FAQs

FAQs

Do you need to like or know how to play games to be able to play?

No. The game has a facilitator who can manage all the ‘game’ aspects for players if necessary. They will also read out key parts of the game to also reduce the need for reading for players. Players are not competing with each other, nor do they need to track resources etc as in other games. TAG is fundamentally a structured conversation about place and adaptation based on scenarios and maps that show in a simplified way, what might happen for a community in a shock event. It can be as light or heavy as players have appetite for.

How long does the game take to play?

The game can be used in a few ways that provide value and different experiences:

• 3-4 hours - A full play including 4 rounds of storytelling will take 3-4 hours. Our experience with community shows us that while this seems like a long time, it passes very quickly for players and is enjoyable in the conversations they have. 

• 1.5-2 hours - The game can be scaled down to only 1-2 rounds and still be impactful and valuable, reducing burden on players in finding time to play. 

• Less than 1 hour - Alternatively, in some community settings we have found that the game components themselves can host an illuminating discussion usually centered around the Shock maps and Trouble Cards. People express connection to place and often surprise at the maps. Trouble card often inspire stories of experiences and ideas for adaptation.

How can the game assist with community engagement?

TAG players tell stories about about themselves, their place and their lives during the game that would be hard to bring out in a traditional engagement context. While the focus of the conversation is predetermined, where players choose to take the discussion is completely player-led. This can lead to insights that may have benefit from an engagement perspective, such as:

• What types of council-led adaptation hold the most value or interest for community

• What types of personal adaptation seem in-reach for community members eg. Are they making built environment solutions? Are they thinking about connecting to neighbours? Do they have creative and unexpected ideas about adaptation? Etc.

• What do they know about what is already happening in their area and what knowledge gaps might exist

• What knowledge do players have about what happens in their local area of which council/leaders may not have awareness