Build Your Own Agile Game

Hi guys,

So just sharing a framework that my colleagues and I have designed which covers the principle, mechanics and process of game design in the context of business and Agile facilitation specifically. We presented the framework at a conference and ran a couple of workshops to receive feedback from practitioners. The feedback was positive and many of the teams in our workshops ended up creating fun and useful games which could be used in their businesses. While we think this framework is a practical process to build games, we are sure with more contribution and feedback we can improve it and make a better tool. That is why we would like to invite you to download and use the guide to facilitate workshops to build games for your business and let us know what worked and what did not. Which principles worked, and which did not make sense in your context? Any new ideas that can help us improve this and make it more practical and fun?

How to run the workshop:

•  Proposed workshop length: 90-120 minutes
  
• Number of attendees: teams of 5-6 – the number of teams depends on the space
  
• Workshop Agenda:
  

1. Introduction to serious games (presentation file provided) | 15 minutes
   
2. Activity one (guide provided) | 15 minutes
   
3. Activity two (guide provided) | 45-60 minutes
   

• Debrief: (30 mins) At the end of the workshop we ask the teams to share their games and learnings with others. Sometimes teams get to test play their game as well | 15-30 minutes
  

Supporting Material

Presentation file: Just a few slides to help you with facilitating the workshop

Game design guide:  This document will help the participants to understand the principles and mechanics of serious game design. The guide will be used during the activities of the workshop to educate the designers.

Activity cards: There are two activities in the game 1: Ice breaker and initial conversations around why games and reviewing the mechanics and the process of designing a game and activity 2: designing a game in groups of 5-6 people.

Themes: For the second and main activity the teams will pick a theme and build a game around it. We have given them a few challenges, but we advise the teams to take the freedom to change the challenges within the boundary of the theme.

Tropes: We have a table in the workshop with cards printed which gives the teams some ideas on the game design process. We try to use this as a way to help the teams which may struggle with forming and executing ideas.  We ask the participants to take a break and have chocolate (provided on the same table) and look at the cards which act like tropes in a video game (extra life, golds, etc.).

You can download all the above mentioned files from here

And when you have played with the guide and used it with your team, please come back and let us know what you got out of it and how we can improve it.

Thanks and have fun playing!