You arrive to a room of friendly people.
You leave your coat, get a nice cup of something if you’d like, and craft a name tag so others can find you. 

Then, you're paired with someone through the app. You find them, and the app delivers a question tailored to the two of you. You have 10 minutes together to share your answers, before moving on to another person or trio.
If there’s a spark and you both want to continue the conversation, you can extend your time in the app.

The Connection Games are not boardgames, nor sports games, but they are games in a way.

A game has a set of principles, a structure, players and a goal.

In the Connection Games, we provide the structure- via the app- to help reach your goal- of deeply connecting to people, whether they are strangers or old friends. You, the players, provide the encounters, the experience and the story.

We believe connection is a serious thing, that's why Makuma exists- but that does not mean it cannot be playful or fun!

No. 
While there may be single people attending, and who knows what connections can form, the Connection Games are not a dating event. 
You're just talking with people  in a way that actually opens the doors of curiosity towards each other.

Think of it as structured conversation, designed to skip the small talk and create a layer of warmth, human presence and openness, taking you on a journey from strangers to people who shared something real.

Also please note that regardless of the relationship preferences you select when you book, you'll also be matched with a variety of different people of different genders, with different preferences. So if you're not curious to meet them all, Connection Games isn't the place for you!

The Connection Games don't have a facilitator, in the usual sense of the word.

Instead of one person going around, delivering questions and instructions and pairing people up, our app will deliver your matches and questions. This allows a lot of flexibility and ensures a personalized experience that you can take at your own time and pace.

There will be a Game Host present every time- an enthusiastic participant who has volunteered to greet you and help you with any difficulties you encounter. Feel free to reach out to them if you need any support!

No. Just show up, with a charged phone. 
You'll use this web site to during the game to see your matches and questions. You'll get an email with details on how to log in after you've booked on the game.

No. The Connection Games are designed to be as flexible as possible. It's fine if you come late- start playing as soon as you arrive. 
Same goes for leaving the game, you can leave whenever you feel like it - just don’t forget to press “pause” in the app before you leave, so somebody isn't matched with you after you're gone!

No.
The app interface and the questions are delivered in easy, friendly English to make it easy for our international friends who attend.

The games are played in pairs or trios, so it's likely your partner(s) will share another language in common with you. Switch to whichever language is most comfortable for you.

If you are genuinely concerned about your safety or your boundaries are not respected, please tell the game host, and also provide information on what happened via the app.

Of course you're always able to leave, but if you can mention the issue to us it gives us the opportunity to try to resolve it so everyone can have a better experience.

If you feel uncomfortable but feel it's a situation you can manage, feel free to disengage from anybody you're not comfortable with, even if they're your match, and find somebody else you can trust. You can always make a trio with any pair.

Unlike a typical workshop, there is no clearly designed ending for the Connection Games.

After an hour or two, everyone usually feels comfortable and enjoys each other’s company. Organically, the evening sometimes turns into an open group conversation or activity- or sometimes, people just go home with fascinating new strangers met and interesting conversations still rippling inside.

You will decide for yourselves if you want to exchange contact details or stay in touch with anybody- it is not mandatory!

The endings are spontaneous and entirely optional. Just please leave when the venue wants to close; the staff need to sleep eventually even if you're still having fun!

We make an effort have a space as safe as possible, while understanding it's a social event that's open to everyone.

Our core values are what we call the “5 C’s”- Curiosity, Compassion, Courage, Consent and being Centered- you can read more about them here. This way of relating, like all practices, may take time (or a lifetime) to master so don’t be too hard on yourself if it feels a little bit difficult at first! If you feel your partner forgot one of the principles, mention it to them, so they can become more aware of it.

Yes!

If you both want to extend, the app lets you do that, with full mutual consent. Just press the “+10” button at the bottom of the screen as soon as you feel like you'd like to spend more time together.

The feedback you provide is precious, as it helps personalize your unique experience in the Connection Games. You can choose wether you want to go deeper, stay on the same level or go lighter with the prompts, as you feel is best for you in the moment.

Besides offering a personalized experience, offering feedback on the question also helps us see which of them 'lands' particularly well for most people- allowing us to craft more in a similar way and improve the experience for everyone. Thanks!

The app offers the possibility to take a break without leaving the game.
Just press “Pause” and you won't receive any new matches until you rejoin.
Bio break, cigarette break or simply getting a little bit tired- it’s ok. Tend to your own needs, and return to the game in your own time!

This format was built with special care for that. The structure removes the hardest part: approaching people, figuring out what to say and to whom, the initial hesitation.

The whole game is played in pairs or, sometimes, trios. Group activities might happen spontaneously at the end, but they’re entirely optional.

They'll end, and that's part of the point: even if it's a bit awkward, you know it's just 10 minutes. We can’t promise that everything will feel easy all the time, but the app is designed to offer an experience that feels as natural, gentle, flexible and human as possible.

Most people find the awkwardness dissolves fast once the questions get going. And even if it doesn't, the next partner is a fresh start.

You can always say “pass” and ask for another one. Consent is one of the five values the whole experience is built around.
You're never forced to share anything you're not comfortable with. Everything is optional.

Not in our experience.

In the Connection Games, we put our phones to good use, as a tool rather than a distraction.
Instead of an endless scrolling machine, they become vessels for deeper connection.

They will deliver your matches and questions, but then you can shift your focus to the person in front of you. The sound notifications will also let you know when something (like getting ready for a new match) changes.
We promise, you really don’t need to stare at the screen all the time! 

There may be photographers from the team at games. If you don’t want your photo taken or don’t want to appear online, simply approach whoever is taking photos and ask them to not include you- we will honor that boundary. 
We, however, are not responsible for any venue photographers or communications.

All data you provide (like email, name and feedback within the app) is used solely internally, for communicating with you and improving the app and experience. The feedback you provide allows us to create a personalised experience, just for you.

No. The format stays the same, but you'll meet new people each time and you'll see new questions and activities. We find that's a nice combination because after playing a few times you get used to how to play the game, so you are able to really focus on the new people you discover and the different interactions you have with them.