Episode 15: How Reality Is Broken and We Need More Games

Board Game Faith

INTRO IMPROV GAME: Characters in a classic Spaghetti Western film play the game Lord of the Rings: Journey in Middle Earth (currently #97 on Board Game Geek). Apologies for our ridicuous accents!

Jane McGonigal's book Reality is Broken describes what we learn about human happiness through understanding the impact of games on human neurology and psychology. Human enjoy goals, rules, obstacles, a feedback system, and voluntary participation. The point of a game isn't always to win but to establish flow.

"The opposite of play isn't work. It's depression" (p. 28, quoting Brian Sutton-Smith).

GAME BREAK: Games that Have Surprised Us

The most enduring human happiness is generated within (intrinsic), not from extrinsic things such as money and power. Through satisfying work, the hope of success, social connections, and meaningful contributions we are at our happiest, and games provide exactly these things.

We will discuss Reality is Broken chapters 10-13 in 2023!

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Next episode: Spiritual Lessons of Action Selection Games

Links:

• Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World a book by Jane McGonigal
• The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
• Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
• Photosynthesis | Board Game | BoardGameGeek