Memcorp calls Evivve a MOGL, a multiplayer online game-based learning platform. It’s a mobile-based game for up to ten players, played in a learning environment with a facilitator. If you want to experience it for the first time as a player with no ‘spoilers’, I’ll give you the TL;DR version of this review (‘it’s really good’), and recommend you stop reading and give it a test run.
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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Having published a number of business board games in the past (like The Search for The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine), I am looking for some collaborators to help me develop an interactive framework around communications, innovation, implementation and collaboration, wrapped around my Square Wheels images / metaphors. If you are reading this, you are probably into the themes of game design and business. If you are interested in helping with the development, connect with me. If you would be interested in using something like this, let me know.
The delivery platform will probably be a supervisor-facilitated delivery over Zoom. It will be highly interactive problem-solving to implement round wheels on a wagon working on Square Wheels® to improve the speed and quality of the journey forward. The debriefing will focus on issues of competition versus collaboration and on the difficulties around implementing performance improvement ideas. This game will then link toward other modules around sharing Best Practices, managing roadblocks, increasing innovation and similar developmental activities.
Hey Scott, you’re welcome to join us in the next session. We’re hosting one this Thursday and Friday. Here’s the sign up link: https://share.hsforms.com/1SdR_7NNfQM6BOTfINjXksg47ybq
I’ve been inspired by reading your review, Terry. I’ll be joining a live session of Evivve on Friday!
It was wonderful to have you join us Sarah!
Can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it Mohsin. My brain is still buzzing with all the ideas I’ve had about how I could facilitate learning using this game as a tool (and I admit, it’s sparked some ideas about how to solve a design problem I’ve been struggling with with one of my own games). Really looking forward to the training.
Great summary of the game and as a newly minted facilitator, I appreciate your clear cut description. I will point potential clients to your summary as part of my demo package.