what you think is clever—it’s about whether your listener will get it. That mindset shift is key across every event, from POI to Informative to even Mock Trial cross-exams​.

Whether you're a middle schooler prepping for your first HI or a high schooler chasing a bid in Extemp, these games sharpen the skills that matter: communication, adaptability, and audience awareness. They’re not a replacement for speech drills—but they’re a sneaky, joyful supplement.

And honestly? Sometimes learning works better when it doesn’t feel like learning.