TUBES – A Game Of The Internet

Objective

To understand that the Internet is physical infrastructure, that data is copied into data centers and behaviour on the network is both observed and can have consequences.

Time

20 mins +/-

Game parts

1 game board

6 x player avatars

1x baseboard per avatar

3 x transparent life pieces per avatar

1x data center

5 x Internet cables

5x grey routers (lego blocks)

1x black baseboard for lost life pieces

1 x numbered dice

1x colour dice (red/green)

210 x red data blocks

60 x small red counters

10 x large red counters

210 x green data blocks

60 x small green counters

10 x large green counters

6 x blue “BEE SECURE APP” blocks

6 x PowerUp cards (smiley)

6 x ”Oh No!” cards (angry)

1 x legend explaining actions to be taken when landing on a square with an emoji

Set up

Board will be set up following the illustrations Players put their avatars on the START square Youngest player goes first.

Game play

Each player throws dice and moves their avatar corresponding number of squares, following instructions on board.

When a player lands on an emoji square, they consult the legend and follow the instructions.

When player lands on a ROUTER square they nominate another player to receive a message then throw the red/green dice.

If the dice is red they send a “bad” message, if green they send a “good” message. The message is sent by the player taking an appropriately coloured block and moving it along the tubes to the data center, where it is placed.

They then send on an appropriately coloured counter to the recipient.

The sender also takes either a small red or green counter.

If the player has sent a “bad” message, they lose a “life” piece which is placed on the black baseboard.

If they lose all 3 life pieces, they must return to the START but retain all message counters they have gotten until that moment.

If a player has 10 small red or green counters, they exchange them for a larger counter of the same colour and the 10 pieces go back into the the counter bag.

When a player lands on the PowerUp square they take a powerup card (smiley) and follow the instructions. Similarly, they do the same thing if they land on the “Oh No!” (angry) square. The card is then placed at the bottom of the pack.

If a player lands on the BEE SECURE app square, they take one blue block from the data centre, put it onto their baseboard and follow the instructions on the legend.

Winning

When the first player reaches FINISH the game is over, that player either gets a life back, or if they all lives, a green message counter. The coloured counters and remaining lives are then counted. The player with the most green counters and remaining lives is the winner.

Tubes Credits

Game conceived by Chris Pinchen, co-created and developed by Chris Pinchen, Jaiden Sreenivasan and Zygi Virsalis, students from the International School of Luxembourg.

Game tested by Andrea Pennisi, Anna Amari, Anna Black, Anton karlstedt, Carl Dackner, Célyan Vermeulin, Clara Elosegui, Jett Lohnes, Josie Hatch, Kilian Dingeldein, Marc Kharin, Noah Libbey, Sebastian Zmuda Malkki, Thomas Kirthi Singha, Vasyukova Alexandra, Viktor McElfresh, Viggo Annerstedt.

Tubes was co-created and developed in the Building a Better World Lab at International School of Luxembourg run by Tanya Irene and Stéphane Vermeulin, Technology Integration Facilitators, with the assistance of Chris Hewett.

Design: Christian Polocoser

Project Manager BEE SECURE: Judith Swietlik