Why might game designers want to create a new card game that employs the standard 52-card deck - what might be the educational, creative, or social benefits of doing so? What are the ways in which the characteristics of the standard deck can enable diverse game mechanics? How can those mechanics be used to create new games that are innovative, understandable, and fun?

Assessments are incredibly popular: they provide insights into individual own behaviors, and a shared language for teams to better understand one another. But assessments alone don’t drive behavior change.

Games are the perfect tool to bridge the gap between knowledge and action. They allow for failure without consequence, empower teams to think creatively and experiment with new ways of collaborating, and generate critical a-ha moments.

In this workshop, we’ll introduce a framework for matching games with team development outcomes, and play games to explore their application toward fostering inclusivity, practicing giving and receiving feedback, and balancing competing priorities.

Using alLEGOry, join us on a deeper dive of diversity in homogeneous communities. We will build on your knowledge of diversity, revisiting how/why similar identities click. Begin to piece together how visually similar communities contain a variety of identities while developing actionable steps to support individuals as they navigate and construct their social identity on both macro and micro scales. LEGO talk about how to have conversations about diversity in spaces that may seem similar, but are really as colorful as a rainbow diorama. Everyone will be lined up for blocks, so be sure to get here early!

You have probably heard about escape games, perhaps even played one, but have you built one yet? This session will give you an opportunity to storyboard out a bite-sized escape game experience, test it out with fellow attendees, and walk away with tools and best practices to bring escape games back to your organization.

The board game Ladies & Gentlemen shows a fun, highly satirical look at life in the Victorian Era. However, is it more than that? Come join us as we use this tabletop game to explore individuals Social Identity in the Tabletop Games & Leadership Class - and how you can use it in various ways.

Role-playing games, like Dungeons & Dragons, can be valuable resources for designing game-based curricula. However, like other creative endeavors, such games often harbor the biases of their creators, and educators need to address the possibly exclusionary tendencies of such biases before bringing these games into their classrooms. In line with this year’s theme, this session explores one way representation in tabletop role-playing game-based learning can help address such tendencies, making “Space at the Table” for voices that are often silenced and excluded. Specifically, we’ll play through a world-building and character-creation activity, designed to encourage diversity and inclusion in your classrooms.

What if you lived on a green, lush island with wonderful resources and had to come up with a way to govern yourself and harvest your resources, all while avoiding the impacts of climate change? Welcome to New Shores – a Game for Democracy, an online freely available multiplayer game. (To learn more about the game visit: https://games4sustainability.org/gamepedia/new-shores/) Find out what kind of island society YOU will help create!

Introducing learners to design can be challenging. To address this, we developed the idea of ‘playfixing’: simultaneously playing and redesigning a tabletop game. We are interested in deepening and broadening the use of playfixing. We invite participants to join us for a hands-on session where they take on the role of playfixers. Then, we will facilitate a discussion for participants to share their thoughts on the relation between playfixing and game design processes and its application to their areas of expertise. With participants’ permission, the session will be recorded for future analysis.

Hawk-Dove, better known as “Chicken,” is a classic game theory example that has taken on massive global stakes. While commonly associated with conflicts between nuclear powers or between 1950s teenagers, the game also has relevance in fields ranging from business to biology.

"3 things you'll find in this workshop: surprises, laughter, goodies"

Aren't improv games fun? Yes, and ... for our "serious games" purposes, improv can improve interactions, learning, relationships, and even decision-making and problem-solving.

Come learn, play, debrief, and practice leading a variety of improv-inspired activities — some curated from improv theater and applied improv, others created by Aneta Key to advance executive discussions, spice up events, or elevate trainings.

No one I have ever met enjoys navigating the world of choosing insurance, whether that be for your home, car, health or anything else that is invaluable to you and your family. Therefore, this simulation (designed for a high school personal finance classroom) allows you to do it with a group and compete against other groups to see who weathers the storms of life the best by picking insurance coverage that protects, but doesn't break the bank. Groups will go through a series of rounds that simulate different life experiences and each group will decide what insurance policy best fits their needs and budget. Like a good neighbor, you'll be in good hands during this session!

What would the world have been like if Parker Brothers had popularized Elizabeth Magie's "The Landlord's Game" instead of its variation, "Monopoly"? Let's play "The Landlord's Game" and find out! We'll debrief by discussing what board games can teach us and the role "Monopoly" has had on our culture, economy, and politics.

The Leading the Change to Sustainability simulation offers: (1) A new tool can be used for HR, organization, and leadership training in sustainability. (2) The participants develop a deep understanding of the complexity of change faced by firms and society in contemporary economic settings. (3) The participants gain a deep understanding of the roles of sustainable change in business success. (4) The participants can assess, plan, and implement management strategies to steer organizational changes toward sustainability. (5) The participants learn about the assessment of learning outcomes in a simulation-based training program in organizations.

Think it takes a long time to design a game? Not today! Design three games in short ten minute sprints, then see how radical collaboration can take your designs in unexpected directions. (All materials will be provided.)

We need authentic leadership in our increasingly complex world, one marked by concurrent crises, global interconnectedness, and rapid digital transformation. We are looking to leaders everywhere to act authentically, encourage diverse viewpoints, and promote organizational climates that foster creative collaboration and deepened relationships. We need more Authentic Leadership! In the workplace, psychological defense mechanisms are naturally activated when we confront challenging scenarios. Defense mechanisms are usually unconscious and serve to mitigate distress, but inhibit authenticity. Learning to become aware of our defensive reactions and utilize our awareness to lead more authentically, and effectively, is what this workshop is all about! We will play the role of leaders facing complex challenges while trying to be authentic in how we lead. We will use our defense mechanisms, some more helpful and others more of a hindrance, to react to challenging leadership scenarios. Of course, sometimes “life happens!” Gamenamic facilitators combine dynamic gameplay with in-the-moment coaching and reflective debriefing. Trained leadership and group relations coaching practices are used to help participants learn from the dynamics among the players as well as from content in the game.

Do you want to discover the power of games in developing critical skills for today's world: teamwork, collaboration, cultural awareness, and emotional intelligence? But how can we allow learners to experience failure without harming their relationships, careers, or professional standing? Join this session to explore game-based solutions that create awareness without career damage. We’ll play the game “Monumental Consequences” and uncover innovative approaches that leverage games and discussion to foster a safe and constructive learning environment. See you there!

What's it like to get involved in NASAGA, and why should you join us? Through a series of short games and breakout talks, you'll learn what it takes to keep NASAGA going, what its potential is, and how you can help make that potential a reality.

Through gameplay, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and explore the multifaceted nature of these determinants, how they impact health outcomes, and their interplay with individuals' lives. This enlightening experience will broaden attendees' awareness and knowledge of the complex factors influencing health.

The participatory nature of The Last Straw board game encourages active involvement and fosters a sense of agency among participants. By engaging in gameplay and subsequent discussions, attendees are likely to feel inspired and empowered to address the social determinants of health within their professional roles. They may discover new perspectives, innovative approaches, and potential solutions to health disparities.

What if your takeaways from a game could be more than just memories and good feelings? Come explore the world of “keepsake games” by playing Five Hundred Year Old Vampire (FYOV), a keepsake game by Jason Cox forthcoming from Central Michigan University Press. After learning about the structure and utility of keepsake games, players will experience the world of FYOV through pre-generated characters, their own ideas about the world around them, and the creation of artifacts that flesh out that world. No artistic or writing skill is necessary – come as you are!

A Seat at the Table is a five to ten player card game that utilizes trading and role restrictions to teach players about the barriers to entry marginalized designers face in the tabletop industry. Our game will help players understand, and hopefully empathize via role-play with, the types of marginalization commonly experienced in the tabletop industry. Our game is also available via print and play online at https://oneshotjournal.com/a-seat-at-the-table/

During this session, participants will play five “UnBox Challenges”, a series of group-based mini games and puzzles that have been incorporated into a university-level “Introduction to Innovation” course. These activities are designed to challenge students’ assumptions, develop their critical thinking skills, and support their reframing of concepts, problems and situations. Experiencing these with your fellow NASAGA attendees, you’ll see how these challenges enable you to take different perspectives, encourage your own creativity, and adapt them into your own practices.