How can a simple game transform your learning efforts? The CIA uses tabletop games to teach intelligence gathering, overcoming collection obstacles, and collaboration. The Harvard Business Review describes board games as a microcosm of business training that can help leaders and managers build the skills needed to operate effectively in the real world. In fact, board games have been used formally for teaching business concepts since at least the 1960s with the introduction of the MIT Beer Distribution game. Many instructional designers, course developers, and training managers struggle to create engaging learning programs that get results. At the ATD LearnNow: Game Design workshop, you’ll learn how to design a tabletop game that can help transform your live instruction into a powerful, memorable learning experience.

2. Lynda.com Course: Gamification of LearningYouTube Video
Web Site:www.karlkapp.com
Books

3. 3
You?
Short Introduction:
Name:
Company:
What Tabletop Games Do You
Like?

4. Definition
An activity that has an explicit goal or challenge, rules
that guide achievement of the goal, interactivity with
either other players or the game environment (or both),
and feedback mechanisms that give clear cues as to
how well or poorly you are performing. It results in a
quantifiable outcome (you win/you lose, you hit the
target, etc). Usually generates an emotional reaction in
players.
Page 5

5. What about
gamification?
Using game elements
in a non-game
situation.
• Frequent flyer programs
and other customer loyalty
programs
• Summer reading programs
• Social Media (likes,
rankings, etc.)

6. NOT
“When are
games…?”
INSTEAD
“Which kind
of games…?”
6

7. Strengths of Tabletop Games
1. Familiar (Low Learning Curve)
2. Create Social Connections
3. Straight Forward and Easy to Play
3. Tangible/Take Away
4. Shared Experience

8. Strengths of Tabletop Games
1. Easy to Prototype
2. Easy to Create
3. Highly Adaptable
4. Relatively Low Cost

9. Agenda
9
1. Learn About Tabletop Game
2. Explore Different Game Types
3. Review Game Design Process: nine steps, clustered as
follows:
• Play games, explore, evaluate
• Learning design + game design
• Prototype and develop
• Deploy
4. Prototype a game.
5. Playtest your game. Page 4

10. So… how do you
create tabletop games
that help people
learn?
10

11. Nine Learning Game Design Steps
11

12. Nine Learning Game Design Steps
12

13. 1. Play games; evaluate as you play
Bottom-Line Performance 13

14. 1. Game Showcase
14
1. Forbidden Island
2. MIT Beer Game
3. GoVenture
4. Timeline
5. Zombie Card Game

15. Things to evaluate
15
Game component Things to evaluate
Game Goal Is it challenging? Do you like it?
Core dynamic(s) How do you achieve the goal…collecting things,
exploration, racing to the finish, territory
acquisition? Is THAT fun?
Game mechanics Do the rules contribute to your enjoyment? Are they
too complex? Too easy?
Game elements What game elements are part of this game and
how do they enhance it?
Feedback How do I know how I am doing? Is it effective?

16. Need to Know: Basic Game Lingo
Game goal –
what
player(s) have
to do to win.
No goal. No
game.
Core
Dynamic
what game
play is about;
what you
have to do to
win.
Pick a dynamic to
design around;
it’s easier to get
started that way.
Mechanics
rules for
players; rules
for system.
Rules define how
people achieve
the goal. Don’t
make too hard or
too easy.
Game
Elements
Features that
help immerse
you in game
play
Tinkering with
one feature can
entirely change
play experience

17. Core Dynamics = How you achieve a
game goal.
Page 7

18. Core Dynamics
• Race to the Finish
– Fastest person.
– Training Application: Many tasks are competitive. Speed is an advantage.
Recalling information quickly can be important.

19. Core Dynamics
• Territory Acquisition
– Acquire – or take – land or resources, typically to create
an empire or own the most of something
– Training Application: Acquiring resources ethically within
an office or an industry. Knowing what is of value.
Negotiating trade-offs.

20. Core Dynamics
• Exploration
– Wander around and check out various aspects of the
game world to see if you can find things of value.
– Training Application: Figuring out problems even though
information is missing or not available. Discovery is an
important element in innovation.

21. Core Dynamics
• Collecting
– Find and get specified objects/people.
– Training Application: Gathering of information, collection
of facts. Collection of paperwork (e.g. collecting receipts
for expense report)

22. Core Dynamics
• Rescue or Escape
– Get out of a situation/place you are in.
– Training Application: Resolve a difficult problem. Deal with
a tough situation.

23. Core Dynamics
• Alignment
– Arrange game pieces in a particular order.
– Training Application: Looking for anomalies in patterns
and understanding data.

24. Core Dynamics
• Forbidden Act
– Get fellow players to break the rules, make a wrong move,
or do something they shouldn’t.
– Training Application: Knowledge and practice of correct
behaviors and actions. Ethics, Code of Conduct Training.

25. Game Dynamics
• Construction or Build
– Create something using specified resources.
– Training Application: Building a business case, creating a
product prototype.

26. Core Dynamic
• Outwit
– Use specialized knowledge or skill to defeat an opponent.
– Training Application: Strategic planning, dealing with
competitors. Solving difficult problems.

27. Game Dynamics
• Solution
– Solve a problem or a puzzle.
– Training Application: Problem-solving within an
organization.

28. Game Dynamics
• Matching
– Match physical items or match against criteria.
– Training Application: Matching documents to certain
criteria or making decision based on a match to policy or
procedure.

29. Remember:Things to evaluate
29
Game component Things to evaluate
Game Goal Is it challenging? Do you like it?
Core dynamic(s) How do you achieve the goal…collecting things,
exploration, racing to the finish, territory
acquisition? Is THAT fun?
Game mechanics Do the rules contribute to your enjoyment? Are they
too complex? Too easy?
Game elements What game elements are part of this game and
how do they enhance it?
Feedback How do I know how I am doing? Is it effective?

30. Activity #1: Play/Evaluate Timeline (Competitive)
1. Stay in your Table Groups
2. Play Timeline for 10-15 minutes.
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 10

31. Evaluate Timeline
1. What was the game goal? Was it fun?
2. What was the core dynamic? Was it fun?
3. What were 1-3 mechanics (rules) that stood out?
Did they help – or confuse you?
4. What game elements did you notice?
5. How did you know how you were doing? (What
feedback did you get?)

32. Activity #2: Cooperative TimeLine
1. Stay in your Table Groups
2. Play Spot It for 10-15 minutes.
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 11

33. Evaluate Cooperative Timeline
1. What was the game goal? Was it fun?
2. What was the core dynamic? Was it fun?
3. What were 1-3 mechanics (rules) that stood out?
Did they help – or confuse you?
4. What game elements did you notice?
5. How did you know how you were doing? (What
feedback did you get?)

34. Activity #3: Evaluate Forbidden Island
1. Move to Game Board (set up)
2. Tour of Forbidden Island
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 12

35. Evaluate Forbidden Island
1. What was the game goal?
2. What was the core dynamic?
3. What were 1-3 mechanics (rules) that stood out?
Did they help – or confuse you?
4. What game elements did you notice?
5. How did you know how you were doing? (What
feedback did you get?)

36. 2. Explore learning games
36

37. Learning Goal
Game goal –
what
player(s) have
to do to win.
No goal. No
game.
Core
Dynamic
what game
play is about;
what you
have to do to
win.
Pick a dynamic to
design around;
it’s easier to get
started that way.
Mechanics
rules for
players; rules
for system.
Rules define how
people achieve
the goal. Don’t
make too hard or
too easy.
Game
Elements
Features that
help immerse
you in game
play
Tinkering with
one feature can
entirely change
play experience
Page
13

38. Activity #4: MIT Beer Game
1. Move to Game Board (set up)
2. Tour of MIT Game
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 18

39. Evaluate MIT Beer Distribution Game
1. What was the game goal?
2. What is learning goal?
3. What was the core dynamic?
4. What were 1-3 mechanics (rules) that stood out?
Did they help – or confuse you?
5. What game elements did you notice?
6. How did you know how you were doing? (What
feedback did you get?)

40. Activity #5: GoVenture Game
1. Move to Game Board (set up)
2. Tour of GoVenture
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 19

41. Evaluate GoVenture
1. What was the game goal?
2. What is learning goal?
3. What was the core dynamic?
4. What were 1-3 mechanics (rules) that stood out?
Did they help – or confuse you?
5. What game elements did you notice?
6. How did you know how you were doing? (What
feedback did you get?)

42. Activity #6: Play/Evaluate Zombie Sales Apocalypse:
Classic Card Game
1. Need group of 8.
2. Play ZSA: Card Game for 15-20 minutes.
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 20

43. Zombie Sales Apocalypse
Classic Version
Game One

44. Original Version
Scenario Cards Voting Cards

45. Scenario Cards
Voting Cards
1. Youngest player
draws first card.
Flips and responds
to scenario on card.
2. Face down, players vote on
answer. Slide card to middle of table.
Good answer, green thumbs up.
Bad answer, red thumbs down.
4. If…
Majority = Green. Player keeps Scenario card.
Majority = Red. Scenario card shuffled into deck.
Tie= Red/Green. Scenario card shuffled into deck.
3. Someone says “1-2-3 flip”. Revealing red or green.

46. 1. Blue Scenario Cards are placed in the middle of the table.
2. Each player receives a green and a red voting card.
3. Youngest player draws a blue scenario cards and reads the card.
4. The player responds to the scenario on the card.
5. When finished responding, other players slide, face down a voting card to middle of table.
a) If the player did a good job, slide the green card (face down)
b) If the player did a bad job, slide the red card (face down)
6. Cards are flipped at the same time revealing red or green face.
a) More red cards than green, the player does not keep scenario card. It goes back in deck.
b) More green cards than red, the player keeps the scenario card and next player goes.
c) Equal number of green and red cards, the blue scenario card goes back into the deck.
7. Next player chooses a scenario card (to the previous player’s left.)
8. Continues until scenario cards are all gone.
9. Player with the most scenario cards at the end wins.
Zombie Sales Apocalypse
Original Version

47. Activity #7: Play/Evaluate Zombie Sales Apocalypse:
Challenge Version Game
1. Need group of 8.
2. Play ZSA: Card Game for 15-20 minutes.
3. Use worksheet to evaluate game.
Page 21

48. Zombie Sales Apocalypse
Challenge Version

49. Challenge Version Cards
Scenario Cards Challenge Cards Voting Cards

50. Each player should be dealt three (3)
challenge cards from the Red Challenge Deck.
Keep voting and challenge cards facing you. So opponents can’t see.
your cards.
For the challenge game, each player should keep their voting cards.

51. Player One
must respond.
The challenger
must respond.
Two Types of Challenges, Plus a Zombie Card:
Zombie card steals a
Scenario card with no
effort or response.

52. Scenario Cards
1. Oldest player
draws first card.
Flips and responds
to scenario on card.
2. Face down, players vote or challenge
answer. Slide card to middle of the table.
Good answer: Green thumbs up.
Bad answer: Red thumbs down.
Challenge: Response is challenged.

53. Scenario Cards
3. Someone says “1-2-3 flip”. Revealing red, green or challenge.
4. Highest challenge number must be accepted by Player One.
In case of tie, the player being challenged chooses
which challenge to accept from the tied cards.

54. Scenario Cards
Voting Cards
5. After, the appropriate player responds (Player One or
Challenger). Remaining players vote on answer by sliding
voting cards to middle of the table face down.
Good answer:Green thumbs up.
Bad answer: Red thumbs down.
NO Challenge cards in this round.
7. If…
Majority = Green. Responding player wins Scenario card.
Majority = Red. Responding player looses Scenario card to other player.
Tie= Red/Green. Scenario card goes back in deck, no one wins the hand.
6. “1-2-3 flip”. Revealing red or green voting card.

55. Once Challenge cards are
played, they are placed on
the bottom of the Challenge
card deck.
Challenge Cards
Player must always have 3
challenge cards in hand.
Draw from top of challenge deck.

56. 1. Blue Scenario Cards are placed in the middle of the table.
2. Each player receives a green and a red voting card and three (3) challenge cards.
3. To start game, oldest player draws a blue scenario cards and reads the card.
4. Player responds to the scenario on the card.
5. When finished responding, other players slide, face down a voting or challenge card to middle of table.
a) If the player did a good job, slide the green card.(face down)
b) If the player did a bad job, slide the red card. (face down)
c) If you want to challenge, play a challenge card. Several challenges are available.
6. Cards are flipped at the same time revealing red or green face or a challenge card.
a) If only red or green cards are thrown, game works as before. Majority of color dictates outcome.
b) If a Challenge Card is thrown, challenge card with the highest number is activated.
c) If Challenge card is zombie card, player steals the scenario card. Nothing else needed.
7. For a challenge, player or challenger must respond to challenge card instructions.
a) Other players vote red or green on challenge.
i. If more red, responding player looses Scenario card to other player.
ii. If more green, responding player wins the Scenario card.
iii. If tie, Scenario card is shuffled back into the deck.
8. Continues until scenario cards are all gone.
9. Player with the most scenario cards at the end wins.
Zombie Sales Apocalypse™
Challenge Version

57. Evaluate ZSA: Card Game
1. What was the game goal? Was it fun?
2. What was the core dynamic? Was it fun?
3. What was the learning goal?
4. What were 1-3 mechanics (rules) that stood out?
Did they help – or confuse you?
5. What game elements did you notice?
6. How did you know how you were doing? (What
feedback did you get?)

58. Steps Three, Four, and Five
58

59. Set the learning foundation
59
Business Need Instructional Goal Player Persona
Learning
Objectives
Sell more product.
Present product in
proper light to
prospective clients,
effectively respond
to customer
inquiries.
New sales
representatives to
the organization.
Properly respond to
customer situation
with the right
approach and tone.

60. Game design decisions linked to
learning needs: ZSA
60
Game design decision Related learning design need
Collect scenarios Learners needed to experience different learning
scenarios to recognize how to handle different
situations.
Peer Vote Learners need to listen to how others respond to
situation and make judgements based on response.
Challenge Cards Learners need to think and react quickly to changes in
situation and need to think about customer’s situation
from different angles.

61. Best Practices
Design the learning game
to meet specific
instructional objectives.
Embed the learning game
into a curriculum.
Keep rules, scoring and
leveling simple.
Get learners comfortable
with the rules and game
play before they start.
Do not focus the game on
“winning” only.
Page
23

62. Create the game so
learners work in groups.
Make the game
interactive.
Plan for replayability.
The cognitive activities in
the game should match the
cognitive activities on-the-
job.
Determine metrics ahead
of time.
Winning should be primarily a result
of knowledge acquisition or creation.
Best Practices

63. Skipping
Playtesting.
Undertaking this process
without playing games.
Skipping the pilot.
Trying to teach
everything.
Focusing only on
fun.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Page
24

64. Tabletop Game Elements and
Considerations
Pages
25-26

65. Rise of Tabletop Games
• U.S. sales of board games grew by 28% between the
spring of 2016 and the spring of 2017 and revenues are
expected to rise at a similar rate into the early 2020s.
• In 2017 over 5,000 board games were introduced into the
U.S. market.
• Video game market only had an 18% growth rate.

66. Rise of Tabletop Games
• Non-digital games provide a framework to interact with
people in an easy manner, the rules have already been
set up so people can be in a social situation and relate to
others on a non-superficial level.
• Tabletop games are “social accelerants”

67. Rise of Tabletop games
• Tabletop games have a social component and a leveling
effect. When you play a game, everyone starts at the
same level, no one has a distinct advantage and
everyone can have an equal opportunity at success.

68. Go beyond traditional games for
inspiration.

69. Eurogames or German-style Board Games
• Randomized board layouts. The “board” or gamespace is
actually a series of tiles that are configured differently
each time the game is played. This allows for variation
and encourages replayability.

70. Roles and Role Cards Impact Play

71. Eurogames or German-style Board Games
• Multiple actions or activities per turn. A player can do
several actions all in one turn such as trade cards with
other players, trade-in cards, move from one space to
another, team up with another player or remove pieces
from the board.

72. • Often the rules are written right on the cards to avoid
having to memorize lengthy rules.
Eurogames or German-style Board Games

73. • Cooperation rather than competition. Players work
together to solve problems or dilemmas. The idea in
many of these games is to get out of a bad situation like
curing an epidemic in Pandemic or escaping an island in
an escape room game like Exit: The Secret Lab Game.
Eurogames or German-style Board Games

74. • Creation as a theme. In a game like Ticket to Ride, the
idea is to create a rail road empire. In organizations, the
goals are usually to build a client base, build a support
operation or actually build product.
Eurogames or German-style Board Games

75. • Equal participation until the end. In many of these game
types, there is a turn limit. The games provide
opportunities for every player to be involved until the end.
Eurogames or German-style Board Games

76. • Integrated activities are required to be successful. A
player “works to acquire A so they can invest in B, so that
they can trade for C, so they can build a D, which in turn
pumps out more A.”
Eurogames or German-style Board Games

77. Eurogames or German-style Board Games
• The games require players to perform in-game analysis
of the consequences, trade-offs and critical paths relating
one action to another.
– The games often models of complex systems which require the
player to understand how the works and the trade-off inherent
in the system.
– Much like actual work environments and economic systems of
which many employee are an integral part.

78. Tabletop Games
• Features and Functionality—Not as intricate as a game
designed to teach a system, games that teach features
and functionality are equally as important
– Most business oriented games in this category are propriety
because they are customized to a specific company’s product
but jumping off points can be simple games like Go Fish or
Crazy Eights.

79. CIA Board Game

82. CIA Chief Strategy Officer Rachel Grunspan says.
"If you design a game right,
you’ll see a lot of complexity organically emerge.
That’s what you want.”

83. Tabletop value
• Operational Thinking-Games are systems. In fact,
games are usually the intersections of several different
systems. Organizations are the same.
– Organizations are systems and games can be an effective
method of helping managers, directors and C-level leadership
consider the trade-offs, prioritizations and compromises that go
with managing multiple systems all competing for limited
resources.

84. Business Simulations
• Games to help you get to know how a company runs.
– Run a factory or run a lemonade or drink stand.

85. Process: Order Taking to Fulfillment
Department:/
Priority
Sales Operations Finance R&D
1
Sells large bulk order at
discount.
Time consuming to gear up to
create. Displaces smaller higher
margin orders.
Increases short term revenue.
Long-term increased
expenses (overtime, raw
materials).
No impact
Scoring +1000 to Sales -500 for operations + 500 current quarter
-700 subsequent quarter
0
2 Sells small orders spread out
over time.
Provides steady production Smaller short term revenue,
less expenses.
0
Scoring +500 +500 -200 current quarter
+700 subsequent quarter
Trade Off Table:

86. Process: Unwinding a Technology Bet
Department:/
Priority
Sales, Marketing and Service Product & Technology G&A
1
Marketing changes in terms of
message to customers
Time consuming and expensive to unwind in
short term, frees resources for innovation in
long term.
Decreases short term revenue. Mid-
term increased expenses (overtime,
raw materials).
Long-term Increased Revenue
Scoring -100 in Customer Satisfaction -500 for efficiency
-800 for Employee Satisfaction current
quarter
+ 800 for Employee satisfaction long term
+500 for Innovation subsequent quarter
-200 in revenue (first 2 quarters)
+100 increase in costs (first 2
quarters)
+500 (quarters 3 and 4)
Trade Off Table:

87. Enspire Talent Management

89. Steps Six, Seven, and Eight
89

90. Tabletop Game prototype example
Pages
27-31

92. What can you learn from a paper
prototype:
• How effective your game is at helping people learn what you
want them to learn.
• How engaging the game will be to learners. Is it “fun
enough”?
• Effectiveness of the game elements
• How clear the rules are and how they affect the fun and the
learning.
• The cognitive load on the learner – too high, too low, just
right?
• How complex the game might be to produce

93. How do you create one?
• Paper
• Scissors
• Crayons or markers
• Tape

96. 96
Scenario
Card

97. You Try!

98. Lessons Learned: Day One
98

99. Game Design Lessons
99
• Hard Process
• Go down some rabbit holes
• Trying to figure out what game mechanics and dynamics to
use
• Keeping track of the many parts
• Having a subject matter expert is a benefit/not having can be
a problem
• Tend to make things more complex than they need to be
• Always go back to the learning objective

100. Lessons Learned
100
• Different types of game
• Learning, Testing and Practice
• Check out different games to build game literacy
• Look for opportunities to create games
• Know your audience/Personas
• Core dynamics and knowing what to consider in the
game design
• European games (make you think)
• Rethinking games with focus on tabletop games.

101. Review Day One:
101

102. Playtesting: Three Types
102
• Concept Test
• Outside Development Team
• Beta Test with Target Audience
Page
32

103. Play Testing Questions to Use
What didn’t you like – and why?
Tester 1
Tester 2
Tester 3
Tester 4
Tester 5
Tester 6

104. Play Testing Questions to Use
Question Rate GAME NAME High/Medium/Low on these attributes.
Explain your ratings.
Fun I had
playing
Clarity – knew
what to do
Value in helping me
learn applications
associated w/ customer
type
Tester 1
Tester 2
Tester 3
Tester 4
Tester 5
Tester 6

105. Develop and Iterate: Tasks
105
• Project Manager
• Instructional Designer or Writer
• Game Designer
• Artist
• Programmer or Developer (digital game)
• Quality Assurance (for play-testing)

106. Step Nine: Deploy
106

107. What’s required for success?
107
Meaningful,
relevant game
experience
Comprehensive
logistics plan
Marketing and
communication
plan
• Well-written content
• Relevant examples
and context that
have timely value to
learner
Rollout schedule that includes:
• Timeline and key activities
for pre-launch, launch,
post-launch
• Specifics of
distribution/delivery
• Tactics for mitigating
risks/barriers to play.
Tactics for getting
players to engage with
game:
• Imagery/brandling
• Incentives
• Messages and targets
• Timing
• Distribution channels

108. Questions?
108

109. Thank You
109
karlkapp@gmail.com
www.karlkapp.com