Games available

Rickshaw Simulation Game

Explore the kinds of jobs people do to make ends meet in poor communities. What are the pressures on the working poor in India?

• Complexity: Simple, little setup required
• 
Played in: Anywhere you have some running-around space
• 
Intended age group: Primary School upwards

• Group size: 12+

• Time Required: 15 - 45 minutes

Basti Life

Families become paper-bag makers for survival and have to contend with unfair shopkeepers, debt collectors, and other hazards of slum life. It also explores the possibilities of positive social change through community development work in a Basti.

• Time required: 1.5 -2 hours
• Intended age group: Secondary school, ideally Grade 8 and up
• Group size: 30

Monsoon

Become an Indian farming family and explore issues of poverty, justice and faith under the fickle Indian monsoon.

Originally developed by SEARCH of India to help train people working in these communities, Monsoon is a realistic and highly interactive simulation game that focuses on some of the dynamics of poverty in an imaginary village near Mysore in India.

• Complexity: High, with extensive preparation required.
• Played in: a large hall or open space
• Time required: 2-3 hours
• Intended age group: Secondary school
• Group size: 30 - 100

Level Playing Field

Explore issues of global aid, trade and debt as part of a game of touch football.

• Complexity: Medium, little setup required. The game also assumes a working knowledge of the basic rules of touch football.
• Played in: A football field, park or playground
• Intended age group: Upper Secondary and above
• Group size: 8 - 30
• Time Required: 30 - 60 minutes

Education Makes a Difference

Why is it important to have an education? What are some of the difficulties you face if you can’t read and write? This Kids 4 Kids simulation game is set in a slum in New Delhi, India, and helps children understand the importance of literacy.

• Complexity: moderate. You will need to prepare materials before-hand, but there is little set-up required for the playing area.
• Designed for primary-aged children, but this game can be played by mixed groups, families, or older students.
• Game takes about 20 minutes to play, with 10 minutes debriefing and discussion.

Lessons in Hope from Cambodia

Set in the border town of Poipet (between Cambodia and Thailand), this Kids 4 Kids game addresses issues of child labour, the importance of education, and how children can be kept safe through community awareness. Includes references to child trafficking (in non-specific terms) and land mines.

• Complexity: high. Lots of preparation and set-up required, and the game itself is complex to run. It’s best if you have several other adults or teenagers as helpers.
• Designed for middle to upper primary children, or junior secondary students. Literacy skills required.
• Allow an hour for this game, including debriefing and discussion time.
  

Daily Life Simulation Game

Water is a scarce commodity in many communities, and getting enough water for household use takes up a good part of the day for women and children. In this Kids 4 Kids game, set in a rural village in India, children will learn about the importance of access to water, and how this affects the lives of children in poor rural communities.

• Complexity: moderate. There is water involved in this game.
• Designed for primary-aged children. There is some reading of directions required, but young children could be grouped with older ones.
• Game takes about 20 minutes to play, with 10 minutes debriefing and discussion.

Refugee Simulation Game

The refugee simulation game gives participants insights and experiences that are similar to reality. Note: This simulation can be emotionally extremely confronting so please take care when running it. Tearfund Australia does not recommend this simulation for participants under 18 years of age.

• Complexity: High, extensive setup required
• Played in: A large hall or open space along with nearby rooms and hallways
• Intended age group: Upper Secondary and above
• Group size: 30+
• Time Required: 2 - 3 hours

Global Village Simulation Game

This is a game that explores some of the issues of inequality, wealth and poverty in our world.

• Complexity: High, considerable setup required
• Intended age group: High school age and over
• Group size: 20+

Rainy Season

This simulation game involves cooperation, coordination and the frenzied pelting of opponents with water balloons! It's a fun way of thinking about the importance of water and the impact of the monsoon or wet-season rains on rural villagers in developing countries.

• Complexity: Medium, some setup required
• Played in: Preferably outside
• Intended age group: Lower Secondary and above
• Group size: 20+
• Time Required: 30 minutes

Slum Survivor Simulation Game

Every day, over 1 billion people have to survive in the growing slums in many of the world’s cities. The basics of life can be very hard to come by. Houses are built from scraps of timber, plastic and cardboard. Toilets may be non-existent or shared by hundreds of people. Piped water is a luxury that people in slums can't afford.

...This is Reality! The Slum Survivor is a simulation experience designed to:

• Help people get a taste of what life might be like in a slum
• reflect on God's concern for the poor
• start thinking about how they can respond.

Slum Survivor can be run over a weekend or a day, as an evening program or even a series of weekly meetings. After building their own slum houses, Slum Survivors participate in a series of challenges that simulate aspects of slum life. These fun challenges are guaranteed to test their endurance, creativity and ingenuity.