your facilitator.
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Kruti Shah
A devout game enthusiast
Founder, The Hive
8 years. 50+ games. 300+ game plays. And counting. By day, Kruti is the founder of The Hive, and by night, an active board gamer who loves to play tabletop games. Her journey into tabletop Eurogaming began through a tryst with ‘Ticket to Ride,’ which was introduced by a friend on one fine February evening of 2015. What followed were several more additions to her game library, and late night gaming with family and friends. Soon, Tuesday Night Games at Project Otenga became the new high of her life.
When COVID hit, her gaming continued with even greater gusto, as the entire family (with a 4-year old at one end and a 68-year old at the other), found a retreat in this hobby. It reinforced Kruti’s belief in the power of games to enrich and bring people together.
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Kruti hosts ‘Saturdays are for Games,’ a regular board gaming event at The Hive, that runs till the wee hours of morning. She also facilitates ‘Board Game Fridays: Jr. Edition’ to initiate children into Eurogames.
Kruti has been a marketing communications professional, with almost fifteen years of experience in academics and industry. She loves to write and has authored a medical thriller 'The Aquila Trials' as well as texts on marketing communications.
the programme.
“1 gold = 2 silvers. 1 silver = 2 coppers. Hmm… I’ll trash this gold and grab those 5 coppers instead.”
- Game-think of a 4-year-something who has realized that 5 coppers are more valuable than 1 gold!
Indeed, children learn as they play. And most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn.* The play way of learning has merits in higher education as well, with even the IITs recognizing a learning value in games. No wonder, board gaming is trending on the charts lately. :)
This programme will initiate participants into the world of Eurogames, particularly to the games focusing on pattern recognition & building, or solving puzzles. It will take them through at least half a dozen classic games that are easy to learn, but complex enough to call for strategic thinking. Participants will learn about the origins of the game, the game mechanics, the actual play, and also delve a little into the Eurogame culture around the world.
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The intent behind the club is to engage with jr. gamers more regularly, play more Euro/Strategy-based board games, and have a plethora of stimulating events for the road ahead!
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We’ll culminate the workshop with a ‘friendly tournament’ and a 'family play session' to encourage participants to delve deeper into game analysis and explanations.
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*Play researcher O. Fred Donaldson
So what are Eurogames?
“I have 5 woods and 2 stones. I can either build a home now, or acquire 1 more stone in the next turn and build 2 lodges. I will build a home now before this location is taken away.”
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At their very core, Eurogames vest players with limited resources and force them to make tough decisions. They are a class of tabletop games that originated in postwar Germany and spread across Europe. Eurogames are concerned with getting the most strategy from the least or minimal mechanics. Due to an aversion for war and conflict in that era, these games shy of any ‘head-on combat’ amongst players, but involve ‘planning at multifarious levels to compete’ – much as in real life.
The genre developed as a design movement, featuring games with the following salient features:
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Strategy-oriented: Eurogames are focused on challenges for players, requiring thought, planning, and a shift in tactics, based on competitors’ moves. Randomness and luck-factor are low. There are multiple paths to victory, which make repeat play very interesting.
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Socially-inclusive: Games bring people together. From young kids to older children to even adults of varied interests – Eurogames engage and enrich everyone, unlike games of other genres. Most Eurogames are age-, language-, and qualification-independent, in other words, a great equalizer.
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Structured: Eurogames employ clever mechanics, such as card drafting, worker placement, set collection, engine building, etc., with balancing mechanisms to give fairplay advantages to lagging players.
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Styled to impress: High-quality and stunning designs enhance the visual and tactile experience of Eurogames. Many games are theme-driven, adding to an immersive analog experience for players.
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TAKEAWAYS
(Over multiple sessions)
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- Spend constructive fun time away from screens; make new friends
- Get into Eurogame-think: making quick decisions when presented with several options but limited resources
- Build 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, logical analysis, social & communication skills, et al
- Develop attitudes of being a team player/collaborator, strategist, decision maker...
- Acquire awareness of the growing Eurogame culture around the world
KEY SKILLS HONED
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Problem-solving and critical thinking
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Communication and healthy competitiveness
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Creativity, convergent and divergent thinking
FOR WHOM?
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Children 7-12 year old, who would love to play, and play to learn
1. Are Eurogames development-oriented?
YES, ABSOLUTELY! Research says boardgames are a great tool to aid cognitive, social, and emotional development.*
Cognitive, or thinking skills, such as reasoning, judging, making decisions, solving problems, remembering, and the like, are automatically activated due to the dynamic nature of boardgames, whether you win or lose. Face-to-face social engagement provides cognitive stimulation through verbal and non-verbal cues, whereas emotional competence is developed by learning to deal with failures and disappointments.
2. What kind of skills will this workshop build?
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Eurogames are a great way to build 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, etc. that are typically not a part of any academic curriculum. Skills develop through repeat exposure to these games, as they become a way of thinking and doing. Through these experiences, participants learn several things, such as, the world has rules, there are exceptions to rules, stories make games more interesting, outcomes are based on the choices we make, and so on.
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The best part of games is that all learning is "incidental." The prime objective is still having fun.
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3. Will the games be provided?
Yes, we'll bring the games and any resources required. Just come with your creativity handy. :)
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4. What safety precautions will be taken at The Hive?
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Our staff and facilitators are fully vaccinated. We will be playing in small groups. Masks are recommended when in close proximity. However, the participants are responsible for their own health & safety.
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*Several studies such as by Po Ling Chen and Tedd Denis, "Cognitive and Social-Emotional Skills Training: Why Should We Consider Board Games?", International Journal of Psychology and Behavioural Science, March 2022
the schedule:
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April Programme
Mon, Apr 10, 2023
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to Thur, Apr 13
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Fri, Apr 14, 2023
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Introduction to tabletop boardgaming; learning 4 different Eurogames
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Tournament
5:00 - 7:00 pm
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5:00 - 7:00 pm
INR 1500
*Only 10 seats available
the schedule:
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Fri, Jan 19, 2024
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Fri, Jan 26, 2024
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Fri, Feb 2, 2024
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Fri, Feb 9, 2024
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Fri, Feb 16, 2024
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Fri, Feb 23, 2024
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Parent ORIENTATION + Unboxing New Games on Patterns & Puzzles
Game Play
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Game Play
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Game Play
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Game Play
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Tournament + Hosting a Family Play Session
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5:00 to 6:30 pm on all Fridays
INR 2400/-
Cancellation Policy: In the unlikely event of The Hive cancelling any of its workshops for any reason, registered participants will be refunded the entire amount within 15 business days. Course dropouts by participants will be eligible for refund as follows: 30+ days before the event - 75% refund; 15-30 days before the event: 50% refund; less than 15 days - 0% refund. Attendee changes can be accommodated up to 14 days prior to the event.