A dynamic game to experience the worst side of capitalism and grow agency to do otherwise!

A 90–120 minute activity for 10-40 people

Creator: Josie Chambers

Is this the activity for your group?

• Needs a facilitator
• 90-120 minutes duration
• 10-40 players
• Medium setup (requires basic materials, symbol cards, slides and music)
• Low difficulty level (for any age or background)
• Low imaginative load (there is strong guidance)
• Low trust required (suitable for new and established groups)

Why play this?

• Surfacing worldviews (Related to visions of desirable futures)
• Unmaking systems (Builds agency to resist and transform unjust systems)

Background and objectives

This game has a visible objective (for participants) and a hidden objective (for the host only). The visible objective is to secure the most macaroni for your family over generations. The hidden objective is to experience firsthand how unsustainable and unjust systems can arise, and the various power dynamics at play in (re)producing the status quo. This game provokes discussion around why we too often accept these power dynamics, sparking ideas and motivation to challenge them in the real world.

Components

Set up

1. Place 200 grams of macaroni and 12 pieces of fusilli pasta in a tub in the center of the room (on the floor or a table)
2. Set the rest of the macaroni aside to serve as a reserve to replenish macaroni after each harvesting season
3. Adapt the symbols deck to the number of players:
4. 7-10 players: Symbols to keep = number of players; hand out only yellow cards
5. 11-20 players: Symbols to keep = ½ number of players; hand out yellow cards to half of the players and pink cards to the other half
6. >20 players: Symbols to keep = ⅓ number of players; hand out yellow cards to a third of the players, then pink to a third, and then blue to a third
7. Give all players a symbol card, representing each player’s generation (colour) and family (symbol)
8. The host keeps the white cards of all included symbols, to draw from during the game
9. If there are 11+ players, have families (those who share the same symbol) meet each other at the start of the game (Yellow = Grandparents; Pink = Parents; Blue = Children)
10. Position all players (either on chairs or standing) around the central tub of macaroni

How to play

Season 0: Getting started

1. Announce the objective of the game: To try to get as much macaroni as possible
2. Announce that players with the yellow cards start. Each player is provided with 1 small spoon and 1 collection cup
3. All the yellow card holders come to the centre of the group and arrange themselves around the large collective dish of macaroni, cheered on by their future generations (those who share the same symbols)
4. Announce the rules of the game:
5. We will have 7 harvesting seasons and each season lasts 20 seconds (when music plays only)
6. Use your allocated tool to take as much as you can and scoop it into your cup (only use your tool!)
7. After each season, the amount of macaroni remaining in the pool will be doubled (only up to the original amount)

Season 1: The first harvest

1. Host announces: The first season will commence when the music begins (Return of the Mac) and the harvesting must end when the music stops
2. Players with yellow cards use their small spoon to scoop as much macaroni as they can into their cups in 20 seconds
3. Host stops the music once time is up
4. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni (up to the original amount)
5. All macaroni that escapes from the collective dish is moved to the dump and removed from play (this applies to all rounds)

Season 2: Lottery of life

1. The host picks four symbols at random from the white deck
2. The first two symbols win a new harvesting tool—a mini cup
3. The last two symbols have their spoons replaced with broken ones
4. The next season begins, with players harvesting along to the music for 20 seconds
5. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni (only up to the original amount)

Season 3: Choose a rule

1. Players must vote on a new rule for managing the macaroni resources. Majority rules. If there is a tie, those with the most macaroni collected win. The rules to choose from are:
2. Restore all broken spoons
3. Lottery to give out 2 more cups
4. The family with the most macaroni at the end gets chocolate
5. The next season begins, with players harvesting along to the music for 20 seconds
6. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni

Season 4: Next generation

1. Host announces: Your generation is retiring. The Mac-illenials are here. Seven new players will inherit the pool and tools from the previous generation.
2. Those holding the pink cards come to the center and inherit the cup and tool of their elder.
3. If there is a cup for whom there is no new generation (no matching symbol), then the cup is half emptied into the land-fill. If there is a new family (a symbol not represented by the first generation), then they receive an empty cup and spoon.
4. The next season begins, with players harvesting along to the music for 20 seconds
5. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni (by now the amount of macaroni should be in decline)

Season 5: Intervention

1. Host announces: Macaroni International is concerned about the decline of macaroni. They create a “super spoon” that harvests higher quality eco-certified macaroni. Macaroni harvested in these cups is double the value. The companies’ tagline is: “Less macaroni can bring about more benefits”.
2. Players can choose if they want the spoon, and if so, they receive a second collection cup with a green dot on it. Any macaroni they harvest into that cup will be doubled from the macaroni reserve.
3. The next season begins, with players harvesting along to the music for 20 seconds
4. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni in the tub (by now the amount of macaroni should be heavily depleted)
5. Host also uses the reserve macaroni to approximately doubles the amount of macaroni gathered in each cup with a green dot

Season 6: The big cheese plague

1. Host announces: A cheese-like plague breaks out. Macademics discover that an endangered species of spiral noodle has properties that can save the macaroni… This means that the remaining macaroni will only be doubled if at least one fusilli noodle is left in the common pool.
2. The next season begins, with players harvesting along to the music for 20 seconds
3. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni in the tub (by now the amount of macaroni should be heavily depleted)

Season 7: Next generation

1. Host announces: Your generation is over. The Maca boomers are here. Players with blue cards inherit the pool and tools from the previous generation.
2. Those holding the blue cards come to the center and inherit the cup and tool of their elder.
3. If there is a cup for whom there is no new generation (no matching symbol), then the cup is emptied into the land-fill. If there is a new family (a symbol not represented by the first generation), then they receive an empty cup and spoon.
4. The last season begins, with players harvesting along to the music for 20 seconds
5. Host then approximately doubles the remaining amount of macaroni in the tub (there may be none left to double)

How to debrief

The game then moves into a facilitated discussion phase. The host invites all participants to sit back together (ideally in a circle around the game space). The host is responsible for time keeping based on the time available.

The following questions may be addressed to all players in plenary and can be adapted to the themes and foci of the group (e.g. commons, food sharing, conservation, etc.)

Question 1: Who won or lost the game?

Question 2: How did the last generation feel when they started to play?

Question 3: In what ways does this game mirror challenges in the real world?

Question 4: If you were to continue this game (with more macaroni), what could you do differently as a collective?

Question 5: How did the various rounds parallel issues we encounter in the real world? E.g.

• The goal of the game to get the most
• Political process to choose a new rule
• Inheritance structure that perpetuates privilege
• The intervention is market driven / undemocratic
• The importance of valuing (bio)diversity
• The compulsion to follow rules and not rebel

Question 6: What does this game reveal about how we can gain more power to transform the real world?

Host wraps up and distributes chocolate (regardless of whether that rule was selected!)

The facilitators introduces the last question to all players to close the session

Final question:  What does this game reveal about how we can gain more power to transform the real world? 

Facilitator wraps up and distributes chocolate if that rule was selected (even if it was not)!