GlassPlateGame

GlassPlateGame is a game for stimulating and capturing interesting conversation. There are no winners or losers. There's also no order of play - conversation continues throughout, and whoever wants to can make a move at any time (except you can't make two moves in a row). The end result is an artifact of the conversation; you can use the "game board" to easily follow and transcribe the conversation.

One type of move is starting/continuing a thread of conversation, by connecting a new idea to one that's already in play and explaining the connection you are making. There's a bunch of square cardboard pieces laid out at the beginning, which each represent an idea. They have word(s) on one side, and an image on the other - e.g. meals, with a picture of a place-setting; syntax, with a picture of a children's toy about shapes. Little colored markers (squares of transparant plastic) are used to show the different threads.

The other type of move allows or blocks a new idea being added - someone can permit (P) the latest connection if they think it makes sense to everyone, which makes it possible to continue. Or they can challenge (C) the latest connection, explaining why it doesn't make sense to them, in which case we keep talking until someone thinks there's mutual understanding and we can go on (O). Someone can also decide that they want us to be able to go on even though there hasn't been mutual understanding. These moves are indicated by turning little wooden cubes with the letters P, C, O, a blank side (for going on without mutual understanding), and the numbers 1-24 on two sides (to show the order the ideas came into play). At the end, the group summarizes the conversation as best as they can.

Here's the official Glass Plate Game website: http://glassplategame.com/

The game is inspired by Herman Hesse's novel, ''The Glass Bead Game''.

See also: the Glass Bead Game wiki.

2006 Session

Participating: DunbarAitkens (convenor) JohnSpady FrankDeitle TedErnst MarkDilley ShawnKilburn

We played a game. Hopefully someone will transcribe the links that we created. (Did those get written down?) (as remembered by John Spady)

Thread 1: 1) Life, 2) Conflict (?), 3) Harmony, 4) Creation, 5) Joy

Thread 2: 1) Life, 6) Cycle of Return, 7) back to Harmony, 8) back to Conflict

Using a wiki in a way that conversation can happen using glass plate game ideas and/or methodologies. Using ideas as wiki page names, and starting a game by starting a new game page.

So, part of the above game would look like something this:

Life page:

1

what JohnSpady said

what MarkDilley said

link to Conflict (2)

link to Cycle of Return (6)

Conflict page:

2

what next person saidabout Life and Conflict

link to Harmony (3)

8

how conversation ended

Here's the URL for the online prototype: http://www.peak.org/~caploc/BrowserTesting.html

The game was played many times through the weekend, add your memories here:

Saturday night we had one that almost ended with a long conversation about syntax, and whether there was any such thing as symbols completely without meaning. Thankfully, someone remembered you can use the blank side of the cube and let the conversation go on without everyone being on the same page. Ward ended with a new thread connecting meals and joy .

Later Saturday night a different group played. About 5 connections were made in one chain and the a new chain started. That chain ended on about cube 10 by linking back to the opening concept. It seemed very intellectual to me. Thankfully, I made a really nice eye to eye connection with a person across the table from me so got my emotional fix. I really look forward to playing at home with friends where we take the time and effort to draw our own cards, thus going in whatever direction we'd like, without being unduly influenced by the default set of cards.

EugeneEricKim's blog entry.