This week’s game was different from other games we have played as groups were working towards the same goal. While we had different tasks to accomplish, the game could only be completed when we all completed our individual tasks. I enjoyed the game because there was less competition involved, and working together felt nice for a change. It was difficult because while we were required to work together, our communication was limited, and that made it difficult to understand what each player wanted. And although that was the point of the game, it sometimes became frustrating when it seemed like we were approaching the end only to be set back by new tasks. Since each player could only see the game from their perspective, it became harder to see the bigger picture and how other members played into it.
In this game, leadership themes came up as we saw the need for communication to achieve a common goal. Through this game, it became obvious that we often do not understand the reasoning behind people’s actions if they don’t do a good job communicating their rationale. Additionally, this game brought up themes of compromise and how that becomes possible when members of a team, or a leader leading a team, can understand the reasoning behind others’ behaviors. At some point during the game, we were able to show our task cards to one other member of the team, so we combined efforts to achieve one another’s goal(s). This way, we were able to look for other ways to achieve our own personal tasks, while also keeping the goals of the other teammate in mind. This is a good reminder that as leaders, we must be able to accommodate the needs of those we lead.
Overall, it was a fun and challenging game, and our discussions in class afterwards was helpful in understanding the purpose of the game. I think this game would be best played by friends, but probably not as a party game because it is a bit slow paced and could take a while.