This document discusses using board games as tools for creative learning and research. It defines games and outlines the history of board games. Key elements of modern board games that enhance learning are themes that convey information, engaging artwork, and interactive gameplay mechanics. The conclusion states that board games can simplify real-world problems, enable comparison of strategies, and be fun to interact with. By optimizing themes, gameplay, and artwork, board games can effectively support learning and research, making them a promising option for developing countries.

1. Creative
Learning
Through Modern
&Research Board Game
Eko Nugroho & Adieb Aryasepta Haryadi
Presented at the Triple Helix 10th International Conference

2. INTRODUCTION

3. What
GAME
Really is?
Definition of game:
Any activities or media that
share the following four
defining traits:
1) a goal,
2) rules,
3) a feedback system, and
4) voluntary participation.
- Jane McGonigal, Reality is Broken

4. Get to Know
BOARD GAME THE OLDEST FORM OF COMPLEX GAMES
ancient board games like Senet, the use of board game by ancient people:
Mancala, and Go are invented 1. as a form of recreation
and played since 2. a profound ritual
3. the ability to play board games well is regarded as
3000 BC a sign of intelligence and learning

5. MONOPOLY
In 1903, Elizabeth Magie invented Landlord
Game. Through the game, she intended to show
that rents enriched property owners and
impoverished tenants. The game now is known
as Monopoly.

6. MODERN BOARD GAME
Spiel des The Settlers
Monopoly Jahres of Catan is
is published is launched published
1903 1930 1949 1979 1983 1995
Landlord Cluedo is the first
Game is published Essen Games
invented Fair is held
between 1982 and 1994 the Europe
(especially German) game market
experienced strong and rapid growth

7. Board Game as
LEARNING & RESEARCH TOOLS
At first, games and board games
were studied from a historical
perspective. In 1944, Von Neumann and Morgenstern
provided a basis for using games and board
games in the computer sciences and economics,
such as in the field of game theory.
Research on board games accelerated with research on Chess, which has
proved fundamental in the cognitive sciences.

8. Board Game as
LEARNING & RESEARCH TOOLS
1. The opportunity to present a simplified models of real life problems
2. Tried-and-tested methods to compare strengths of different players,
different situations, and different parameters, thus the data and be used as
In 1944, Von Neumann can Morgenstern
a sample to compare and understand different approach to problems board
provided a basis for using games and
3. High level of interactivity games in the computer sciences and economics,
such as in the field of game theory.
Board game plays important role in learning and research processes because
its simplicity in design process and its high interactivity.
WHY?

9. ELEMENTS
of Modern Board Game
THEME
ARTWORK
GAMEPLAY

10. THEME
The theme presented can be seen as the information that
the game wants to deliver to the players, while in some
situations it can just be a “makeup” to make the game
more interesting.
It helps to deliver a motivation to play.

11. THEME
SIMPANG DAGO
In 2010, we have done small project of designing a board game called
Simpang Dago.
The majority respond is that people tend to be more aware
about the culinary aspect in Simpang Dago. The project
highlighted one of potential use of theme to deliver new
information effectively.

12. ARTWORK
It has the ability to enhance the players’
experience during the game.
It is the interface of the game.

13. GAMEPLAY
It is easier to call it the game
mechanics, or in a vague sense,
what the players do during the
game.
“The essential play activity players perform again and again
in a game”
Salen and Zimmerman in Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals

14. Deck/Pool Building Point to Point Movement
Area-Impulse Auction/Bidding
Acting
Campaign/Battle Card Driven
Dice Rolling Storytelling Area
Enclosure
Action Point Allowance System Worker Placement
Area Control/Area Influence
Commodity Speculation
Time Track
Area Movement Route/Network Building
Roll/Spin and Move Chit-Pull System Trading
TYPES of GAME MECHANICS
Rock-Paper-Scissors Crayon Rail System
Press Your Luck Set Collection Role Playing
Pick-up and Deliver Hand Management Secret Unit Deployment
Pattern Recognition
Tile Placement Voting
Pattern Building Hex-and-Counter Stock Holding
Trick-taking
Card Drafting Modular Board
Partnerships
Paper-and-Pencil Line Drawing
Singing Variable Phase Order
Variable Player Powers
Memory Simulation
Co-operative Play Betting/Wagering Simultaneous Action Selection

15. &
Play, Learn, Research

16. Photo: happenchance.net
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop
playing.”
George Bernard Shaw

17. Photo: smithery.co
“Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought. “
Albert Einstein

18. Photo: play-basedclassroom.blogspot.com
“We don’t grow into creativity. We grow out of it, rather, we get educated out
of it.”
Sir Ken Robinson

19. motivation
curiousity
challenge

20. LUDUS & PAIDIA
Paidia
In the seminal work Man, Play, and Games, the
sociologist Roger Caillois described all forms of play,
including games, as being positioned on an axis between
two extreme points: Ludus and Paidia.
Ludus
Paidia Ludus
“a primary power of “a taste for gratuitous difficulty”
improvisation and joy”

21. LEARNING & RESEARCH
Learning is the ability to absorb new information through our senses, then process and
store the useful bits to be used in future.
Supervised Learning: Reinforcement Learning:
the agent is taught how to respond to the agent is not taught how to behave,
given situation rather it has a “free choice” in how to
behave.
Being able to design a game that support the paidic play is indeed one
important condition for our purpose because it provide an environment for
players to explore their options in the game with the most flexibility.
The situation in which players have the most flexibility of exploring their
options and to implement reinforcement learning by their own choice is the
optimal situation in any learning and research environment.

22. Optimizing
Board Game
to Enhance
Creative Learning &
Research Processes

23. CONCLUSION
•Board game has the ability to present a simplified models of real life problems.
•Board game offers tried-and-tested methods to compare strengths of different
players, different situations, and different parameters, thus the data can be
used as a sample to compare and understand different approach to problems.
•Board game provides high level interactivity which is necessary to transform
any data collecting process to be fun and enjoyable.
•By optimizing three major elements in board game: theme, gameplay, and
artwork, board game can be transformed into an effective learning and
research tools.
•Because board game is relatively simple to design and cheap to produce, its
usage to enhance the effectivity of learning and research processes in
developing country may be an interesting option.

24. Thank You presentation design by @riocino
Eko Nugroho Adieb A. Haryadi
His research interests are in the areas of His interests are game design, system design,
game theory, game design, and and media.
interactive learning process. adiebharyadi@gmail.com
enugroho@gmail.com Follow @adiebharyadi
Follow @eNugroho