What Number is That?

# of Players: 3+
Equipment Needed: A set of keys on a keychain
Time per Game: Varies
Age Group: 12+

I learned this game during a high school summer at the PA Governor's School for the Sciences and then used it as an icebreaker while meeting friends early freshman year in college, both of which show you where I stood on the social competence spectrum at that time. I think this is more of a parlor trick than a real game, but it's a fun way to kill time with a mid-sized group, particularly as some people start figuring out the trick while others are still struggling with it.

Everybody sits in a circle, and the emcee (probably you, since you're the one reading this) takes the set of keys. Put the keys so they're in front of you, towards the middle of the circle so everybody else can see them (maybe a foot or two in front of you). Fidget with the keys a bit so it appears that you're arranging them in some symbolic pattern. Then, pull yourself back to an upright seated position and ask "So what number is that?" Before asking the question, with one of your hands, nonchalantly stick out a number of fingers (from 1 to 5) on your lap (and not too close to the keys) so everybody in the circle can see them. People will guess a number, but the first few times through it, anybody who guesses correctly will most likely be doing so at random -- everybody will be diligently trying to figure out what number is represented from the mystery pattern in the keys rather than noticing the number of fingers you're showing in plain sight. After a few guesses, announce the correct number, maybe even congratulating anybody who guessed correctly. Then, fiddle with the keys a little, sit back, stick out a few fingers, and ask "So what number is that?" again.

Keep going until people figure out the trick, potentially putting your fingers closer to the keys as the game progresses. People who figure out the trick early will take great joy in the frustration still faced by the others. Oh, and be prepared to be pummeled at the end of the game for wasting everybody's time.