About

We believe disagreement isn’t the problem — it’s part of the solution. When handled thoughtfully, disagreement sharpens ideas, improves policies, and brings people closer to the truth. But too often, hard conversations spiral into outrage, misinformation, and distrust. That’s not because people don’t care. It’s because we haven’t been taught how to disagree well. Point Taken helps fix that.

Point Taken is a game that turns debate into a structured, written dialogue. Players engage with care, stick to facts, and build their arguments with logic, not volume. Drawing from research in cognitive science, argument mapping, and conflict resolution, Point Taken trains people to slow down, think clearly, and listen generously. We’re here to make disagreement productive, respectful, and actually worth having.

Our Story

The divisions in our communities feel like the breakup of a family. Whether it's a relative, an old friend, a colleague, or a neighbor, most of us have someone we've simply given up on talking to. The topics are too hot, the anger is too high, and the potential for a toxic fight is too great.

This national heartache — this feeling that America is too fractured to heal — is what keeps us up at night. We believe there is a way out: a deceptively simple trick that allows us to reclaim those relationships and make meaningful progress, together.

The Problem? We Play to Win

The Problem? We Play to Win

As a cognitive scientist studying how people with different perspectives can work together, my team and I found that arguments become toxic fights because we treat them like a sport with two opponents: one winner, one loser, one right, one wrong.

"Sports Mode" triggers a battle mindset. Our armor goes up, and we commit to defending our position. When neither side wants to lose, nobody backs down, and the result is the same: we both leave angrier and farther apart. This competitive dynamic tramples open minds and genuine connections.

The Solution: switch to collaboration mode

The Solution: switch to collaboration mode

If treating the conversation like a competition is the problem, there is one simple trick that lets us all win: get into Collaboration Mode.

The research is clear: to make progress, we must stop trying to defeat the other person and instead embark on a joint quest to figure out why two sane, good people could see the world so differently. Is the disagreement about a fact, or differing priorities or values?

Frequently Asked Questions

The Big Picture

Why are disagreements so polarized these days?

What is "Point Taken" and how does it help fix disagreements?

What do the creators hope "Point Taken" will achieve?

Thinking Better, Together

How does Point Taken encourage mutual respect?

How does Point Taken encourage honest thinking?

How do we know "Point Taken" works?

Boundaries & Limitations

Who is "Point Taken" for, and what kinds of topics work best?

Does Point Taken implicitly legitimize hate speech or harmful ideologies? Not all Points should be Taken!

The Big Picture

Why are disagreements so polarized these days?

What is "Point Taken" and how does it help fix disagreements?

What do the creators hope "Point Taken" will achieve?

Thinking Better, Together

How does Point Taken encourage mutual respect?

How does Point Taken encourage honest thinking?

How do we know "Point Taken" works?

Boundaries & Limitations

Who is "Point Taken" for, and what kinds of topics work best?

Does Point Taken implicitly legitimize hate speech or harmful ideologies? Not all Points should be Taken!

The Big Picture

Why are disagreements so polarized these days?

What is "Point Taken" and how does it help fix disagreements?

What do the creators hope "Point Taken" will achieve?

Thinking Better, Together

How does Point Taken encourage mutual respect?

How does Point Taken encourage honest thinking?

How do we know "Point Taken" works?

Boundaries & Limitations

Who is "Point Taken" for, and what kinds of topics work best?

Does Point Taken implicitly legitimize hate speech or harmful ideologies? Not all Points should be Taken!