Ergs and Joules was an Energy Literacy Board Game reaching prototype development stage before closure. It waits to see the light of day once again.
ERGS and JOULES A Game for Energy Literacy
About the Game
Designed for a time of rising energy costs and energy constraints, this game is designed to provide a fun experience in learning about energy, its science, ways to conserve, and how it fits into the larger societal picture. The game is easy to learn and gives the players opportunities to reflect on knowledge about energy on a personal and experiential level.
Game components
Dice (2)
Game pieces (6)
Game Cards (2 sets)
Game Board (1)
Instructions (1 set)
Question Categories
Energy (E) – Red
Choice (CH) – Green
Chance (C) - Blue
Feedback (F) – Light Blue/Turquoise
Storage (S) – Dark Green
The Board
The board is set up as up with a linear design and includes energy structures for feedback and storage. Play starts in the middle black circle and ends on the large white circle. Note the spiral design of the board.
How to play
Roll a single die for first play. The player with the number closest to the middle goes first and uses the number rolled for play. If two or more people have a tie roll, they can either roll again until one roll is closer, or agree to move simultaneously. Choose a game piece (bicycle or car) and, starting from the black circle, move from one colored circle to the next. After moving, the player opposite chooses a game card from the necessary category. There are three categories; Energy, Choice, and Chance. Energy cards deal with general energy questions in the areas of physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, and technology. Using the best research available, Choice cards give the player(s) a choice between two actions, one that uses less energy than the other. Chance cards deal with large scale events from local actions to global actions. Answering an energy question correctly gives the player(s) 1 point. Answering a choice question with an option that saves energy will award the player(s) with 1 point and answering with an option that looses energy will subtract a point. A chance card with energy loss will lose a point and one with energy gain will gain a point.
Tabulate the points and add them up to show how each player (or team) performed.
Feedback
There are two feedback structures, If the player lands on a turquoise circle with an arrow, s/he will enter the feedback loop and answer questions from that category. The number that was rolled to enter the feedback loop will be the number times the player will move around the loop. Each move around the loop will gain the player 1 point.
Storage
There is one storage unit. If a player or players land on the storage circle (dark green, “S”) they enter the storage unit and answer questions relating to the storage of energy. There are 5 cells. The player moves from 1 to 5 and back, repeating as many times are were rolled to enter the storage unit. The player earns 1 point for each occurrence of landing on the number “1”.
Combining Cells
The board has two combining cells. If two or more players land on either the first cell or any space between the two combining cells, they combine their play into one, replace the cars or bikes with a bus and work as a team answering questions and gaining or losing points together. The players separate at the second combining cell. If all players are combined within the course of the game, then the team decides who will ask the questions. All players will gain or lose the points regardless of who is chosen to ask the questions. The person chosen to ask questions is unable to participate in answering the questions. Each person in the team will roll as normal.
Alternative Play
Instead of adding up points, for every wrong answer, move the piece one place ahead (fewer chances to gain points) and for each correct answer, move the piece one place behind (more chances to gain points). If the final resting place for each play is on a feedback, storage, or combining cell, play as normal from that space (i.e. run through feedback or storage structures using the last number rolled to determine the number of repetitions).
ERGS and JOULES A Game for Energy Literacy
About the Game
Designed for a time of rising energy costs and energy constraints, this game is designed to provide a fun experience in learning about energy, its science, ways to conserve, and how it fits into the larger societal picture. The game is easy to learn and gives the players opportunities to reflect on knowledge about energy on a personal and experiential level.
Game components
Dice (2)
Game pieces (6)
Game Cards (2 sets)
Game Board (1)
Instructions (1 set)
Question Categories
Energy (E) – Red
Choice (CH) – Green
Chance (C) - Blue
Feedback (F) – Light Blue/Turquoise
Storage (S) – Dark Green
The Board
The board is set up as up with a linear design and includes energy structures for feedback and storage. Play starts in the middle black circle and ends on the large white circle. Note the spiral design of the board.
How to play
Roll a single die for first play. The player with the number closest to the middle goes first and uses the number rolled for play. If two or more people have a tie roll, they can either roll again until one roll is closer, or agree to move simultaneously. Choose a game piece (bicycle or car) and, starting from the black circle, move from one colored circle to the next. After moving, the player opposite chooses a game card from the necessary category. There are three categories; Energy, Choice, and Chance. Energy cards deal with general energy questions in the areas of physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, and technology. Using the best research available, Choice cards give the player(s) a choice between two actions, one that uses less energy than the other. Chance cards deal with large scale events from local actions to global actions. Answering an energy question correctly gives the player(s) 1 point. Answering a choice question with an option that saves energy will award the player(s) with 1 point and answering with an option that looses energy will subtract a point. A chance card with energy loss will lose a point and one with energy gain will gain a point.
Tabulate the points and add them up to show how each player (or team) performed.
Feedback
There are two feedback structures, If the player lands on a turquoise circle with an arrow, s/he will enter the feedback loop and answer questions from that category. The number that was rolled to enter the feedback loop will be the number times the player will move around the loop. Each move around the loop will gain the player 1 point.
Storage
There is one storage unit. If a player or players land on the storage circle (dark green, “S”) they enter the storage unit and answer questions relating to the storage of energy. There are 5 cells. The player moves from 1 to 5 and back, repeating as many times are were rolled to enter the storage unit. The player earns 1 point for each occurrence of landing on the number “1”.
Combining Cells
The board has two combining cells. If two or more players land on either the first cell or any space between the two combining cells, they combine their play into one, replace the cars or bikes with a bus and work as a team answering questions and gaining or losing points together. The players separate at the second combining cell. If all players are combined within the course of the game, then the team decides who will ask the questions. All players will gain or lose the points regardless of who is chosen to ask the questions. The person chosen to ask questions is unable to participate in answering the questions. Each person in the team will roll as normal.
Alternative Play
Instead of adding up points, for every wrong answer, move the piece one place ahead (fewer chances to gain points) and for each correct answer, move the piece one place behind (more chances to gain points). If the final resting place for each play is on a feedback, storage, or combining cell, play as normal from that space (i.e. run through feedback or storage structures using the last number rolled to determine the number of repetitions).