Introduction of World of Communities Simulation Board Game Tools

1. GAMIFICATION &
GAME-BASED LEARNING
FOR SOCIAL IMPACT
Introduction of World of Communities
Simulation Board Game Tools
Taras Tymchuk
tarastymchuk@gmail.com

2. Background
Key milestones
DVV + WOC
Collaboration
2000-2007
‣ Culture Sciences, Mass Communications, PR. Meeting with Mykhailo
Voitovych (co-author of future WOC game tools)
‣ NGO&Volunteering.
2007-2014
‣ Leading CSO Communication Platform in Ukraine.
‣ International community development projects (EU, USAID, CONCORD,
UNDEF, SIDA, CIDA, C.S.Mott Foundation, etc).
‣ Future Search, Open Space, World Cafe, Game-based
tools&methodologies (Start and Improve your business, ILO),
‣ Community development training and workshops.
‣ Meeting with DVV in Poland (Autumn Adult Education Academy).
Community Connection Exchange Program in the USA
2014-2016
‣ Decentralization reform. Local elections.
‣ Work with first wave IDPs. First gamification projects.
‣ World of Communities LLL. OSWC.
‣ WOC game prototyping.

3. 2017
‣ WOC Community Accelerator 1st Edition (300 copies).
‣ ToT for DVV International in Ukraine, UNDP partners. First success. Online
certification program WOC Game Master.
2018-2019
‣ WOC Coopetition 2nd Edition (500 copies).
‣ Presentations and testing in Belarus, Moldova, Sweden, Poland, Germany,
USA.
‣ Learning community add-on — a joint project with DVV International in
Ukraine.
‣ 100+ game masters networks.
‣ EENCE award, EENCE membership.
2020
‣ Covid19 - stop physical events
‣ WOC [online] - digital game-based learning platform, mass gamified
online courses, acceleration programs (Design and development were
supported by USAID project).
‣ Joint localization project in Moldova for DVV in Moldova office and
Partners.
‣ Youth Council add-on
Background
Key milestones
DVV + WOC
Collaboration

4. Background
Key milestones
DVV + WOC
Collaboration

5. 2021
‣ WOC Accelerator III, 3rd Edition1000 copies),
‣ Joint complex projects with government, IOM, UNDP, USAID, public
consultation with local authorities (50+) using WOC game tools and
methodologies.
‣ Presentation workshop in Batumi for DVV Georgia office.
‣ Design and success advocacy of local policies (Community Civic
Education Programs) using WOC game tools and methodologies.
‣ USEreUSE add-on (Development was financed by UNDP)
2022
‣ The guide «Fix it: 100 practical models using WOC in youth work,
community development, business, and education».
‣ WOC game: Accelerator (English Release+Workshop Kit)
‣ The Russian invasion of Ukraine.
‣ RAF4UA initiative: REthink, REskill, REbuild, REvive Ukraine.
‣ Design of WOC game-based tools civic education program for the
school system (we expect Education Ministry Certification in May 2022)
‣ 54 professions for Future - Poker Card Deck+online cource
Background
Key milestones
DVV + WOC
Collaboration

6. World of Communities:
Game Tools Evolution
2017-2022

7. Хто ми?
Розробники симуляційних
настільних ігор
1. A fun way to talk about serious things in plain
language.
2. It's training without a coach: it does not require fees,
food, or complex logistics.
3. A skill-trainer that is always at hand
4. A good reason to get together.
5. it's a communication and promotion tool for
complex solutions like gender, participatory
budgeting, and adult education.
6. Small-group facilitation tool.
7. Diagnosis tool.
8. Wikipedia on civic education, community
development tools for youth and adults;
9. A way to be in demand in the local market of
educational services (Game Master)
10. A game that is interesting to play for anyone,
regardless of gaming experience, age, gender,
profession
World of
Communities (WOC)
How usually do we
describe this tool in
Ukraine

9. Game Masters
Network in
Ukraine: 300+

10. World of Communities
as a Game
Genre: social simulator
Type: cooperative strategy
Developer: World of Communities LLC
Authors:
Mykhailo Voitovych, Taras Tymchuk
Number of Players: 2-6
Duration of Session: 1-5 hours
Age: 12+
1st edition 2017
2nd edition: 2018
3rd edition: 2021

11. Game
Play
According to the legend of the game, each player is a certain demographic
role - a resident of the community, with his professional background,
certain income, expenses, and life bonuses. It can be a policeman, a
migrant, a doctor, an entrepreneur, or a farmer. Each role has its own tablet.
Each player gets a role and in this role the player lives and plays until the
end of the game.
Each round, the players elect from among themselves the mayor, who,
using the rules, leads the game. As the procedure for electing a mayor is
not described, players must come up with their own electoral system and
show leadership.

12. Each game round is an electoral cycle in which players go through 3
phases - the phase of collective decisions, individual activity/individual
decision-making, and the phase of collective actions.
Each round, players must receive a salary, pay taxes, determine the
structure of costs, and direct their life energy to the activity that will lead
them to individual goals (in the game you can play both for the group
goal and for yourself). In addition, in the life of each player, there are
pleasant and stressful life circumstances that must be accepted and
experienced.
Thus, each player during the game session must make a lot of decisions -
both individual and collective.
More about setup - next video with English subtitles

13. Game
Elements
Individual goals,
Life Circumstances
Community
Development tools

14. Game
Elements
Municipal
and
Private
properties

15. WOC
game
2nd Edition
Unboxing

16. Game
Play
3 edition
Setup
[Ukrainian
intro with
English
Subtitles,
Video]
Source: WOC YouTube Channel, https://youtube.com/watch?v=afpdGBIm1OY

17. It’s a
good
for
Tasks
• Group ice-
breaking activities
• Socializing
• Youth
engagement and
youth work
• Tournaments and
competitions
Users
• Youth workers
• Teachers and
educators
• Community
managers
• Trainers
• Animators
Places
• Libraries
• Schools
• Youth Centers
• Public hubs

18. World of Communities as a learning and facilitation
technology

19. Usually, each game session is accompanied by a wide
range of emotions - from rejection, and denial, to
Homeric laughter and tears.
After the game, there is a debriefing/reflection part,
when participants share their new experiences, and
emotions, exchange contacts, and plan joint actions
and next steps.
WOC Game session is facilitated by a Game Master
moderator.
WOC game sessions make the learning process easy,
and smooth. Every game session is a unique
experience and works as an accelerator for self-
development/diagnosis, relationship development/
diagnosis, and finding new (group-created)
solutions.

20. Game
Impact:
some facts
[research 2019]
What changes users have noticed through the
systematic use of the World of Communities
67% - relations with other people and organizations have improved
63% - learned to look more broadly at problems
65% - leadership skills have improved
59% - were inspired to work with people to solve common problems
57% - were inspired to make changes
55% - increased a motivation to participate in community life

21. Game
Impact:
some facts
[research 2019]
What is the use of game sessions of World of
Communities in practice?
69% - Education on community development tools
52% - To activate people and engage them in more complex processes
49% - For team building
45% - To develop financial and entrepreneurial skills
44% - Identifying hidden leaders
37% - To study the behavior and nature of people
18% - As part of strategic planning in the community

22. It’s a
good
for
Tasks
Explaining complex
concepts:
• public money&taxes
• community
development tools
• Adult education and
Life-Long Learning
• leadership
• Decision making in
VUCA times
• Social roles
• Citizenship
• Gender, SDG issues
etc
Group diagnosis
Public Consultations
Community integration
Users
• Youth workers
• Teachers and
educators
• Community
managers
• Trainers
• Facilitators
• Advocacy
organizers
Places
• Libraries
• Schools
• Universities
• Youth Centers
• NGO
• Community
Learning
Centers

23. Youth IDP and
local deputies play
WOC game and
discuss the risks &
opportunities of
youth eco-projects
From November 2021 - to February
2022 WOC team organized 48 public
consultations in the format of WOC
game sessions in 23 communities
around Ukraine aimed to help youth
advocate their eco-projects in their
communities

24. World of Communities as an Ecosystem

25. Ecosystem
When we say World of Communities or
WOC, we usually mean:
‣ World of Communities board game set+ad-dons
‣ Guide, which contains more than 100 models of using the "World of
Communities" for various tasks - from staff diagnostics to the
development of urban strategies
‣ A community of certified masters of the game "World of
Communities", who share experiences, describe their cases, learn and
teach others. Today there are more than 300 masters in this community in
Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia (beginners).
‣ World of Communities LLC - EdTech company from Ukraine that
develops educational simulation games (offline&online) and gamification
solutions for better community development & engagement.

26. It’s a
good
for
Tasks
Explain and integrate
new and complex
concepts into existing
forms of people's
work:
• Adult education and
Life-Long Learning
• Gender, SDG issues,
etc
• Participation
• Community
Development
System impact
Strategic planning
Integration of
community newcomers
Users
• Service providers
• Development
projects
• Implementors

27. World of Communities
as a marketing tool for
complex concepts

28. Promotion of the Life-
Long Learning Culture
in Ukraine
Joint Project DVV Ukraine and WOC
- Special add-on to WOC 2nd
edition (Coopetition) aimed to
promote Life Long Learning
principles
2019-2022

30. WOC
Formats of use

31. 100 practical ideas to use WOC
BUSINESS
• HR&Recruitment
• Teambuilding
• Negotiations
• Soft-skills training
• Decision-making skills
training
• Boost of Leadership
• Newcomers integration
• Community
engagement
• Learning of community
development tools
• Strategic planning
• Needs assessment
• Needs assessment
• Soft-skills training
• Life-learning skills
training
• Bullying prevention
• The catalyst for changes
in a school system
COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
• Soft-skills training
• Additional Income
• Boost of Leadership
• VUCA skills training
• Socializing
• Partner diagnosis
• Burn out prevention
PERSONAL
CULTURE
• Discrimination
prevention
• Relations building
• Socializing
• Correction of
unproductive behaviour
models
• Project management
Teambuilding
• Cooperation skills
• Soft-skills training
• Community tools
• Boost of Leadership
• Fundraising skills
CIVIL SOCIETY
• Public money
• Decision-making skills
training
• Boost of Leadership
• Community tools
• Socialising
• Cooperation skills
CITIZENSHIP YOUTH
• Community tools
• Local self-government
• Soft-skills training
• Decision-making skills
training
• Boost of Leadership
• Project management

32. FORMAT: 3-hour session for 4-6 participants
with the aim of getting to know each other,
building confidence, boost soft skills;
Tasks:
Get to know a group or community
Form the ground for further cooperation
Activate group members
Upgrade/boost a specific type of skill
GAME SESSION FACILITATED BY GAME MASTERS

33. Tasks:
to introduce gamification technologies that can be
used to:
Increase the motivation of stakeholders in
communities to implement changes,
revive society, unbox its potential
and propose practical gamification tools based on
the use of the World of Communities simulator
GAMES AND GAMIFICATION TOOLS FOR COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT: TOT PROGRAM

34. The World of Communities tournament is a simultaneous
game with a certain number of tables (from 3 tables). Each
table is moderated by a certified game master according to a
specially designed scenario and conditions.
Tasks:
Engage the audience in more complex processes;
Development of skills of cooperation, competition,
entrepreneurship, leadership;
Creation of synergy among representatives of various
stakeholders
Search for creative non-standard solutions for their field of
activity
Exchange of experience and formation of horizontal links;
Simulation of critical situations and search for ways to solve
them
WORLD OF COMMUNITIES TOURNAMENT

35. Task: to have its own product and certified
trainers for its use for the programmatic
and strategic goals of the organization:
Promote your own approaches and values
find like-minded people and allies
Change attitudes and break stereotypes
Build a positive brand image for the
organization
WOC NATIONAL ADAPTATION

36. For those involved in community or team capacity
development who want to:
Establish constructive work of the target group
(initiative group, project team, stakeholder group).
Promote
​​
its own concept or approach to the target
group.
Assess risks and pitfalls before starting a project in a
specific community;
Identify resource people in the community to do
business with.
DEEP LOCAL CONTEXT ANALYSIS

37. Task: to identify and upgrade a
certain group of people so that
they can use more sophisticated
tools in their work, to change their
environment.
ACCELERATION PROGRAM

38. Task: in a fun and non-standard way to
find customers for the services or
solutions that the organization offers.
One WOC copy covers 250-300 local
influencers’ contacts per year.
BRAND & TOOLS PROMOTION

39. Tasks:
To explore the real needs of different segments of
the citizen in the field of non-formal adult
education and prepare the real ground for
comprehensive programs with resources provided
by the local budget.
Case: Adult Education Centre from Melitopol, DVV
partner organization, has designed and prepared
the draft of such a 5-years municipal program
based on community needs assessment made by
WOC game sessions.
DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCAY OF MUNICIPAL
PROGRAMS IN THE SPHERE OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION
FOR ADULTS

40. WHY

41. Easy-scaled,
tested,
proved
technology
for social
changes

42. Flexible tool for
various tasks
100+ solutions for more
than 20 target groups

43. Clients support:
cases description,
webinars, learning
exchange online/
offline meetings

44. Queues of people
who want to get
the game or get
into the game.
Always positive
feedback

45. Emotional
pictures in social
media
#ГраСвітГромад
#WOCtheGame

46. Good works for
small groups (up to
6 participants)
and for a large
group (60-80) in
Tournament format
or group simulation

47. 1. Game
Purpose
2.Research
3.Game
Design
Workshop
4.Prototype 5.Test
6.Production
7. Workshops.
Webinars
8. Support
‣ Understand the game
mechanics and potential
‣ Identify areas for practical use
‣ Identify unproductive
behaviors or beliefs,
stereotypes to be changed
‣ Budget
Duration: 1-3 days
Format: Workshop for key
personnel
Costs: $3000
‣ Targets
‣ Pain points
‣ Challenges
‣ Risks
Duration: 1 month
Format: interviews,
desk research, survey
Costs: $2000-$3000
‣ The focus of the game
‣ Effective models in
gameplay
‣ Game elements and tools
‣ Gameplay
‣ Product design
‣ Priorities
‣ Branding
‣ Production team
‣ Work plan
Duration: 1-3 days
Format: Workshop with key
personnel
Costs: $4000
‣ Mockups
‣ Translation/
Localization
‣ Fail-fast testing
‣ Iterations
‣ Production of 2-3
samples
Duration: 1 month
Costs: $3000-3800
‣ How the game works with the
target audience (group
dynamics, reactions, reflections)
‣ What doesn’t work
‣ How the guide and rules work
‣ What is not clear
‣ What we need to improve
Duration: 2-4 months
Costs: $3000
‣ Improvements
(design, language,
ambiguity in the
game guide or
game mechanics)
‣ Branding of
elements
‣ Production of
edition (100 issues)
Duration: 1-2 months
Costs: $15000
‣ Gameplay: what is
behind
‣ Demo-game
‣ FAQ
‣ The practice of
game facilitation
Duration: 3 days
Format: Workshop
with future facilitators
Costs: $3000
World of
Communities
Design &
Production/
Adaptation
Process
Total project costs: $35000
Duration: up to 9 months

48. Contacts
for localisation
and collaboration
project
Тарас Тимчук
+38 (067) 4480912 //
tarastymchuk@gmail.com

49. Multilingual War
Daily Update
Project to Spread
Information about
Ukraine around the
World
Subscribe and share the truth about what
is happening in Ukraine now
https://sharethetruths.org