tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/game-47418/articlesGame – The Conversation2023-04-25T14:06:58Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2042232023-04-25T14:06:58Z2023-04-25T14:06:58ZDobble: what is the psychology behind the game?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522365/original/file-20230421-16-7hgsp2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5982%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dobble is a card game with rules that makes it sound easier than it actually is.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dobble-card-game-kids-billereaquitainefrance-08232021-2029552409">Ana Belen Garcia Sanchez/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Following birthday and Christmas presents, families often have a glut of new games to learn and play. Many of these games involve computers or games consoles, but with concerns about children’s <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/family/how-much-screen-time-kids/">screen time</a> there has been a recent <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/24/board-game-popularity/">increase</a> in the popularity of traditional board and card games.</p>
<p>One non-electronic card game that has made its way into our homes is Dobble. It’s a game of observation, articulation and speed that was first released in France in 2009. </p>
<p>While the <a href="https://www.petercollingridge.co.uk/blog/mathematics-toys-and-games/dobble/">mathematics</a> behind the workings of this game is interesting, as cognitive psychologists we were also fascinated by the underlying cognitive processes that make this simple game so absorbing and challenging to play.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTDKqW_GLkw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How does Dobble work mathematically?</span></figcaption>
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<p>The aim of the game is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards by discarding them one at a time into a central pile. Players do that as soon as they can identify, and announce, the single common symbol between the card in their hand and that on top of the pile. </p>
<p>Players must be quick as the top card will change every time your opponent(s) are able to match and discard one of their cards before you. There are 55 cards, each containing eight symbols out of a possible 57. And in any pair of cards, only one symbol matches. </p>
<p>The first task in the game is to visually search the symbols on both the card in your hand and that on the top of the central pile to find the single match. Colour, size and location are typical <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-04250-015">cues</a> we use when searching. But this task is more difficult than it seems due to the number and variety of symbols. Their shared features sometimes give rise to false alarms when scanning quickly. For example, the lips, heart, maple leaf and fire symbols are all red in colour. </p>
<p>The fact the target items will likely be of a different size and orientation on each card also means that we <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=HktnDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA26&dq=perception+object+match+different+orientation&ots=wBLoJvKx-H&sig=IqWZ-6H9R4HpaOscqGXlbkjA3W4#v=onepage&q&f=false">perceive</a> the same symbol slightly differently. So a match is more difficult to identify. </p>
<p>Unlike, for example, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/where-s-the-brains-behind-wally-6261459.html">Where’s Wally?</a>, where the object of the search is clearly defined, with Dobble we do not know on any round which item we are searching for. Indeed, this will be different for each player. </p>
<p>The task requires dividing attention by searching two visual scenes in parallel. And also holding in memory the symbols that you have viewed on one card for comparison with those on the other. </p>
<p>We may <a href="http://matt.colorado.edu/teaching/highcog/fall8/m3.pdf">switch</a> between different strategies such as scanning the symbols on both cards in the hope that the match will just “pop out”. Or we may adopt a more structured approach where we peruse each symbol in turn. </p>
<p>When demands on attention are high, we are more likely to suffer <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Z2Sz7YgWIpQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA55&dq=inattentional+blindness+divided+attention&ots=2rrM836Idb&sig=IPiM1lTPKa-JlXAJ9QUHbZHmPvw#v=onepage&q=inattentional%20blindness%20divided%20attention&f=false">inattentional blindness</a>. That’s the phenomenon of “looking but not seeing”, whereby the item we are fixating on does not receive enough attention for us to actually notice it.</p>
<h2>Say the name</h2>
<p>Once you have found the matching symbol you must quickly announce what it is before placing your card down on the pile. This again sounds simple, but, just like producing the correct word in everyday speech, it requires the <a href="https://mybrainware.com/blog/brainware-safari-cognitive-skills-development-and-learning-to-read/">processes</a> of linking the desired concept – the symbol on the cards – with the name that represents it. </p>
<p>Also, you have to ensure that you select the appropriate word, for example saying “tortoise” rather than “turtle”. Plus you must select the correct sounds to utter that word, before finally saying it out loud. In the urgency of the game, you may find these processes don’t happen as quickly as you want them to.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pair of hands holds a collection of round cards. There is another pile of round cards on the table beneath the hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C4016&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522130/original/file-20230420-18-n8asch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dobble - it’s not as easy as saying what you see.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/verona-italy-february-2nd-2021-detail-1921867253">Claire Adams/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once you have correctly articulated the matching symbol and played your card, the whole process starts again. Given the low chance of that previous symbol being the next correct match, you must inhibit (stop yourself thinking about) this recent item – its name, its location, even its colour – so that you can be open to a new search. However, you must not inhibit it completely as there is still a chance it could appear next. </p>
<p>Inhibition is also required if your opponent calls out a symbol on their card first. Even if you were about to articulate a match, you must now inhibit this vocalisation and instead restart the search for a new pairing since the reference card in the centre has now changed. This ability to switch between searches and inhibit unwanted information is one of a number of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13803395.2010.533157">“executive”</a> organisational cognitive processes that help us in the planning and coordination of activities.</p>
<h2>Under stress</h2>
<p>And of course, all of this occurs under time pressure. Stress can increase when it seems your opponent is discarding their cards quicker. We know that increased stress levels impair our <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tony-Buchanan/publication/320312261_Tip_of_the_Tongue_States_Increase_Under_Evaluative_Observation/links/59e0d8b1aca2724cbfd5e271/Tip-of-the-Tongue-States-Increase-Under-Evaluative-Observation.pdf">word-finding ability</a>, attention to information, inhibition of responses and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28690203/">ability to adapt</a> to changing circumstances. All of those are vital to performing well in Dobble. </p>
<p>The bad news for parents is that many of the processes we have described <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1038/s41598-020-80866-1.pdf">decline</a> as we get older, meaning that children may have the competitive edge at Dobble.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Dobble is a card game that originated in France in 2009. It involves observation, articulation and speed.Nick Perham, Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityHelen Hodgetts, Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1513682020-12-13T13:04:45Z2020-12-13T13:04:45Z5 strategies to reduce addiction-like behaviours over the holidays<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374018/original/file-20201209-19-166vg32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=691%2C1122%2C5299%2C2865&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">This holiday season, be kind to yourself and others as you deal with excessive behaviours, like binge-watching or gaming.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the pressures of the holiday season, rising COVID-19 rates and the resulting social isolation from friends and family, people can easily fall into addictive or excessive behaviours. These are behaviours that are sometimes done to excess, taking on an <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3109%2F00952990.2010.491884">addiction-like</a> quality. </p>
<p>In your life, this might look like eating too many <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-brain-on-sugar-what-the-science-actually-says-126581">cookies or too much ice cream</a>, a lot of online shopping (Amazon packages keep showing up!), too much screen time (binge-watching Netflix) or playing Minecraft or League of Legends all night long. </p>
<p>If you are wondering how to keep these habits in check, here are five strategies to help reduce excessive behaviours.</p>
<h2>1. Investigate the behaviour</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342533398_Researching_Socio-material_Practices_Inquiries_into_the_Humannon-human_Interweave">Investigate</a> the behaviours you deem to be excessive. The more details you have about the behaviour, the more opportunities you have to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346723524_Doing_Recovery_Work_Together_Clients'_and_Counsellors'_Social_Discursive_and_Institutional_Practices">interrupt it</a>.</p>
<p>Examples of useful questions to ask include: When are you most likely to eat or drink more than you planned? Is it perhaps after a long day of work? Where does it happen — in the living room on the couch? Who else is involved? What do you typically eat or drink? How does it make you feel?</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A young man sits in front of a computer with a game console." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373683/original/file-20201208-20-1qfx88n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do you have young family members who spend too much time gaming? Ask them what they like about it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you have someone in your life who loves gaming (playing video games) and may be spending too much time doing it, become curious about what it means to them. Ask what they love about gaming. They may enjoy it because it’s skills-based, or they achieve success in gaming, or because it’s team-oriented and social. </p>
<p>Ask how gaming makes them feel. For example, does it make them feel proud, energetic or disengaged from school? When are they most likely to do these behaviours for longer than planned (for example, at night)? Where do they do these behaviours (for example, in the bedroom)?</p>
<h2>2. Recruit others for their good ideas!</h2>
<p>Family members often have great ideas and insights when it comes to issues with excessive behaviours. For example, when it comes to gaming, young people often come up with great ideas around making a schedule and playing video games at certain times, or earning screen time.</p>
<p>We know from the research that most people recover from addiction and excessive behaviours <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-0010-x">with the help of a social network and from people close to them</a>. </p>
<h2>3. Experiment with place, time and objects</h2>
<p>We know from research that context and place of <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691160887/addiction-by-design">casinos</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2012.655765">drug use spaces</a> invites excessive use. Context is important for other habits, too. </p>
<p>If out-of-control snacking happens on the couch during Netflix in the evening, restrict eating to only the kitchen. If someone is gaming until all hours of the night in the bedroom, limit gaming to the living room before 10 p.m. By changing the place and timing of behaviours, the practice itself ultimately changes — even just a little bit.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person lies on the couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373682/original/file-20201208-17-1idwhtz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time and place matters. If you binge-watch shows at night, switching up your behaviour, such as timing the TV to turn off at 10 p.m., may help.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Adrian Swancar/Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Marketing and consumerism have been implicated in the maintaining of addiction practices in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html">junk food</a>, gambling and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_105">video games</a>. The developers of these products want people to continue to use them, and design them to keep people hooked. Video games are designed to require many hours to pass to the next challenge. Apps have bells and whistles (likes, messages and comments) that reward and entice users for more engagement. </p>
<p>In the world of gambling, this looks like games designed for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2008.12.031">near-miss features</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-009-9156-6">speed of play</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-005-3028-5">illusion of control</a>. These features increase gaming productivity to accelerate play, extend duration and increase amount of money spent.</p>
<p>In fact, former technologists from Silicon Valley who created the “addictive” technologies used in social media are now warning of potential <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/07/facebook-common-sense-media-tech-addiction-children">tech addiction</a> and corresponding negative effects.</p>
<p>Investigate the objects that are important to the behaviour you want to reduce. Some folks find removing apps on their phones is helpful, taking gaming holidays, designing a cellphone hotel in the kitchen (a place where the cellphones stay), limiting video game and social media use to common areas or turning off internet by 10 p.m. each night</p>
<h2>4. Pay attention to what you think and say</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Woman is drinking a glass of red wine." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=885&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=885&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=885&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1112&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1112&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373680/original/file-20201208-21-wfhzyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1112&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do you tell yourself you need a glass of wine to relax? Experiment with new methods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Ana Itonishvili/Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/16066350500338195">talk about excessive behaviours</a> and what we say about them to ourselves and others matters. If we talk about ourselves or other people (such as our partners or kids) as “addicted” to something, like video games, it’s easy for them to live up to that reputation — almost defining who they are. Addiction and the words we use are tied to our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4663247/">identities</a> and the ways we see ourselves and others. </p>
<p>Telling your teen they are addicted to gaming and making them stop cold turkey won’t likely be helpful, and may elicit unwanted responses. To avoid anger, protest and sneaky behaviour, invite your teens into the decision-making.</p>
<p>Consider the things you say to yourself when you engage in excessive behaviours. Do you catch yourself thinking, “I need this drink to relax” or doing X “provides me with me time?” Any “should” or “shouldn’t” type language might be setting yourself up for failure. </p>
<p>Instead, avoid <a href="https://www.psychologytools.com/articles/unhelpful-thinking-styles-cognitive-distortions-in-cbt/">“shoulds,” extremes or black-and-white thinking</a>. Live in the grey area, have kindness and <a href="https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Neff.Germer.2017.pdf">compassion for yourself</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/quiet-kindness-can-bolster-well-being-during-coronavirus-pandemic-134579">others</a>. Experiment with new ways of talking to yourself (and others) during your daily life.</p>
<h2>5. Experiment with other activities</h2>
<p>Are there other activities that help you relax, beyond mulled wine and cookies? </p>
<p>What happens if you make a tea and go for an evening walk instead of snacking and turning on Netflix? Other ideas to try could be a game of cards, games night, puzzles, dance parties in the kitchen, scavenger hunts in the neighbourhood (counting reindeer or inflatable figures), family karaoke night or themed evenings. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman observes her surroundings outside." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373686/original/file-20201208-21-y2mhqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try something different: a walk or a bike ride?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Thomas De Luze/Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps you want to imagine visiting Mexico for the night, complete with nachos, mocktails, dancing to mariachi music on YouTube, and wearing shorts and a T-shirt. You might consider someone’s favourite video game or character and create a party around that theme. </p>
<p>Ask all household members to contribute ideas for activities, and take turns trying out them out. By adding new activities, you end up crowding out the behaviours you want to reduce. The more we do a behaviour, the more the brain starts to wire to that activity — inviting continuation and repetition. By adding more preferred activities and behaviours and repeating those, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-016-9293-4">help our brain re-wire</a> towards the preferred ways of thinking, being and responding.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151368/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tanya Mudry received funding from Canadian Institutes for Health Research. </span></em></p>With the pressures of the holidays, rising COVID-19 rates and social isolation, people can easily fall into addictive-like behaviours. Here are some ways to challenge ourselves and family.Tanya Mudry, Assistant Professor, Educational Studies in Psychology, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1448882020-12-09T11:41:41Z2020-12-09T11:41:41ZSurprising ways that games challenge how people think about themselves and the world<p><a href="https://thebeginnersgui.de/">The Beginner’s Guide</a> is a narrative video game with no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person whose psyche is slowing unravelling. Along the way, it touches on issues of depression, loneliness and self-doubt.</p>
<p>I remember the very moment where it all fell into place and I no longer saw the person as a character, but someone going through the same emotional struggles as me. It felt as if the game held up a mirror and fundamentally shifted how I perceived myself. I had been harbouring this constant need for social validation and the desire to find meaning when sometimes there just isn’t any. I didn’t think going into the game that I would come away shaken or with lessons that I still carry with me to this day – but I did.</p>
<p>Even before my experience with The Beginner’s Guide, I had been fascinated with games that strive to create challenging experiences. I don’t mean challenging in terms of logic puzzles or twitch reflexes, but experiences that question the way I see, think or feel about the world, the game, or even myself.</p>
<h2>Games challenge us</h2>
<p>Some of my favourite games that elicit similar responses are <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/">Firewatch</a>, a walking simulator where you play as a fire lookout, and Papers Please, a game where you’re an immigration officer for an authoritarian government deciding who can enter. Each offers vastly varying perspective-challenging experiences through player input and mechanics (the systems of rules in the game), allowing for experiences that are unique to gaming.</p>
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<p>We know that games can create thought-provoking or reflective experiences thanks to the work of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1555412019881536">Tom Cole and Marco Gillies</a>. While gaming academics <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2858036.2858227">Julia Bopp, Elisa Mekler and Klaus Opwis</a> discovered how a game can cause a negative emotions, such as guilt or sadness, but somehow still result in an overall positive but emotionally challenging experience.</p>
<p>To get at the heart of what makes these experiences perspective challenging, from the mundane to the horizon-shattering, I had players record, report and unpack their experiences in minute detail. My <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3311350.3347192">first study</a> identified small eureka-type moments that change how players interact with a game. I labelled these examples of “micro-transformative reflection” – micro in the sense that they don’t shatter someone’s world view, but are still transformative given they change how players act. An example of this is a player who felt extreme guilt after killing an innocent person and avoided killing anyone for the remainder of the game.</p>
<p>Many participants started to get philosophical over topics of morality, predestination, free will, justice and truth. For instance, one participant remarked how <a href="https://www.stanleyparable.com/">The Stanley Parable</a>, which breaks the “fourth wall” by making players battle with a narrator, made them confront how much control they have over the choices they make in their own life. This, the player said, was entirely inspired by how the narrator remarked on their choices in the game. </p>
<h2>Finding out how they challenge us</h2>
<p>I am currently recruiting for the largest study I have conducted to date. I posted an advert to a Reddit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/iabun1/study_on_video_games_that_challenge_how_you_think/">forum dedicated to gaming</a> searching for participants to play a potentially perspective-challenging game over two weeks and keep a diary. I had expected a middling response, with five to 10 willing participants, but awoke the next morning to 500+ upvotes (essentially likes that improve the visibility of a post), 126 comments and a massive influx of new participants. This is further evidence of how commonplace these experiences are and why they are worth further study. </p>
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<p>The comments were full of discussion regarding a vast array of games that had challenged players in some way. One user left the following comment about their experience with the dark fantasy game <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/414340/Hellblade_Senuas_Sacrifice/">Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve never had a game leave me with the feeling that game did. I literally just sat speechless for minutes when the credits began to roll. It’s impossible to describe the sort of cathartic feeling that washed over me when I began to realise the symbolism of the final cutscene [(a video shown on completion that concludes the game’s narrative)]. It was as if all tension I’ve felt up to that point just disappeared and I legit began to cry because it was just that wonderful and indescribable.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The game, which is designed to reflect the experience of living with psychosis, clearly provided an emotionally challenging experience, provoking difficult feelings that fall potentially on the life-changing end of the spectrum. </p>
<p>I’m more than halfway through my study, having gathered 11 participants to speak in detail about their experiences. Across all my research, it is clear how impactful games can be, and I hope that my research continues to uncover the powerful ways in which games can challenge people’s thoughts and feelings.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144888/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Whitby does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>More than just an entertaining way to pass the time, some players have found that some video games can change how they see the world.Matthew Whitby, IGGI PhD Student, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1027632018-09-07T03:14:48Z2018-09-07T03:14:48ZWe’ve crunched the numbers in McDonald’s Monopoly challenge to find your chance of winning<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/235181/original/file-20180906-190639-eyf4yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The code that could see you a winner in McDonald's Monopoly competition.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Paul McMillan</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>McDonald’s <a href="https://maccasplay.com.au/">Monopoly competition</a> is back this month offering a chance to win expensive prizes, all for the price of a Big Mac. </p>
<p>Given you could become tens of thousands of dollars richer by simply going on a Macca’s run, McDonald’s Monopoly games have in the past been subject to cheating and a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-an-ex-cop-rigged-mcdonalds-monopoly-game-and-stole-millions">multimillion-dollar scandal</a>. </p>
<p>But for those who prefer to play fair, what are your chances of actually snaring a prize?</p>
<h2>Prizes, prizes, prizes</h2>
<p>To take part you need to buy certain McDonald’s food items that include peel-off Monopoly tickets. Each ticket has three different possible outcomes: an “Instant win”, a “Chance card” or a “Collect to win”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-reasons-we-play-lotto-even-though-we-know-we-probably-wont-win-the-jackpot-70044">Seven reasons we play lotto – even though we know we probably won't win the jackpot</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p>Instant prizes are either a McDonald’s food item such as a burger, or a non-food prize such as a movie ticket or a cash gift card, redeemed by entering the 12-digit code on the ticket into a phone app.</p>
<p>A “Chance card” ticket also provides a 12-digit code which, when <a href="https://maccasplay.com.au/#content">entered into an app</a>, provides another opportunity to nab an instant prize or a digital “Collect to win” ticket.</p>
<p>The “Collect to win” tickets are the real meat of the game, and yield the major prizes: sometimes a car or large amounts of money. To win one of these prizes, you need to collect all “Collect to win” tickets of the same colour, as you would playing the traditional Monopoly game. </p>
<p>For obvious reasons, McDonald’s doesn’t tell us much about how these tickets are distributed across Australia. But what it does tell us is the maximum number of prizes that can be awarded for each prize type.</p>
<p>Using some fairly basic number-crunching, we can get a better picture of what our chances are of winning a shiny new car just by purchasing a Big Mac meal.</p>
<h2>What the numbers reveal</h2>
<p>This year, McDonald’s says 136,634,083 tickets will be distributed across the fastfood giant’s restaurants, and <a href="https://maccasplay.com.au/pdf/Terms_and_Conditions_Monopoly_AU_2018.pdf">lists</a> the maximum number of prizes available.</p>
<p>While we have no way of determining whether or not this maximum is reached, we can still get a general idea of our chances of winning a prize by using these values.</p>
<p>McDonald’s says there is a one-in-five chance of winning an instant prize, which could either be a food prize or a non-food prize.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>about 18 million tickets yield instant food prizes, which gives a roughly 13.2% chance of winning</p></li>
<li><p>about 11.8 million tickets yield instant non-food prizes, which gives a roughly 8.7% chance of winning</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Of course, 13.2% plus 8.7% gives a 21.9% chance of winning an instant prize, on average, which roughly agrees with the one-in-five that McDonald’s claims.</p>
<h2>The Gambler’s Fallacy</h2>
<p>It’s important not fall for the <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gamblersfallacy.asp">Gambler’s Fallacy</a> when trying to collect instant win tickets. Collecting five tickets does not mean that one of them will always be an instant win ticket.</p>
<p>McDonald’s simply promises an average rate of an instant win, owing to the fact that about 20% of physical tickets include a prize of some sort. </p>
<p>There are 3,415,852 “Chance” tickets available, so you have roughly a 2.5% chance of getting a “Chance” ticket with your purchase. </p>
<p>McDonald’s says one in five, or 20%, of Chance tickets will result in an instant win. Working the numbers means you have a 0.5% chance of obtaining a Chance ticket that will also get you a prize, so it’s not a strategy you should be banking on. </p>
<h2>The bigger prize tickets</h2>
<p>While we know how many “Instant win” and “Chance” tickets there are, the details around the “Collect to win” part of the McDonald’s Monopoly game are more closely guarded.</p>
<p>Going by previous observations, it seems that for each “Collect to win” ticket colour, all but one of each set will likely by very commonly distributed. The final one, not so common.</p>
<p>In this year’s game there are two prizes available of a year of free fuel by collecting the three red tickets: The Strand, Fleet Street and Trafalgar Square.</p>
<p>So it’s entirely possible that the probability of finding that final red ticket in the set could be as low as 2 in 136 million.</p>
<p>If you are planning on trying to win one of the major “Collect to win” prizes, these are the odds we think you should be expecting, even if you have collected all but one of the tickets needed, based on the number of prizes avaailable:</p>
<h3>1 in 136 million (one prize each)</h3>
<ul>
<li>one year car rental </li>
<li>A$10,000 room makeover voucher</li>
</ul>
<h3>1 in 68 million (two prizes each)</h3>
<ul>
<li>A$5,000 travel gift card </li>
<li>one year of free fuel</li>
<li>car</li>
</ul>
<h3>1 in 45 million (three prizes each)</h3>
<ul>
<li>ultimate gaming package</li>
<li>home theatre</li>
</ul>
<h3>1 in 34 million (four prizes)</h3>
<ul>
<li>BBQ set</li>
</ul>
<h3>1 in 17 million (eight prizes)</h3>
<ul>
<li>A$1,000 shopping voucher </li>
</ul>
<h2>Can you hack the app?</h2>
<p>Given each ticket has a 12-digit code you can enter into the app to see if you’ve won a prize, a cheeky idea might be to enter random codes to see if you can guess a winning number. </p>
<p>There are several reasons why this is a waste of time (not least the fact that you need to present a physical copy of a ticket to collect a prize), but let’s also get some mathematical perspective.</p>
<p>Every ticket code consists of a combination of letters and numbers. There are 9 possible numbers (1-9, ignoring 0 so as not to confuse with the letter O) and 26 possible letters (A-Z, capitals only) that can appear in a ticket code.</p>
<p>This means there are 35 possibilities for each of the 12 alphanumeric characters in a code. So how many possible 12-character codes are there? We can calculate that with:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>= 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35 × 35</p>
<p>= 35<sup>12</sup></p>
<p>= 3,379,220,508,056,640,625</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But there are only a maximum of 136,634,083 tickets in the game.</p>
<p>So the probability of entering a random 12-digit code into the app and having it recognised as a valid ticket code is given by:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>= 136,634,083/(35<sup>12</sup>)</p>
<p>= 0.00000000004</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, a 0.000000004% chance that you would have randomly picked a valid ticket code.</p>
<h2>Cracking codes takes time</h2>
<p>A number this small is hard to imagine, so let’s think of it another way. If you wanted to increases your chance of randomly picking a valid ticket code to roughly 4% (still a very slim chance!), you should be prepared to pick about 10<sup>11</sup>, or 100 billion random 12-character codes first.</p>
<p>If we assume that picking, entering and checking a code into the app only took you one second, then entering a hundred billion codes would take you about 3,180 years. The competition ends next month.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-quick-brown-fox-can-help-secure-your-passwords-online-31954">The quick brown fox can help secure your passwords online</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why websites and email services encourage you to choose passwords that are at least eight characters long, with a mixture of numbers, letters and special characters. It takes a long time for people with nefarious intentions to guess your password if it’s as long as a McDonald’s Monopoly ticket code, even if they get a computer to help them.</p>
<p>So what’s the best way to play?</p>
<p>If you remember that McDonald’s Monopoly is much like a regular lottery, you’ll be better off as you can relax and know that there’s next to no chance that you will win a major prize.</p>
<p>The instant win aspect is a nice bonus if you’re already planning on having a meal at McDonald’s, since it’s not all that unlikely that you could end up with some extra fries or a drink.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102763/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Belet receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Flegg receives funding from the ARC. </span></em></p>With some big prizes are on offer in the latest competition from the fast food giant, best to see what the numbers say.Sarah Belet, Postgraduate Student, Monash UniversityJennifer Flegg, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/881392018-01-07T10:31:54Z2018-01-07T10:31:54ZWhy African board games should be introduced into the classroom<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198543/original/file-20171211-10977-1jj13aq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Two men playing Morabaraba. Board games are a part of the social fabric of many African societies. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ConstantineD/flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When most of us think about learning, we imagine a teacher and a classroom. In reality most of the things we know, and a great number of the skills we acquire as children and adults, are learned outside the classroom – in conversations with peers, engaging in community service, on the playground. </p>
<p>Educators and researchers are increasingly recognising opportunities for growth presented <a href="https://due.mit.edu/initiatives/learning-outside-classroom">outside the classroom</a>, and are working to <a href="https://clalliance.org/why-connected-learning/">integrate</a> them into classroom learning experiences.</p>
<p>Games, in particular, are being seen as <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/06/01/408540387/exploding-myths-about-learning-through-gaming">learning spaces</a>. This is because they enable players to develop <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2013/03/01/games-education-tool-030113/">non-cognitive skills</a>, such as patience or discipline, which are important for career and life success. Gameplay also develops a number of <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/8132613/insight_3-1_vision.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1512683511&Signature=X%2FqgRB0QmdmxowTGHKm2JlW9Bwk%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DHarnessing_the_power_of_games_in_educati.pdf">cognitive skills</a>, including critical thinking and problem solving.</p>
<p>The African continent has a <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/games-played-in-africa-1454491">long history</a> of gameplay that <a href="http://www.africa-games.com/africa_games.html">extends back</a> to pre-slavery and precolonial times. Board games, in particular, have been used to teach, or reinforce, <a href="http://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol2no4/2.4_Shona_Traditional_Children.pdf">values</a> as well as <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/chapter/655354">cognitive</a> and <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/chapter/655357">motor skills</a>. </p>
<p>Games have been part of the social fabric of many African societies for hundreds of years. The Morabaraba board game was historically used to share <a href="http://www.africa-games.com/morabaraba.html">cattle herding strategies</a> in parts of southern Africa (for example South Africa, Bostwana and Lesotho) and discuss information related to <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39602/moruba">war strategies</a>. And legend has it that Oware was used in 1700s Ghana by Ashanti King <a href="http://www.thekingdomofasante.com/nana-opoku-ware-i/">Katakyie Opoku Ware I</a> to resolve <a href="http://mancala.wikia.com/wiki/Oware">issues between married couples</a>. Today, board games remain equally <a href="http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/african_diaspora_isp/1/">popular</a> and culturally significant. </p>
<p>Though a growing number of researchers around the world are making the connection between <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2013/03/01/games-education-tool-030113/">playing and learning</a>, the learning potential of African board games remains severely under-explored. <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0305764X.2017.1371671">My research</a> – which focuses on <a href="http://gamestudies.org/0802/articles/sicart">mechanics, rules</a> and context – suggests that the creative use of these games could play an important role in formal education.</p>
<h2>Similar but different</h2>
<p>The board games explored in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0305764X.2017.1371671">my research</a> include Oware (Ghana), Bao (Tanzania), Moruba (South Africa), Morabaraba (South Africa), as well as Omweso or Mweso (Uganda). </p>
<p>I broke down some of the mechanics and rules of each game, as well as the context in which they were and are played. This enabled me to identify some of the learning outcomes of each game’s mechanics. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=748&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=748&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196385/original/file-20171126-21820-rbdt9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=748&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Popular board games across the continent.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The boards games could be referred to as “strategic games” as they involve strategic thinking. Most – with the exception of Morabaraba – are also from the same family of games, <a href="https://www.penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/PDFs/43-1/Mancala.pdf">Mancala</a>. </p>
<p>My analysis shows that the board games should be viewed as unique, and different. Each has its own mechanics, requires specific skills and produces distinctive learning outcomes. This means that the games could potentially be used to teach a variety of concepts and skills across a number of subjects and at different educational levels. </p>
<h2>Focus on Oware</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.oware.org/">Oware</a> is one of the most played and known African board games in the world – and its rules show its learning potential.</p>
<p>It is played on a <a href="http://www.oware.org/abapa.asp">board of 12 holes</a>, with 48 seeds or pebbles equally distributed between two players. The seeds or pebbles are dropped one by one into consecutive holes by players who take turns to <a href="http://www.oware.org/abapa.asp">play</a>. The aim of the game is to capture 25 seeds. This requires players to use multiple strategies and techniques. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198556/original/file-20171211-27680-1o13zr4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Oware is one of the most popular games on the continent.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adam Cohn/flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Playing Oware teaches <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0305764X.2017.1371671">strategic thinking and arithmetic</a>. Patience, spatial thinking, communication, decision making and negotiation skills are some of the other <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0305764X.2017.1371671?scroll=top&needAccess=true">learning outcomes</a> it facilitates. </p>
<p>But the game mechanics of Oware suggest that it could even prove to be useful in a biology classroom. The life cycle of a cell is defined by a series of events that lead to its <a href="http://cyberbridge.mcb.harvard.edu/mitosis_3.html">division and replication</a>. Like the cell, Oware gameplay is characterised by a <a href="http://www.oware.org/abapa.asp">series of cyclical</a>, repetitive movements, guided by the game mechanics or rules. Thus, using Oware mechanics or rules, the concept of cell life cycle can be explained to students in a biology course.</p>
<p>The full learning potential of games like Oware is yet to be completely uncovered, but it’s clear that it can be used to introduce students to new concepts they may easily understand because of their familiarity with game. Learning is made fun and enjoyable. </p>
<h2>What’s next?</h2>
<p>Games are certainly <a href="https://dmlhub.net/newsroom/expert-interviews/games-learning-literacy-in-the-21st-century/">alternative spaces for learning</a> and can <a href="https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/03/games-can-advance-education-a-conversation-with-james-paul-gee/">advance education</a>. The educational potential of African board games has long been argued by ethnomatheticians (who study the relationship between mathematics and culture) and anthropologists – including scholars such as <a href="http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/IJES/IJES-08-0-000-15-Web/IJES-08-2-000-15-Abst-PDF/IJES-8-2-313-15-440-Owusu/IJES-8-2-313-15-440-Owusu-Tx%5b8%5d.pdf">James Owusu-Mensah</a>, <a href="http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/%7Epowellab/docs/articles/PowellTemple(2001)TCM.pdf">Arthur Powell, Oshon Temple</a>, and <a href="http://aa-rf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SAICE-2015-Proceedings.pdf#page=221">Kofi Poku Quan-Baffour</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199191/original/file-20171214-27575-1birlio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mancala games can be played almost anywhere.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">leo.laempel/flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The field of <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/category/discipline/game-studies">Game Studies</a> is emerging and, across the world, educators and researchers are exploring games to understand and enhance learning. But many of the digital games that are celebrated for their educational value are <a href="https://gamerant.com/video-game-prices-breakdown-514/">expensive</a> and inaccessible to most people. African board games, on the other hand, are simply made and can even be reproduced, or designed, in a playground by digging holes on the ground.</p>
<p>The moment is therefore ripe for African board games to assume their proper place in this emerging field. An <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271269323_The_South_African_Indigenous_Games_Research_Project_of_20012002_research_article">inventory of these games</a> is an excellent first step, but there is much work to be done.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88139/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Y. Bayeck does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>African board games are learning spaces for players to develop cognitive and non-cognitive skills given the mechanics or rules embedded in these games.Rebecca Y. Bayeck, PhD Candidate, Learning Design & Technology & Comparative & International Education, Learning Performances Systems Department, College of Education, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.