15 Game Ideas for the Nordic Grocery Store Expo

In Sweden, where balance and harmony—lagom—are deeply valued, exhibitions are not just about information; they’re about experience. Adding interactive games to your booth is a modern way to increase footfall, spark curiosity, and leave a lasting impression.

In this article, we’ll introduce 15 exhibition game ideas across four engaging categories for Nordic Grocery Store Expo. Whether your goal is brand awareness or meaningful interaction, these ideas are designed to resonate with Swedish audiences who appreciate thoughtful, playful encounters. Our team is here to support your implementation.

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1. Physical Games

When people visit an exhibition, they often appreciate light physical activity—something fun, energizing, and not too complicated. In a society that values simplicity and movement, physical games can be a perfect way to break the ice and attract attention. These games don’t require deep thinking, but they do get people involved—ideal for creating a vibrant booth. For example, take a look at this activation we ran:

1. Cart Sprint Challenge

• Concept: Two players at a time race with grocery carts through a short obstacle course. They navigate around cardboard produce crates, slip through “aisle” barricades, and sprint to the finish.
• Why It Works: It’s highly visual, draws a cheering crowd, and highlights the iconic shopping cart—a core product of many grocery stores.
• Any-Budget Tip: You can scale the complexity of the track. A minimal budget version could use simple cones or tape; a larger budget might include branded archways and custom obstacles.

2. Shelf Stacking Race

• Concept: Players race to stack mock grocery items (lightweight boxes or foam props) onto a shelf in the correct formation within two minutes. Whoever stacks the most items correctly wins.
• Why It Works: It showcases the importance of shelf organization while blending problem-solving with physical speed and accuracy.
• Any-Budget Tip: Use well-designed, sturdy props that display your brand’s products (packaging, signage) for more visual impact.

3. Produce Basket Toss

• Concept: Inspired by classic carnival basketball toss, but with a grocery spin. Players toss soft plush “produce” (like foam apples, oranges, or tomatoes) into a life-size shopping basket mounted at varying heights.
• Why It Works: It’s simple, fun, and visually tied to fresh produce—an integral part of grocery retail.
• Any-Budget Tip: For a higher budget, use custom-branded baskets and plush produce with your company’s logo. On a lower budget, standard baskets and generic foam produce still create plenty of excitement.

4. Cold Chain Relay

• Concept: Teams of two or three transport mock “frozen goods” from one freezer to another in a relay race. Players must wear gloves (simulating cold-handling gear) to pick up items and pass them along a short route.
• Why It Works: Emphasizes the importance of the cold chain in grocery logistics, while providing a spirited race.
• Any-Budget Tip: You can produce realistic-looking, branded dummy products or simply label generic boxes “Frozen Goods” for an affordable approach.

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2. Knowledge-Based Digital Games

These games work well when placed on a digital stand in your booth and can also be extended to your website, social media, or internal communications. In Sweden, digital interaction is expected to be seamless, accessible, and informative. Knowledge-based games are great for educating visitors in a fun way—and they’re easy to adapt for two-player competition. Here’s a sample from one of our past projects:

5. Freshness Guardian: Protect the Aisle

• Story/Theme: The player steps into the role of a quality-control manager at a busy grocery store. There’s a virtual conveyor belt leading items toward the store’s “Quality Checkpoint.”
• End Line: A stylized final checkpoint that represents a scanning station or produce inspection area. Any item that passes here is considered “accepted” by the store.
• Act of Shooting: Instead of firing bullets, the player wields a “Quality Scanner” beam. Click (or tap) to zap away expired or damaged items, while letting fresh, correctly labeled products through.
• Placeholder for Items: Each falling icon is a piece of produce or a packaged good with a quick visual label. Faulty items might show mold spots or incorrect labeling, while correct items look crisp and properly labeled.
• Meaningful Tie-In: Grocers must constantly maintain product quality. This game metaphorically represents that duty: scanning out what shouldn’t reach store shelves while letting the good products remain, all in under two minutes.

Players lose if they accidentally zap a fresh item (representing wasted good product) or fail to zap a spoiled one (representing a lapse in quality control). The quick reflex element and visual theming reinforce the importance of maintaining high standards in grocery retail.

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3. Skill-Based Digital Games

If your goal is to boost engagement while maintaining a challenge, this format is ideal. Visitors try to beat a high score, track their own progress, and climb the leaderboard. This game style aligns well with the Swedish love of fair competition and personal improvement. A transparent leaderboard motivates people to participate again and again. Check out this example in Plastteknink Nordic fair:

6. Fruit Ninja

• Statistics: Over 1 billion downloads worldwide since its release by Halfbrick Studios.
• Gameplay: Players swipe on the screen to “slice” falling fruit while avoiding bombs. It demands quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
• Why It Matches the Grocery Theme: It’s all about produce! With fruit as the central element, you can see the connection to fresh goods and produce sections in stores, making Fruit Ninja easily relatable at a grocery expo.

7. Cooking Fever

• Statistics: Over 100 million downloads, one of the top time-management games.
• Gameplay: Players manage a fast-paced kitchen, serving dishes quickly and accurately. The challenge lies in rapidly combining the right ingredients under time pressure.
• Why It Matches the Grocery Theme: Food preparation and customer satisfaction are key in both cooking games and actual grocery retail—timely restocking of shelves, fresh products, and quick customer service.

8. Diner Dash

• Statistics: Over 50 million downloads across various versions. A pioneer in the time-management genre.
• Gameplay: Players seat customers, take orders, deliver food, and clean tables under increasing time constraints.
• Why It Matches the Grocery Theme: Emphasizes efficient customer flow and quick service, both of which are crucial in a grocery environment, especially at checkout lines or deli counters.

9. Frozen Aisle Slide

• Concept: A top-down digital mini-game where the player guides a virtual stock clerk across a slippery frozen aisle. They must collect as many scattered frozen items as possible before time runs out, avoiding obstacles like spilled ice or other shoppers.
• Why It Works: Quick reflexes and dexterity mimic the real-life challenges of managing a busy frozen section, all wrapped into a fun, cartoonish style.

10. Dynamic Checkout Dash

• Concept: In 120 seconds, the player acts as a cashier scanning items at lightning speed. They must quickly identify high-value items to scan for bonus points while ignoring or discarding items that don’t belong in the store.
• Why It Works: Focuses on scanning proficiency and the speed of modern checkout systems. Ties directly into the high-speed environment store managers strive for to keep lines moving.

11. Produce Sorting Frenzy

• Concept: Various fruits and vegetables drop into baskets, and the player must rapidly drag them into the correct color-coded or labeled crate. Mis-sorting or missing an item triggers a penalty.
• Why It Works: Sorting produce by type or quality is a big part of grocery store operations. The game is straightforward, but requires quick thinking and nimble control.

12. Discount Label Blitz

• Concept: Special discount labels appear onscreen, and the player must tap and attach them to rotating products before they vanish. Each product has a short “window” to be labeled.
• Why It Works: Reflects real in-store promotions, requires fast reactions, and is visually tied to shelving and signage.

13. Path to the Perfect Display

• Concept: A grid-based puzzle game where the player drags brand logos or product icons to arrange a compelling shelf display in under two minutes. Think of it like a Tetris-style game but with grocery items.
• Why It Works: Visually engaging with direct ties to visual merchandising. It challenges players’ organizational skills and speed in a playful, puzzle-like format.

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4. Chance-Based Digital Games

This format works best when your brand is already well-known, and you want to create excitement. If your product or service is unfamiliar, we don’t recommend starting with this type. Swedes often value fairness and transparency, so be sure your chance-based games feel lighthearted and fun—never gimmicky. Here’s how we’ve used it in the past:

14. Wheel of Freshness

• How to Customize: Imagine a giant digital wheel on screen, designed as a circular produce section from above—segments might look like fruit, vegetables, dairy, or baked goods.
• Play: Visitors tap the screen (or pull a virtual lever) to spin the wheel. Wherever it lands, they receive a prize or discount coupon.
• Why It Works: Eye-catching and instantly recognizable as a game of chance, but with a fun grocery twist that makes the booth memorable.

15. Jackpot for the Aisles

• How to Customize: Replace traditional slot machine symbols (like cherries, sevens, or bars) with iconic grocery-related images (milk cartons, bread loaves, shopping carts).
• Play: Players have one spin to line up three matching grocery icons for a prize.
• Why It Works: Classic jackpot machines are exciting and quick, drawing in curious onlookers. The grocery visuals tie it right to the expo theme.

16. Plinko for Provisions

• How to Customize: A digital Plinko board shaped like a store aisle. The tokens could look like product packages sliding down between pegs shaped like mini shelves or price tags.
• Play: Players drop a “product token” from the top, watch it bounce to land in a prize slot at the bottom.
• Why It Works: Plinko is a recognized crowd-pleaser, and the distribution of real or virtual prizes can be easily managed through the digital interface.

17. Lucky Barcode Scan

• Concept: Players receive a digital “barcode ticket.” They scan it on a scanner kiosk to see if it’s a winning code.
• How to Customize: The scanning animation can show a beep sound and quick camera lens overlay, reminiscent of a real grocery checkout.
• Why It Works: Ties directly to grocery store operations (barcode scanning). Extremely fast, so lines move quickly, and it highlights the store’s tech-savvy vibe.

18. Mystery Cart Raffle

• Concept: Participants pick a digital shopping cart number from a short list on the screen. Each round, one cart is randomly selected as the winner.
• How to Customize: The digital screen can show different fully stocked carts filled with brand products. As soon as the winning cart is chosen, it’s displayed in celebratory fashion.
• Why It Works: Simple, visually reminiscent of everyday shopping, and easy to adapt for real prizes or vouchers.

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Conclusion

Exhibition games are more than just fun—they’re strategic tools to engage visitors, communicate your message, and differentiate your booth. In a culture that values subtlety and meaningful interaction, gamification offers a respectful and impactful way to connect.
We invite you to explore your options by filling out our Exhibition Game Design Form for Nordic Grocery Store Expo. You’ll receive a free one-hour consultation and get to see some of our latest creations. Let’s design something unforgettable together.