About the meal deal card game that simulates gig meal delivery work to highlight some of the challenges these workers face. A collaboration of the flipgig and switch-gig projects. http://www.flipgig.org, https://switchgig.wordpress.com

1. Meal Deal
Oliver Bates and Ben Kirman

2. Premise
š The working lives of gig economy couriers is hectic, complex and
often times unfair.
š Meal Deal is a card game that models a simplified but
representative system of marginalisation experienced by gig
working couriers”
š Couriers are marginalised in numerous, invisible ways
š Couriers also enjoy parts of the work
š Influenced by fieldwork with gig economy couriers in Manchester,
York and Edinburgh, Meal Deal articulates the lived experiences
of couriers to raise awareness and challenge preconceptions of
workers providing an essential service through Covid-19 and the
everyday lives of millions of global customers.

4. Meal Deal Intro
š Meal Deal is a game about cycle delivery that puts you in the role of a courier using an
app to find work. It is for 1-4 players and takes around 30 minutes to play.
š The aim of the game is to make enough money to pay rent, by taking courier jobs
delivering food and groceries by bicycle, and dealing with the challenges of this kind of
work.

5. Setting up the game
š Separate the cards into the three decks: Resources, Events and Jobs. Shuffle each deck
and put them within reach of every player.
š Each player will need some space in front of them to lay out cards.

6. PLAYING THE GAME
š Meal Deal is played over 3 rounds, each representing a day of work. At the end of the 3
days you will calculate your earnings and hopefully pay rent.
š At the start of each day, deal each player 7 resource cards.
š During the day, players take turns completing jobs. Play proceeds clockwise until all
players have passed. Some players may have more turns than others.
š At the end of each day, clean up by shuffling discarded cards into their respective decks.

7. DOING JOBS
š At the start of your turn, if you have any face up jobs (rejected jobs) discard them now.
š Next, turn over the top card of the job deck so all players can see. Job cards describe the
energy required ( ) to complete that job, the job value (£) and sometimes extra symbols
or rules.
š You may choose to reject this job.
š If you reject this job, leave the card face up in front of you. Other players may complete
this job in their turn. Turn over a new job from the job deck.
š You can only reject one job a turn, and you are not permitted to complete a job that you
have already rejected.
š If you rejected the job or not, now you must choose a job to complete. This can be the
face up job from the deck, or a face up card in front of another player.

8. DOING JOBS
š Immediately pay the cost of the job in energy to the energy discard pile. Some energy
cards are higher value than others. No change is given if you overpay.
š If you cannot afford the energy cost, you may not complete this job. If there are no job
cards available that you can afford, you must pass and the day is over for you, even if you
have remaining energy.

9. RESOLVING EVENTS
š After paying for a job, you must draw an event card from the event deck. Events
represent the uncertainty in gig work, and might be nothing, or could be a negative or
positive effect. Resolve the text on the card and discard the event card.
š If the event card means you can no longer complete the job, also discard the job card to
the job discard pile. Any energy cards already spent are lost.
š Play continues clockwise until all players have passed, at which point a new day begins.

10. Credits
š Meal Deal is designed by Oliver Bates
and Ben Kirman, illustrations are by
Emily Martin
(https://www.emilymartin.uk/).
š Meal Deal is funded by Digital
Economy Telling Tales of Engagement
2020 as part of UKRI Digital Economy
Theme.
š The game has been developed based
on the outcomes of the Switch-Gig
and Flip-Gig projects that explore the
worker perspective of the gig
economy. More information on these
projects can be found at
https://switchgig.wordpress.com and
http://www.flipgig.org/