The Potential Intersection of Megagames and Learning

What is a megagame (sometimes stylized as "Mega Game," "Megagame" or "MegaGame")?   Gen Con's 2024 program defined them thusly:  "Combining aspects of board games and [Live Action Role Playing],  megagames often involve dozens of players weaving interconnected storylines through multiple stages of play.  Each player is assigned a role (sometimes with a backstory, personality, or a secret goal), and as they play through multiple sub-games, the outcomes of their play drive the story of the larger game."  They are generally credited to have started in the United Kingdom by Jim Wallman in the 1970's, but the moment that really made the concept go viral was in 2014, when Wallman's megagame Watch the Skies was highlighted by Shut Up and Sit Down (warning: the article contains some adult language). In the last decade, megagames have become a staple of gaming conventions and major cities.  

The megagame definition could also be stretched to include other experiences.   For example, Andrew Ashby (proprietor of the game store We Geek Together in a Provo, UT mall) had a dream of beating the Guinness World Record of most Dungeons & Dragons players simultaneously playing the venerable tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), which stood at 500.   In April 2023, with the blessings of the mall owners and the help of a volunteer team of Dungeon Masters (DMs), Ashby staged a massive "megacampaign" across two hundred tables; each table had a DM and up to seven players battling through a scenario.  The battles and successes at each table contributed to an overarching narrative to defeat an ultimate "boss."  By the end of the day, Ashby achieved his world record dream by a country mile, with 1,227 players.  Another adjacent example closer to the classroom level are the dozens of role-playing historical simulations of Reacting to the Past (RttP), a curriculum first started by Mark C. Carnes of Bernard College (NY) over a decade ago.  Like a megagame, these simulations often involve 30+ college students in various, specific roles played over several instructional meetings.  While the use of RttP has spread to universities across the United States, they have recently also been adapted for high school as well.   

Nearly three month ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first megagame in person.  I had discovered Tony Dougherty and The Dukes of Highland last summer and periodically checked their website for the upcoming Kentucky megagaming schedule.  (The Dukes of Highland, while based in Louisville, have held events in multiple states and several cons.)  

Tony Dougherty, in costume as the "Lead Control."

Coincidentally, on one Saturday at the end of September, Dougherty was running It Came from the Skies, a variation of the classic Wallman scenario.  Although I was tempted to play, I instead thought it better to observe and take notes.  And with Dougherty's warm permission to join the fun, note-take I did.  

What first impressed me was the organization to keep nearly fifty players joyfully engaged.  Firstly, each participant was given a role of a near-present Earth nation which formed a team of four players (Head of State, Chief of Defense, Chief Scientist, and Foreign Minister); other options included playing as the Aliens, or as a member of the Press.  Dougherty was the Lead Control (a overall "Gamemaster"), with four staff members as the Control Team.  Each Control Team staff member ran one of the four role nation groups' "sub-games," where Aliens sometimes made appearances and the Press wandered around to cover the happenings.  (While It Came from the Skies occasionally had dice rolling to determine outcomes,  it seems that other megagames can either lean into or away from this mechanic.)  Over various turns, the nation players rotated in and out from their role group game back to their "country table" to share details and plan next steps, feeding into the mega-narrative.   As the day continued, the nations of the world had critical questions to answer:  Are the Aliens benevolent or here to invade us?  What should (and what can) we do about it?  And what diplomatic alliances should we make or betray along the way? 

Each nation team/table received a packet explaining rules, how their various roles worked, and more.

Like gamemasters (GMs) of a typical TTRPG, Dougherty and his Control Team offered guidance, made rulings, and imposed gaming structures, but the story was truly co-created by all the participants; the ending could not be pre-determined, nor could a "win" or "loss" for Earth be neatly defined.  That sense of uncertainty, urgency, agency and play added to a giddy feeling that stayed with the megagame until its conclusion.  Afterwards, Dougherty, the Control Team, and the players socially debriefed at a local bar, sharing the behind the scene conversations they didn't hear and reflecting on choices they did or didn't make.  

Play Make Learn and Gen Con 2024

In the last month, I've been fortunate to attend two conferences, and from both I've gotten good ideas for digital and game-based learning.  In today's blog entry, I'll share my reflections with you!

Play Make Learn 2024

Play Make Learn is an annual conference first started in 2017, and is held at the beautiful University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wisconsin.   True to its name, it's a drawing together of teachers, librarians, crafters, and digital and analog game publishers for the students of Kindergarten through higher ed.   You'll see sessions and displays on everything from makerspaces to video games to looming(!) to tabletop roleplaying games.  I went with my colleagues Jen and Amy; it was the first time any of us had gone, and we constantly remarked on the palpable joy in the air from presenters and attendees throughout the two day conference.

Some of the conference highlights included:

• The Madison Public Library system shared findings from the beta testing of The Observation Deck, an intriguing platform that captures multimedia evidence of how library experiences impact patrons.  Separate from the platform itself, I appreciated the "Starter Frameworks" that were shared; these could be inspiration for analog observation and classroom walk-through tools for instructional coaches and admin. 
• Playful Learning Landscapes discussed their community-focused approach to creating urban spaces that center around the "PLL Model" of the 5 Principles of Learning (Actively Engaging, Joyful, Iterative, Socially Interactive, Meaningful), The 6 C's Learning Goals (Collaboration, Communication, Content, Critical Thinking,Creative Innovation, Confidence), and Community Engagement.  I particularly liked their downloadable "Playbook" (available in English and Spanish) with steps on how to implement a Playful Learning Landscape of your own as well as dozens of examples from America and around the world.
• In a "Library Learning Innovations" three person panel presentation, lots of valuable ground was covered.  Sam Abramovich talked through a brief history of genAI, along with the challenges and power it can bring to libraries.  (He also introduced me to the phrase HOMAGO for the first time.)  Rebecca Teasdale shared a preliminary framework for evaluating makerspaces.  Lastly, Chris Baker (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Public Library Consultant, and the lead organizer of the conference) shared evidence on the power of gaming (video, board, tabletop) in a library; among other resources, he highlighted WISELearn.
• The Wisconsin Historical Society recently published Wisconsin Adventures, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons (which was launched from Lake Geneva, about 80 miles southeast of Madison). Wisconsin Adventures uses the same ruleset as D&D (i.e. it is "5e compatible"), and it leads players through quests inspired by urban legends, famous locations, and historical personages of the state.  Even more impressive is how they aligned it to academic Core Content standards.  At the end of the WHS session, its historians led us in small groups through a mini-adventure from their module.  And that was just the first time I played D&D at PML....
• Jen, Amy and I played a one-shot Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed to help introduce the game to new players.  Jen and Amy may have never rolled the polyhedral dice before, but quickly caught on, and Amy even gave the killing blow to the end boss "Death Tyrant"!

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Gen Con 2024

While this was the second time I've attended Gen Con, it's the first time I have presented, alongside Shelby County Public School teacher Justin Gadd.   The session was part of Trade Day, which occurs on the Wednesday before "The Best Four Days in Gaming" of the convention itself.  The title of our presentation was "TTRPGs in Education: Cultivating Creativity and Critical Thinking in the Classroom."  For his portion, Justin did wonderfully as he shared his classroom story of how tabletop role-playing games have positively impacted his students. 

Justin Gadd, middle school teacher extraordinaire.

After Trade Day, I took off work for Thursday and Friday to enjoy some personal time wandering the halls, playing games, and seeing old friends like Dan Reem and Tom Gross from the podcast Teachers in the Dungeon!

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I made several connections that could help a classroom:

• In his session "No Apologies: Arguments and Examples of Analog Gaming as Effective Tools in Secondary Education," Shawn Thorgersen (a grade 7-12 English teacher and Assistant Principal in New York, as well as a PhD student at St. Johns University) discussed evidence-based research on the topic and some examples from his own classroom.  Thorgersen's slides had a quote from S.S. Boocock that particularly lifted my heart:

• Dr. Katie King, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, led a session on "Using a TTRPG as a Professional Development Tool." She shared a project she is piloting, where grad students in a teacher prep program have their teacher "characters" engage in TTRPG scenarios as led by a "Classroom Master."  As Dr. King pointed out, such role-playing is closest to the active form of student teaching and therefore more effective and authentic than the more passive learning of classroom observation or article reading.  It definitely got my wheels turning on how a TTRPG could be the engagement model of a professional development session or series.  
• Limitless Adventures has a new solo adventure gamebook based on D&D 5e rules called Lost in the Dark. The book leads you through character creation, and from there, advances you through the story complete with dice rolls and monster encounters.  Great for a classroom or school library for students to check out, or for enrichment time. 
• The Story Engine is a company that makes various card decks & expansion sets that can help build a narrative or world, with simple and intuitive rules.  While originally made for TTRPG players or GMs, the decks can be excellent for brainstorming fiction, understanding geography, or collaboratively practicing what it's like to co-create a story.  Additionally, they have free lesson plan resources!  (While most of the lessons are aligned to middle and high school standards, others -- like the "9 Storytelling Activities" handout -- could be for any age group, depending on their literacy level and the supports given.)
• I first met Tim Beach and his Start Here Roleplaying Game back at the GAMA Expo in March.  He had a presence at Gen Con too, where (as a Trade Day educator) I was able to get an early release of its box set gifted by Tim.   The purpose of the game is to get people playing as quickly as possible, and from what I've seen of the game mechanics, this succeeds!  The box set comes with both simple and expanded rules, along with several genre settings, from fantasy to "Wizards & Wranglers" (think Weird West) to "Zombiesaurus Rex" (think Jurassic Park mixed with The Walking Dead).   The game should be available for ordering very soon.  Until then, check out the Beach House RPG Facebook page for updates.
• I've been a fan of 9th Level Games for a few years now, and I was excited to examine a new TTRPG they are about to publish aimed at elementary aged children: Venture Society.  As their Kickstarter puts it, Venture Society is an "all ages, non-violent RPG focusing on building communication, social, & emotional skills" which utilizes 9th Level's "Polymorph" simple game system.  It's available for pre-order and coming out this fall.
• I will end with three words: Dice Petting Zoo.  Well...perhaps that requires a bit more explanation.  Tom Gross and I discovered a handcrafted wooden tray with dice at a booth advertising some D&D "stay and playcation" opportunities (Nat21 Adventures).  The idea was so whimsical that I immediately began brainstorming how a Dice Petting Zoo could be a delightful addition to a classroom.  It could provide an opportunity for calming and building culture. Imagine naming the various polyhedral "animals."  Or having students whisper numbers to them as they try to solve a difficult math problem.  Or for those that need to fiddle, taking them for a "walk" (roll!).  

Of course, there was so many great experiences, tools, and products at Play Make Learn and Gen Con that this entry can only be considered a fly-by.  For educators looking for inspiration on how game-based learning can work in a classroom, or need convincing about the power of play, I highly recommend checking out either or both conferences! 

Gen Con 2023

When I first began playing tabletop role-playing games in the mid-1980's, I read about Gen Con.  It seemed a faraway and magical gathering where attendees played games for hours with their fellow enthusiastic fans, and vendors offered previews of upcoming releases while also giving away swag.  Gen Con was officially started in 1968 by Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax and had humble beginnings in legion halls and university campuses; it took several years for it to become a multi-day event that topped 1000 attendees.  By 1985, Gen Con made its first move to a Milwaukee convention center and had around 5,000 participate, but that was just the start of its runaway train of growth.  Gen Con moved to its current home in Indianapolis in 2003 with a pre-pandemic high watermark record of around 70,000 attendees in 2019.   That's a long winded way of saying that Gen Con is a big deal that earns its moniker of "The Best Four Days in Gaming."  But like many things of youth, attending Gen Con seemed to be a fever dream that faded over time.  I convinced myself that I needed a practical, pragmatic, or professional reason to go, which seemed unlikely.

Then in early spring of 2022, I heard for the first time about Trade Day. Considering that I had just started KyEdRPG last summer, it felt like fate. 

Trade Day is Gen Con's "day zero" on the Wednesday before its official four day launch on Thursday.  It is open only to vendors, educators, and librarians, and includes hourly sessions on the intersection of education and gaming.  (Your Trade Day badge also gives you a pass for the rest of the four day convention.)  Trade Day was my opportunity to fulfill a long-delayed quest, a way to learn from other educators who are using game-based learning, and a unique chance to celebrate KyEdRPG's first year anniversary.  

To say that Gen Con filled me with knowledge, ideas and joy would be an understatement.   I wanted to capture here some highlights.

Trade Day Sessions

Like many education conferences, I got some golden nuggets throughout Trade Day, but I wanted to mention three memorable sessions in particular. 

Playful Learning: How Board Game Stores, Schools and Libraries Can Collaborate to Benefit Children

Jamie Mathy -- owner of Red Raccoon Games in Bloomington, IL and married to a fourth grade teacher! -- gave an excellent keynote address.  He is clearly passionate about issues of equity, starting with his belief that "Everyone should have a safe place to play games."   He sees the fastest growing segment of gamers is high school girls playing D & D, which as a father of two daughters, makes me happy! Mathy had many ideas for how a game store can work better with a school, including:

• As educators reach out to a store and need to purchase games for extracurricular clubs or events, have ready some pre-packaged "tiers" of starter sets at various price levels, depending on the school's budget.
• Coordinate with event schedulers as far in advance as possible, especially for public libraries.
• Have small giveaways for students who complete reading programs.  Mathy talked about having an aquarium full of inexpensive polyhedron dice where students are allowed to pull out two.  Costwise, it is a modest investment for him: barely .15 a student.
• Offer staff as volunteers to help run gaming events.
• Create coupons that a school can give away for a percentage off a single item, with a small percentage of the coupon sales going back to the school.  (A variation of this is a percentage of sales on a certain night or weekend going back to the school for those that mention the school's name, similar to how schools use "pizza nights" as fundraisers.)  Of course, this is good promotion for the store as well.
• Have a social media partnership.  A store can repost the gaming events/opportunities at the school to help it spread the word, with the hope that the educators can do the same for the special events of their game store community partner.
• Host in-store opportunities to "teach the teacher" how to play popular and just released games.
• Mathy fairly pointed out that while stores may occasionally be able to donate materials or offer significant discounts, they are still a business and can't give everything away for free all of the time.  It's a reminder that educators need to respectfully consider the type and amount of requests they make, not assume generosity is a blank check that lasts indefinitely, and to honor their side of developing an ongoing relationship with a store in finding ways to pay it forward.
• Try to create legacy programs with schools that deepen and enrich (in both learning and financial ways!) over time.  Having a relationship with a "teacher champion" of game-based learning is likely the key to start, but teachers also can come and go.  Find ways to keep in touch with multiple levels of school leadership and community (the admin, the PTA, etc.) and keep telling the story of your mutually beneficial partnership.

Gaming in Libraries:  Bridging the Gap

Clare O'Tsuji is a public librarian with the Kent District in Michigan.   Her presentation was chock full of statistics and research on the power of game-based learning, particularly on literacy. Firstly, she reminded me about Marc Prensky's work on the positive impact of games and play on learning -- namely, that playing games reduces stress and increase productivity.  O'Tsuji emphasized that effective gaming program in libraries -- and connected learning in general -- need to build relationships (teacher-student as well as peer to peer), incorporate student interests, and provide opportunities where educators can enrich and deepen learning via those interests and relationships.  (One relationship-building tip: sit beside students and learn a new game together.)  Lastly, I loved how O'Tsuji framed key literacy elements as "discussion, joy, and cooperation," all of which gaming naturally integrates. 

Creating a RPG Summer Camp

I admit I have bias when I say that my favorite session came from Tom Gross and Dan Reem, high school educators from Illinois.  (Tom and Dan host the Teachers in the Dungeon podcast of which I was a recent guest, and this Gen Con was our first opportunity to meet face to face!)  But Dan and Tom's session on their annual summer roleplaying game camp was full of pragmatic advice, as well as generous resources (including an example day-by-day schedule!) of how to effectively start up and facilitate such a camp at your own school.  Dan and Tom's camp now runs four days long with the number of participants almost doubling every year.  Here are some highlights from what they shared:

• Understand your "why" of having a RPG camp, and create a list of your camp non-negotiables.  Dan and Tom's non-negotiables include using recent alumni and game club members to help facilitate camp attendee groups as their "dungeon masters," giving students time to learn and develop skills as well as play a multi-day continuous story, and introducing students to hobbies and careers adjacent to roleplaying games (such as dice making, comic book art creation, and miniature figure painting).
• Invite other educator colleagues to come by the camp, especially from the school admin and your district central office.  Seeing in person the positive learning culture, the development of literacy, and the students' practicing of durable skills will go a long way to earn support against skeptics who may think roleplaying games are frivolous and non-educational.
• Catch a student "doing good" (for example, being helpful and inclusive to another student) and reward them with a ticket that can be used in drawings for door prizes at the end of each day and/or the whole camp.
• Reach out to community partners early, to better ensure their ability to participate or donate.
• Reciprocate in your partnership with community members, particularly those that donate materials, volunteer time, or offer something at a discount.  Help publicize and celebrate their willingness to help. (This is a great echo of what Jamie Mathy said in his keynote!)
• A student registration fee can help a student put "skin in the game" and be more likely to honor their camp commitment (Dan and Tom ask for $30), as well as help offset your expenses. But don't let fees be a barrier to students who might have a financial hardship.  Offer camp scholarships.
• Reflect on how the camp went as soon as it is over in order to find ways to improve it for next time, as well as celebrate your well-earned success stories -- in particular, capturing anecdotes about students who may have surprised you with how much they matured or rose to leadership levels.  (On that very subject, Dan and Tom published a podcast episode after every day of this year's summer camp; the first episode of the series is here [15:38]).

Among many delights and tips that Dan (right, standing) and Tom (left at podium) shared was a highlight reel of students reflecting on their RPG camp experience.  If there is any doubt in the power of TTRPGs on learning, these student voices would convince you otherwise.

Gen Con Vendors

From the Trade Day Demo Night to the massive exhibit hall itself, I marveled at many a game, accessory and piece of art.  For the sake of this blog entry, I'll limit myself to highlighting some items that have educational potential, both as extracurricular and in-classroom opportunities.

• 9th Level Games has a "Polymorph" TTRPG (tabletop roleplaying game) system that is significantly simplified and socially inclusive. This, combined with their various thin pocket rulebooks, makes for compelling game options for younger students.  For example, The Excellents is a princess-themed RPG that could work well with upper elementary and middle school students.
• Alexandria RPG Library is based in Seattle and is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  They have amassed a collection of thousands of RPG rulebooks and boxsets going back decades, which they often curate and exhibit around the country.  Their online database may serve as a resource for teachers or students researching the history of tabletop roleplaying games, but their website may also be the start of some inquiry-based learning: What can the history of role-playing games tell us about a culture over time?  How do various gaming systems create mathematical balance to ensure fair playability?  In what ways are RPGs inclusive and exclusive (lack of translated materials, accessibility concerns, cultural insensitivities, etc.), and how can we make RPGs more inclusive?  How can a roleplaying game charity positively impact a local or global community, and how can we help increase that impact?
• Columbia Games has (among other historical options) The Last Spike, a board game about the expansion of railroads across the United States in the 1800's.   Even more helpful is their teacher resources to go with the game.
• Metal Weave Games probably deserves a shoutout just for their adorable Owlbear plushes, but for educational purposes, I want to highlight their Baby Bestiary Companion Rules supplement.  The book uses D&D fifth edition rules, and shows how to incorporate a character rescuing and raising a newborn fantasy monster.  This could be a way to bring in younger players into a roleplaying game experience that doesn't necessarily involve fighting and battles.
• Nations & Cannons is a newer TTRPG that would be perfect for a secondary social studies class.  Using the D&D fifth edition rules, players can create characters set during the American Revolutionary War.  From a local standpoint, I was particularly excited to hear they are working on a supplement that includes Kentucky's Fort Boonesborough!  There's plenty of game material to peruse on their website, as well as some educator opportunities to explore.  
• Oddfish Games has some items that are just plain fun, including a guidebook on How to RPG with Your Cat.  But they also have products that could inspire some educational integration.  Their line of Adventure Scents could not only add to the ambiance of a roleplaying game journey, but could also increase the immersive experiences during a readaloud of a story, be the kickoff (whiff-off??) of a descriptive writing piece, or amplify a "you are there" moment of history.  Oddfish also publishes Cooking with Dice: The Acid Test, which could gamify a culinary arts unit or even the entire course.
• Rowan, Rook and Decard, who describe their company as "strange games for curious people," have made dozens of one page RPGs.  These games obviously have very light rulesets which make them extremely playable when you have limited time or need something that won't overwhelm students with too much complexity, factors that are often the case in school settings.  While some of their RPGs lean toward darker themes with adult language, they do have a collection of ten one-page roleplaying games for younger players.
• Treasure Falls Games is about to release The Quest Kids: Giant Adventure.  In their words, it is a "life-sized fantasy game experience" with a simplified rule set geared toward students kindergarten age and up.  Large durable tiles are placed on the ground, and students are to choose a pathway from one tile to the next while overcoming challenges and collecting tokens along the way.  There is a kinesthetic aspect about the game I find intriguing!  This might be a good alternative activity for an elementary PE class, or even as a way to do a creative indoor recess.

In closing, I have to compliment the camaraderie I experienced at Gen Con, which was truly moving.  From nearly every attendee and vendor I met or literally bumped shoulders with, I encountered endless permutations of kindness and generosity.  If by chance some of those new friends read this entry, thank you for your willingness to welcome me as a new member of the Gen Con community.   I certainly hope to return!