Playtesting a university simulation game in a graduate seminar

I’d like to start 2022 on a high note. After frantically grading impressive student final projects, I thought I could share some of their work from earlier in the fall semester. Specifically, I’ll describe a teaching game I’ve been developing and that my future of higher education seminar played. It was a terrific experience.

First I’ll quickly explain the game. Second, I’ll sketch out how play unfolded. Lastly I’ll point to some reflections and potential next directions.

One note: the students generously gave me permission to share the course of their play. I will not share their names, noting players instead by their roles. A second note: this is a sketch of a sustained and complicated series of game sessions. Much more went on that this single post can convey. My purpose here is not to be exhaustive, but to introduce how the game worked in late 2021.

I: Matrix University

The game is a matrix game. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they are a mix of tabletop and role-playing games. Players represent people or organizations who can make decisions or carry them out within a given situation. During each turn players attempt to make moves in their roles, writing or talking about their plans. A referee judges each move to see how they play out. What makes a matrix game different from many others is that each player not only has to make a case for why their moves make sense, but other players participate in determining if…