"The Golden Gamers" Equitable and Inclusive Gaming Events for the Elderly presented by John Pappas Tabletop board gaming is a creative, multi-generational, social and fun activity. While there is a broad swatch of recreational activities for the 65+ crowd, generally gaming is left out. Conversations with the Senior Activities Board of the Upper Darby Libraries confirmed this with traditional video games providing an engaging experience but accessibility tends to be a challenge due to physical determinants (carpal tunnel, poor eyesight, arthritis) and experiential (with a large learning curve required for many video games). Tabletop board games provide an experience that is interactive, social, cognitive and engaging. With concerns over Alzheimer's and social isolation, this is an important subject for many seniors. The Primos Library instituted a series of programs "Tabletop Gaming at the Library" (intergenerational, weekly), The Game Designer's Guild (monthly, intergenerational) and the "Golden Gamers" (65+, Monthly-Weekly dependant upon interest) each providing a gaming experience for burgeoning and experienced gamers of any age. In this talk, Pappas will discuss the initial planning, marketing, collection development and community engagement elements of the series as well as successes and challenges. A large portion of the talk will be on game selection for this age group including issues such as the level of social interaction inherent in the game, types of games, levels of complexity and iconography.

1. EQUITY AND EQUALITY
IN GAMING
Board Game Events for the Elderly

2. Any question anytime…

3. Perfunctory Inspirational
Quote…
We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.
~ George Benard Shaw

4. Board games are
multigenerational

5. A little background
 Tabletop Gaming at the
Library
 Weekly,
intergenerational, mostly
gateway games
 Game Designer’s Guild
 Monthly,
intergenerational,
design, learn, create,
play-test.
 Pick and Play
 Monthly, teens,
Board Games at the Primos Branch Library

6. Demographics
 50% of attendees
were 55+.
 50% of attendees
were female.
 The rest were mostly
30[ish] male.
 Led me to think that a
gaming event
targeted for seniors
was both warranted
and needed.
Tabletop Gaming at the
Library
The “Over the Hill” Gamers of
Newtown, PA. [meetup]
Motto: We're old but we still
game.

7. “Modern” board game event
basics
 Teach.
 Encourage help.
 Start simple and work up [or not].
 Make connections to past or well-known
games.
 Just like storytelling, be confident even if
you’re falling apart.
 Answer questions and guide throughout the
game.
 Avoid jargon.
 Don’t touch a persons’ bits, cards or pieces

8. A few words on teaching
games.
 Moderate, don’t play.
 Unless you need to, don’t play.
 Allow for half the playing time for instruction.
 If the game lasts 30 minutes then allow for 15 extra
minutes.
 Know the game before you play.
 Read the rules and have at least one play-through
 Teach in the following order
 What is the game about?
 What do I do?
 How do I win?
 Use scaffolding for complex games.
 Debrief afterwards with a post-mortem.

9. A guide with pictures.
Preconceptions

10. Source: Rapid City Public Library North, Gaming Afternoons, Rapid City,
SD.
When we think of gaming, does this pop into your
head?

11. Source: A Knit Wits session at the Active Senior Network Room in the
Berea (Ohio) Recreation Center.
When you think of adult programs do you think of
this…

12. Some of us even think of this…
Source: Wii Bowling for Adults at the Library
Lester Public Library, Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Source: Bowling in the Library,
Danbury Public Library, Danbury
Connecticut.

13. I think of this…older ladies with guns.

14. Increases in multitasking, cognitive abilities, working memory, and
attention sustainment over time while playing specially designed video
games. [source]
Potential “application to other brain-related disorders such as attention-
“Video game training enhances cognitive control in
older adults”

15. Obligatory Survey Data
 Seniors tend to play games more
frequently than young adults.
 Over one-third of gamers 65+ say
they play games everyday or almost
everyday.
 Almost half of all adult gamers
reported playing games at least a
few times a week.
Adults and Video Games Dec 7, 2008 by Amanda Lenhart, Sydney Jones, Alexandra Macgill

17. Let’s talk about a few things:
Game Weight
Player Interactivity
Game Mechanics and Theme
Before we dive in…

18. Game Weight
 Light
 Medium
 Heavy
 Game Weight will
depend on:
 Decision Space
 Length of Rules
 Play time
 Strategy vs. Luck
 Atmosphere
 Accessibility of
theme

19. Player Interaction
 Solitary Games
 Minimal interaction
 Friendly Competition
 Encourage interaction
through a shared board
and personal
objectives.
 Direct Competition
 Main mechanic is
confrontation with other
players.
 Cooperative
 Players work together
towards a goal.
1. How much noise is appropriate in the
library?
2. What space am I considering – an
open, accessible space or closed,
exclusive space.
3. Am I encouraging new players?

20. Mechanics and Theme
 The "moving parts" of
the game, the rules,
how the games is
played.
 A game with a focus
on mechanisms focus
on what you are doing
rather than the story
surrounding those
actions.
 The story, setting,
premise and
character of a game.
 With a heavily
thematic game,
game play will be
immersive.
Mechanics Theme

21. Birth of the Golden Gamers
•Evaluation of need
•Goals
•Collection Development
Development

22. Evaluation of need
 Issues with Video Games:
 Accessibility tends to be a challenge
due to physical determinants (carpal
tunnel, poor eyesight, arthritis)
 Large learning curve
 Lack of a social experience.
 Benefits of tabletop board games
 Interactive, social experience.
 Cognitively challenging.
 Wide range of decision space.
 Familiar themes.
 Difficulties of tabletop board games
 Large rule-set.
 Lots of fine print (on cards, boards).
 Crazy mechanics (what is a worker
placement?)
Upper Darby Library Senior Activities Board

23. Goal Number 1
 Choose games with
 small, simple rule-sets.
 familiar mechanics used in
interesting ways.
 Find games which
 focus on singular
mechanics.
 have familiar themes.
 are social.
 Play quickly with minimal
set-up time.
Lower the barrier of entry of
gaming for seniors.
No rule books. Quick to learn.
Easy to teach.
Board games are the only hobby that
you need to pass a written and
speaking exam before you start. ( Rob
Daviau, designer)

24. Goal Number 2
 85% of the
attendees of regular
board gaming group
are not card holders.
 Next step: Journey
to senior centers,
retirement homes,
schools.
Community outreach centered around a
positive and emerging cultural building
medium.
Go places! Meet people!

25. Goal Number 3:
 Recognize the culture of
your library/group and
build around it.
 Experimentation and
Interaction. (Modern
Board/Card Games,
Design)
 Comfort and Familiarity.
(Classic Games/Mass
Market)
 Competition and
Interaction. (Chess,
Bridge, Scrabble)
 Interaction. (Party/Social
Games)
Encourage constructive play,
social learning and friendly
competition.

26. Goal 4: Support learning and
explore a diversity of board games.

27. Collection development hints:
 Start with a small, diverse collection.
 Keep initial games inexpensive ($8-$35
each).
 Be sure they are in print from reliable
publishers.
 Purchase online for good deals.
 Purchase from brick & mortar stores for
goodwill.
 Encourage sharing of games.
 Build the collection as group aligns toward

28. Find help and support!
 A staff person who may be a hobby board
gamer.
 Contact local game shops.
 Peruse Meetup.com for any board game
groups.
 Contact board game publishers. Ask for
educational discounts or demo copies. [hint:
request “dinged” copies]
 Start with what you have or what people can
provide.

29. 10 Board Games that aren’t
Scary!

30. 1) Sushi Go!
 Card Drafting
 Set Collection
 Plays in 15-20
minutes
 2-5 players
 Next Step?
 7 Wonders
 Seasons
Collect sushi. Score points.
Pass cards.

31. 2) Augustus
 Plays like, but
doesn’t feel like,
Bingo.
 Completes objective
by pulling symbols
from a sack and
placing on cards.

32. 3) Las Vegas
 Introduces area
control/influence.
 Players roll and place dice on
casinos to for payouts.
 2-5 players (can expand to 7
with extra dice).
 Plays in 30 minutes.
 Next Step?
 Small World
 Kingdom Builder
 Tammany Hall
Roll dice. Dominate casinoes.

33. 4) Incan Gold!
 Press Your Luck
game.
 Players decide
whether to go deeper
into a temple for
treasure or play it
safe and head back to
camp.
 3-8 players.
 Plays in 20 minutes.
With great risks come great
rewards!

34. 5) Bohnanza
 Negotiation/Trading
 Collect sets of
beans to “harvest”
for money.
 2-7 players.
 Plays in 45 minutes.
 Next Step?
 Settlers of Catan
Collect Beans/Harvest for
Cash.

35. 6) Citadels
Take a role, build a city.
 Variable player roles.
 Each round players draft a
new role.
 2-8 players.
 Plays in 45-60 minutes.
 Can play a shortened
version of the game.
 Next Steps?
 Flash Point: Fire
Rescue
 Pandemic

36. 7) Hanabi
 Card game where you
can’t look at your cards!
 Players can play a card,
discard a card or give a
hint.
 Everyone works together
to create a fireworks
display.
 2-5 players, 30 minutes.
 Next Steps?
 Pandemic
 Flash Point: Fire Rescue
 Forbidden Island
Look at everyone’s cards but
your own!

37. 8) For Sale
 Auction/Bidding
 players bid for buildings
then sell the buildings
for the greatest profit
possible.
 Next Steps?
 Alhambra
 Going, Going, Gone
 Power Grid
 Ra

38. 9) Skull
 A game of
bidding/bluffing.
 Minimal components.
Simple game play.
 Lots of player
interaction.
 3-6 players, 30-45
minutes.

39. 10) SOS Titanic
 Cooperative solitaire
themed to the
Titanic.
 Moving cards
around the board
similar to a game of
Solitaire.
 Plays 1-5, 30-45
minutes.

40. These open the gates for so many
more….
 Alhambra ~ markets
 Carcassonne ~ tile-placement
 Dixit ~ storytelling
 Dominion ~ deck-building
 Kingdom Builder ~ area
influence/control
 King of Tokyo ~ press your luck
 Mascarade ~ social games,
bluffing
 Stone Age ~ worker-placement
 Letters from Whitechapel ~
hidden movement
 Ticket to Ride ~ route-building
 Ra ~ bidding
 Takenoko ~ action point allowance

41. Post Mortem
 What about the game was
frustrating?
 Did you have fun with this game?
 Would you want to play similar
games?
 Would you play a similar game if it
were more difficult?
 Did you enjoy the interactions with
other players?
 Would you play it again?

42. John Pappas
Board Game Reviews:
www.Trollitc.com
Board in the Library Series:
http://www.webjunction.org/news/w
ebjunction/board-in-the-library-part-
one.html
Blog:
www.couldshouldabuddha.com
Email: johndawpappas@gmail.com
Shoot me an email if you are
interested in a suggested list of
gateway games for libraries and
Questions?