The game set-up is well-balanced to test a range of real-life collaboration, communication, strategy and decision-making skills. A game-board offers a range of land types, which need to be purchased and harvested, each producing resources. The resources can be traded via ‘offers’ that flash up, where a certain number of credits are offered for resources of a given type. Credits can then be used to buy and harvest more land, and ultimately to get hold of ‘movilennium’, the game’s key resource, which is needed to win.

It’s all relatively familiar to anyone who has played many boardgames like Settlers of Catan or PC games like Civilisation. But the fact that this is a team effort between all the players is what complicates and elevates this set-up, and makes sure it really tests the skills it’s supposed to. There is plenty of capacity for sub-optimal play if players don’t work together, communicate well, strategise, and make best use of every player.

For instance, our group considered each player focusing on one resource, but discarded it on the basis that there were seven players and only five resources. If we’d gone ahead with this and used the other two players as co-ordinators or given them other tasks like pooling all the credits and buying the movilennium, we’d have done better, simulating the need for clear team roles including administrators and leaders in the workplace. There are plenty of other pitfalls that you’ll navigate well only if you’re working as a team.

Our debrief was facilitated by Memcorp’s founder, Mohsin Memon, who skilfully brought out our successes and failures through questions, and related the game-space back to the workplace smoothly. We got a follow-up report, too. Memcorp also offers the option of a train-the-trainer to allow you to facilitate your own sessions of the game with employees and clients.

This is a well-designed experience that I could easily see working well in groups at any level. We only did one playthrough, taking about two hours, but groups can do multiple ones, building on feedback, or focusing on different skills each time. Memcorp operates a per-user pricing model, so this is a product that could easily be costed and presented as an option as part of a learning programme or as a standalone experience.

You can find out more at the website for evivve: https://evivve.com/ or see it in action in one of our Make & Break Live Events

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