Podcast Summary
Board games as a reflection of life: Exploring deeper board games can provide valuable insights into relationships, decision making, and cultural shifts, mirroring real-life situations with low-stakes consequences
Board games offer more than just entertainment; they can provide valuable insights into relationships, decision making, and cultural shifts. Author Jonathan Kay, in his book "Your Move: What Board Games Can Teach Us About Life," explores this idea. He discusses the board game renaissance and how modern games are more nuanced and complex than classic ones. Games reflect the values and attitudes of their time, with cooperative games like Pandemic teaching us about handling difficult people and Dead of Winter highlighting conflicting interests. Monopoly, despite its divisiveness, can teach resilience. Kay recommends exploring deeper board games for their thought-provoking potential, as they can mirror real-life situations with low-stakes consequences. Essentially, board games serve as a testing ground for understanding human behavior and the complexities of life.
European board games: From war to creation: European board games have evolved from militaristic and complicated war games to more complex and strategic Eurogames, offering a fusion of complexity and fun, allowing players to build and create rather than focusing on war.
The board game industry has seen a significant shift in the past few decades, moving away from simple, mass-produced games towards more complex and strategic Eurogames. This evolution began in Europe in the late 1980s and 1990s as a response to the militaristic and complicated war games popular during the 1970s, which were a reminder of the devastating effects of war in Europe following World War II. Eurogames, such as Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride, offer a fusion of complexity and fun, allowing players to build and create rather than focusing on war. This trend has continued for over 25 years, transforming the board game landscape and offering a rich psychological laboratory for studying competition, cooperation, and strategy.
Eurogames: A Shift Towards Passive Competition: Eurogames offer a more enjoyable experience through indirect competition, shorter playtimes, and cultural exploration, while still maintaining a level of competitiveness.
Eurogames represent a shift in board game design, moving away from direct, aggressive competition and towards a more passive, enjoyable experience. These games, such as Settlers of Catan, allow players to compete indirectly, focusing on growing and expanding their own territories rather than destroying their opponents. This indirect competition leads to a more pleasant gaming experience and reduces the bitterness that could arise from traditional games like Risk or Monopoly. Additionally, Eurogames often have shorter playtimes, making them more accessible for people with limited time. Furthermore, Eurogames can serve as a means to explore and understand different cultures' values, as exemplified by the original Game of Life, which was designed to teach virtues and values in the Victorian era. Despite the passive competition, Eurogames still maintain a level of competitiveness, making for an engaging and enjoyable gaming experience.
The Evolution of the Perception of Purpose in Games: From moral lessons to entertainment, games have evolved significantly in their perceived purpose, with some emphasizing luck and others decision-making.
The perception of the purpose of life has evolved significantly over time, from avoiding moral pitfalls in a Victorian era to a more materialistic focus in the modern era. This shift is reflected in games like Snakes and Ladders, which were once seen as a way to learn moral lessons, but are now often played for entertainment without much strategic thought. The deterministic nature of these games, where outcomes are based on luck rather than decision-making, raises philosophical questions about whether they can even be considered games. Despite this, they remain popular, suggesting that people approach games with varying psychological expectations, some preferring to be passive observers rather than active decision-makers. For instance, the classic game Uncle Wiggly, which involves a rabbit trying to get medicine, has been around since the 1910s and continues to be enjoyed by families today.
Exploring human behavior through board games: Board games have evolved throughout history, reflecting societal shifts and offering insights into negotiation and human behavior.
The evolution of board games reflects the cultural shifts of their respective eras. From the morally-themed and complex games of the Victorian era and early 20th century to the simplified, TV-themed games of the 1950s and 1980s, and now to the strategically rich Euro games of today, board games have continually adapted to their societal contexts. These games not only provide entertainment but also offer valuable insights into decision-making, particularly in the realm of negotiation. For instance, games like Chinatown and No Thing, which focus primarily on negotiation, can teach us about rational and irrational decision-making. The ultimatum game, a social psychology experiment modeled in Chinatown, highlights the intricacies of cooperative behavior and vindictiveness in human interactions. Ultimately, board games serve as an engaging and accessible medium to explore various aspects of human behavior and social dynamics.
Asserting Honor: Spiting Yourself for Reputation: People may intentionally cause short-term pain to build long-term reputation by asserting their honor in various contexts, including board games and relationships.
People may choose to spite themselves in certain situations as a long-term reputation-building tool, even if it causes short-term pain. This behavior, rooted in evolutionary psychology, can be seen in various contexts, including board games and interpersonal relationships. The instinct to assert one's honor and show that one is not easily taken advantage of can lead to behaviors that may seem irrational in the moment but serve a larger purpose in the long run. However, it's important to note that this instinct can be taken to extremes and may not apply to all individuals or situations. It's most commonly observed in individuals who make their living in board game subcultures or those who are new to the hobby and unaware of the proper protocols.
Lessons from Cooperative Games: Cooperative games teach teamwork and the importance of equal participation. Prevent alpha player dominance for optimal group dynamics.
Cooperative games, like Pandemic, offer valuable lessons about group dynamics. These games require players to work together to achieve a common goal, and the consequences of success or failure impact everyone involved. However, there are common pitfalls, such as the alpha player problem, where one dominant individual takes control, leaving others with little agency. This issue can hinder the effectiveness and enjoyment of the group experience. It's essential to encourage equal participation and collaboration to maximize the benefits of cooperative games and real-life group projects.
Learning team management from cooperative board games: Cooperative board games offer insights into managing team conflicts and fostering equitable work environments by encouraging collaboration and preventing power imbalances through mechanisms like time limits or trust-based systems.
Effective management of teams and projects can be learned from the design of cooperative board games, specifically those that incorporate a public objective with private personal goals. The alpha player problem, where one individual dominates and marginalizes others, is a common issue in both gaming and organizational settings. Solutions to this problem include limiting time for decision-making or implementing a system of trust where individuals have their own secret objectives. These mechanisms encourage collaboration and prevent power imbalances. However, it's important to note that while these strategies may be effective in games, they can be challenging to implement in real-life organizational contexts where a shared mission is essential. Nonetheless, understanding the dynamics of cooperative games can provide valuable insights into managing team conflicts and fostering a more equitable work environment.
Exploring the Impact of Board Games on Organizational Dynamics: Board games reveal insights into teamwork, collaboration, and power dynamics in organizations. Cooperative games like Dead of Winter foster unity, while games like Monopoly create divisions and strife. Modern games, like Catan, balance these elements to promote fairness and recovery.
Board games, particularly those with a cooperative or inclusive design, offer a nuanced perspective on the unspoken stresses and power dynamics within organizations. Dead of Winter, for instance, allows players to experience the challenges of teamwork and collaboration. On the other hand, games like Monopoly, despite its widespread popularity, create divisions and strife due to its winner-takes-all design and elimination mechanism. Monopoly's unstable economic dynamics and lack of safety nets for struggling players make it a harsh and unforgiving game, much like some real-world industries. Modern board games, such as Catan, address these issues by incorporating mechanisms that allow players to recover from setbacks and maintain a sense of fairness. This discussion highlights the importance of considering the design and dynamics of games, both in the board game world and in real-life organizational contexts.
Modifying Board Games for Fun and Learning: Customizing board games adds excitement and fosters learning from mistakes, promoting resilience and problem-solving skills, especially for children.
People modify old board games to make them more engaging and fun, often by introducing elements of failure and post-game analysis. Monopoly, for instance, has been customized with rules like the lottery or the free parking rule. These modifications add spice to the game and create a sense of transgression, especially in casual gaming subcultures. The habit of post-game analysis, which is common among board game hobbyists, has influenced the speaker's way of thinking and problem-solving in various aspects of his life. It encourages resilience and the ability to learn from mistakes, which is an important characteristic, especially for children. The speaker believes that this habit has been developed through his involvement in the board game subculture and his love for post-game analysis discussions.
Learning from games: Winning and losing: Games offer a safe space to experiment, learn strategies, and adapt to new situations, making them valuable tools for personal growth.
Viewing life through the lens of games, whether winning or losing, can provide valuable lessons and insights. Games offer a low-risk environment to experiment, learn, and apply strategies to real-life situations. Starting with simpler, shorter games like Splendor, Can't Stop, Azul, or Sagrada can be an excellent introduction to the Euro game genre. These games not only provide an engaging experience but also offer opportunities for tactile interaction and strategic thinking. By embracing the learning opportunities presented by games, one can develop a more adaptive and resilient mindset.
Exploring the World of Board Games with Author Jonathan Kay: Jonathan Kay, an expert on board games, recommends reaching out to him for recommendations and insights, and his book 'Your Move' is available for purchase with additional resources at AOM.IS/boardgames.
Jonathan Kay, co-author of the book "Your Move," is passionate about board games and is always happy to share recommendations and insights with others. The book is available on Amazon and other bookstores, and you can find more resources related to the topic in our book notes at AOM.IS/boardgames. Kay encourages those who are interested in board games to reach out to him on Twitter (@JONKAY) or through DMs for recommendations. The AOM Podcast, where this conversation took place, is available for ad-free listening on Stitcher Premium using the code MANLYNESS at checkout for a free month trial. Don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcast or Stitcher to support the show, and consider sharing it with someone who might find it valuable. As always, put what you've heard into action!
