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What is it about a game that makes it addicting? A game that you just need to come back to? My husband had me download the iPod Ticket to Ride App a while back, telling me that we may want to play it together. For an early Father’s Day present, we bought the board game for Ticket to Ride. When we played it for the first time, I realized there was a game that didn’t have multi-layered complexity for me to figure out. It was me, my tickets, my tracks— and keeping an eye out for the guy who gets in my way. Ironically, I won the first game I played against Kevin. This doesn’t happen very often.
I was playing yellow.
Over the few days, I’ve played a lot of Ticket to Ride. Part of it is that the school year is done, and I need a distraction. Normally I would pick up a book, but with a sick kid, it’s nice to have a few minutes distraction in your hand. I’ve always loved logic puzzles. And, pushing Ticket to Ride to its limit has been fun.
I got nine tickets completed in one game. Now I’ve discovered other Achievements to get. This is the type of game that doesn’t take too long digitally, where the points are tallied and you don’t have a four-year-old trying to lay all of your (yellow) trains. I’ve found it’s just enough addicting to be motivation. Each room of my house got picked up this morning. I would pick up a room, play a game, and repeat.
Purchase at amazon.com
Tonight we played Small World, by the same publisher Days of Wonder. After my first time playing this game a while back, I wasn’t as interested. There were a lot of elements to watch. Different raees with different abilities, coupled with different powers. You have to think about your current race, all your races in decline, the possible upcoming elements. A little more complicated than my little trains and me.
I did get a bit of a luck of the draw tonight. I drew Berserking Amazons. Wow, what a broken combination! But, rather than run rampant over the board for the entire game, I switched up a few times. I did end up winning the game, as I rarely do over my game-minded husband. But, it was by just one point. I could have played a boring game, staying as the Amazon. But, what fun is that? I love to play a little reckless.
So, my next goal? Trying to get more than 9 tickets in one game of Ticket to Ride….
How does this tie into education? How can we recreate some of these same elements in our classrooms? How can we get kids thinking, strategizing, and taking risks (even if they may fail.) Failure is not always okay in the real world. But in a game? I will take a gamble and take on two more tickets. Or four.
Are these students in the generation we are teaching? We are trying to connect to kids who are otherwise not succeeding. Are they boys? This is a stereotype that may just fit. I am rare find to be a gaming girl. Can they work together, if it is to achieve a common good? Are they able to think steps ahead and take some risks? Hpw can we gamify our classrooms?