Review2107
Review of Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design
If this book by Engelstein and Shalev had existed back then, I would definitely have used it to explore game mechanics to inform my game design. […]
Game Mechanisms
learning topics
Pizza KATA or “Change is a Mindset and not an Action”
Sometimes it is not easy to make experiments, because we need realistic, failsafe and quick situations. Here is where games could support people […]
Ideas
What is Player Agency in Games?
Player agency is about giving our players the time, space, and resources to make decisions in games. But is that is the only thing that agency gives to players? […]
how to
Will gamification improve pro-social behaviours, motivation, academic and vocational orientation?
The perspective of a French Economics, Social Sciences and Management teacher Expressing a vision of the future is taking a risk. Nevertheless, it’s useful to imagine what where the underlying and powerful trends of today […]
how to
Observing how games teach players to think and plan ahead
I have always subscribed to the idea that almost every game has something to teach you as you play it. Whether it is sharing a philosophical world view with games like ‘Spec Ops: The Line’(YAGER […]
learning topics
Learning about systems using games.
One of the main aspects of games that tends to be overlooked by most people when you approach them with the idea of utilising games as a teaching or training tool is the freedom to […]
Ideas
Beyond Engagement: Competition and Exploration in Serious Games Using Digital Narrative
The following is a chapter from an upcoming book by David Chandross, whom many of you will know from his fascinating posts on LinkedIn, and others from his academic publications. David is a big-hitter in […]
Ideas
Beer and Trippples – Games as Cybernetic Systems
Nowadays, when most people hear the term ‘Cybernetics’ they will tend to associate it with computer technology, possibly in a sci-fi or futuristic context. However, the term existed well before the age of digital computing. […]
Ideas
What’s your System?
Pretty much everything, everyone, and everybody that we work with is part of system: large or small. But how do those systems work and how do they affect you? […]
Ideas
Engagement and Learning as Emergent Properties of Systems Modelling: What we can Learn from Crusader Kings III
Your mileage may vary, but I remember history at school as long, boring lists of kings and queens. I had no interest in it. My sole motivation in showing up to any of the lessons […]
how to
Increasing Engagement by 2000% Using Games
I run a certification program in which I help trainers and facilitators learn how to use a multiplayer game to facilitate their own virtual learning experiences. Because of the multiplayer and virtual nature of my […]
Ideas
Unlearn what play should be
Until I was 17 years old, I was a hardened gamer. Platformers, strategy, beat’em up, FPS… I loved them all. But one day, without really knowing why, I got bored of video games and ended […]
Ideas
2048 – Making Failure Motivating
This article is part of a series I wrote some time ago when I was in the process of designing a business sustainability boardgame and was documenting the design process. A couple of days ago […]
design process
Including only what is needed – Lessons from Castle Dice
This article is part of a series I wrote some time ago when I was in the process of designing a business sustainability boardgame and was documenting the design process. At the moment, my absolute […]
how to
Communicating through games
The more work I do with teams and groups, the more it becomes apparent that communication is the absolute foundation to everything that goes around it. You can’t build trust without talking. You can’t explore […]