Monthly Archives: February 2016

Board Game Jam: Creating Openly-Licensed Board Games

At Innovative Learning Week this year we worked with students to develop board games using images from the CRC Flickr account as inspiration. Their challenge was to design a game which used at least three images from Open Educational Resource sites, one of which had to come from the CRC collection. The games also had to include at least three different game mechanics, be openly licensed and have a full set of rules.

Our groups created four fantastic and diverse games and we filmed them explaining their games. Read more below and view the full playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwJ2VKmefmxqqLjTK3kQrsASfefaVWz_K.

Apocalypse Later

Apocalypse Later is a card game in which players cooperate to overcome challenges ranging from volcano eruptions through to a zombie apocalypse, drawing and playing cards to gain advantages and advance in the game. One character is secretly a ‘mole’, whose sole purpose is to prevent the team from winning the game! The game features images from Anton Koberger’s German bible, the seal of Robert the Bruce and a decorated page from the Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the CRC image collection.

Game rules: bit.ly/1TgeKbf

Cultured Ai (Arts for Ai)

In this art-themed board game, players take control of larvae hunting for works of art in various locations across the University. The larvae are highly cultured beings and need inspiration from art works in order to stay alive! Players draw cards representing different types of art (e.g. painting, sculpture) and have to decide whether to play them immediately for in-game bonuses / penalties or retain them for scoring at the end of the game. The player with the highest art value at the end is the winner. Cultured Ai (Arts for Ai) uses CRC plans of McEwan Hall, the Medical School and Glencoe Ballachulish for the game board.

Game Rules: Bit.ly/1mwFqGk

 The Mouse Hunt

In The Mouse Hunt, players compete in two teams vying for domination of an 18th century Edinburgh tenement! On one side, a team of mice attempts to drive the human inhabitants mad by digging tunnels and making a lot of noise. On the other side, humans set traps and try to rid the house of the rodent infestation! The house in which the game is set was inspired by historical images of Edinburgh from the CRC collection.

Game Rules: Bit.ly/1ox6G9y

Mythical Continents

In Mythical Continents, players sail the seven seas fighting monsters and collecting relics hidden across the globe. Movement is governed by a wind dial (modelled on the Kalendar and Astronomical Tables from the CRC collection) and players complete to bring all treasures back to Nessie, drawing event and monster cards along the way!

Game Rules: bit.ly/20Zi3os

We had great fun designing board games  and would be very keen to run the session again – please do get in touch if you’d be interested in being involved!

More information on finding, creating, and sharing your own Open Educational Resources can be found on the Open.Ed website.

Gavin Willshaw and Stephanie (Charlie) Farley

(Thanks also to Danielle Howarth for all the pictures and videos!)