Board of Psychology Lectures?

Below is a list of board games we tested in one section of Intro Psychology. Students were mostly Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute non-psychology majors. They received lecture content, played the games, answered discussion questions, and provided feedback on the game. For each game, we provide the game statistics (number of players, price range, duration), learning objectives, discussion questions, ratings, suggestions and pictures of the game and card/board setup.
 
This is an early build of the website, stay tuned for more! Reach out to [email protected] with any questions or comments.

Key:

 0-15 minutes
 15-30 minutes
 30-60 minutes
 60+ minutes

      $0-20
      $20-30
      $30-40
      $40+

  • Game Name
  • Topic
  • Time
  • Players
  • Cost
  • Effectiveness
  • Anxiety Attack
  • Clinical
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Anxiety Attack

25-45 Minutes
2-6 Players
$25

Clinical

In Anxiety Attack, players navigate scenarios that trigger anxiety while working together to manage and overcome these challenges. Each round presents a new situation, and players discuss coping strategies and share experiences. The objective is to collectively support each other, build resilience, and foster a deeper understanding of anxiety.

Learning Objectives:

People can have different triggers for anxiety. Within an individual, the things that trigger anxiety may be consistent. Recognizing these triggers can better prepare us to regulate our emotions during these uncomfortable times. We can use different strategies to cope through the triggers or to reduce baseline stress to make anxiety more manageable.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Does your group agree on the numbers (i.e., intensity) of the anxiety triggers? Which anxiety triggers did your group disagree on? (2) How does anxiety affect other players in this game?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.62/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Rorschach
  • Clinical
  • 4-10
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Rorschach

15-30 Minutes
4-10 Players
$30

Clinical

In Rorschach, players interpret abstract images to reveal insights about their personalities and emotions. Each round, players take turns presenting a card and discussing their interpretations, fostering open dialogue and self-reflection. The aim is to deepen understanding of oneself and others through shared perspectives.

Learning Objectives:

Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic approach that uses glimpses into the subconscious as a way to understand and address an individual's deep rooted desires and fears. Inkblot tests asks clients to freely associate from a visually ambiguous stimulus. The client's first response from these inkblots is thought to tell the therapist about the client's personality, mindset, traumas, etc.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What type of therapy is the inkblot test based on? (2) Based on your experience with the game, how effective do you think inkblots are in inferring about a person?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.75/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Side Effects
  • Clinical
  • 2-9
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Side Effects

10-30 Minutes
2-9 Players
$25

Clinical

In Side Effects, you start the game with disorders. You treat the disorders with drugs and therapy. Along the way, you may reveal untreated disorders. You win the game by treating all your disorders.

Learning Objectives:

Psychological disorders can be treated through therapy and/or prescribed psychiatric drugs. Depending on the diagnosis, a different therapeutic approach or psychiatric drug may be recommended or more effective. These treatments may have side effects. As a clinician, the pros and cons of different treatment approaches may be considered in treating an individual.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Which (medications or therapy) did you find most helpful in managing symptoms during the game, and why? (2) What complications arose? In terms of treatment or episodes? How did you choose to resolve them?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.57/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Concept
  • Cognitive
  • 4-12+
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Concept

40 Minutes
4-12+ Players
$40

Cognitive

Players use icons on a board to convey a concept without words. Others guess the concept (such as a movie, object, or person) based on how the icons are arranged.

Learning Objectives:

People develop schemas for concepts. These schemas include features of that concept but also related concepts or features.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Which features were associated with which concepts more often? Give examples (2) Which concepts had more consistent guessing? Why may this be?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.65/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Fluxx Math
  • Cognitive
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Fluxx Math

5-30 Minutes
2-6 Players
$15

Cognitive

A variation of Fluxx with geography-themed cards, where players change rules and win conditions, similar to other Fluxx versions. The goal is to align the cards in play with the current winning conditions.

Learning Objectives:

Learning builds off of previous events. Learning a new rule may be easier or harder depending on how often the rule applies and what the

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of learning or conditioning exists in this game? Give examples. (2) What were the qualities of the rules that were easier or harder to learn? Think about the reinforcement schedules and reward vs. punishment

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.41/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Guestimation
  • Cognitive
  • 3-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Guestimation

60 Minutes
3-8 Players
$25

Cognitive

This game that puts your estimation skills to the test! Players must guess numerical values, measurements, or quantities, and the closer you are to the correct answer, the more points you earn.

Learning Objectives:

People tend to use prior knowledge or other presented information as anchors for their estimates or educated guesses. Other strategies people use for estimating attributes include availability heuristic and representativeness.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How often did you use your prior knowledge to make your guesses? How did this turn out for you? (2) How often were you influenced by the numbers listed on the cards? How did this turn out for you?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.75/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Rapid Reflex
  • Cognitive
  • 3-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Rapid Reflex

10-20 Minutes
3-4 Players
$15

Cognitive

A fast-paced reaction game where players must quickly respond to certain prompts or perform actions faster than their opponents. Reflexes and speed are key.

Learning Objectives:

People learn to associate a stimuli with a response, but as they are learning these associations, they may need to also learn to inhibit other associations as to not trigger those responses.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of mistakes were people making? Why may this be? (2) How did you manage your “decision criteria” for acting on an impulse? Did you have more false alarm/positives or misses/false negatives?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.38/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • The Mind
  • Cognitive
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

The Mind

20 Minutes
2-4 Players
$13

Cognitive

Players must work together to play numbered cards in ascending order, but the catch is that no one can communicate their cards or strategize out loud. It's a test of intuition, timing, and silent teamwork, as each round becomes increasingly difficult.

Learning Objectives:

People represent numbers of a mental number line. They may use clues or proxies in order to figure out how far away a number is from a previous number.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How did you determine when it was safe to put down another number card? (2) Was someone more or less risk averse? Did risk aversion play into their strategy?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Wavelength
  • Cognitive
  • 2-12
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Wavelength

30 Minutes
2-12 Players
$40

Cognitive

This game that tests how well you and your teammates can tune into each other's thought processes. A "psychic," receives a hidden target on a spectrum between two extremes, like "Hot-Cold". The Psychic then gives a clue related to the spectrum, and their team must work together to guess where on the scale the target lies.

Learning Objectives:

Features of objects can be represented on a continuous scale (e.g., even similarity between items). Objects, concepts or other features fall somewhere on this scale based on prior knowledge and experience.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How did you think of the clues for the wheel? Were you using any reference points when figuring out the clues? (2) Were their some features (extreme labels) that had more disagreement in guessing or longer clue finding? Why or why not?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.65/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Careers (1958)
  • Developmental
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Careers (1958)

60 Minutes
2-6 Players
$50

Developmental

This original version of the board game has players choose from a variety of career paths, such as going to college, becoming a farmer, or joining show business..

Learning Objectives:

Erikson’s psychosocial development theory identifies the issue of identity vs. role as a (internal) conflict that is prominent in adolescence. During this stage, teenagers and young adults may be making decisions about their education status and careers.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How did your goals affect the careers/jobs you went for? (2) What were the risk rewards you considered when going into a career?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.83/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Careers (2003)
  • Developmental
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Careers (2003)

60 Minutes
2-6 Players
$30

Developmental

In this modernized version, the classic gameplay remains but is updated with contemporary careers and scenarios, reflecting modern life choices. Players still balance fame, happiness, and money, but now with updated career paths like space exploration and technology

Learning Objectives:

Erikson’s psychosocial development theory identifies the issue of identity vs. role as a (internal) conflict that is prominent in adolescence. During this stage, teenagers and young adults may be making decisions about their education status and careers.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What led you to decide on the career path in this game? (2) Did you choose to play a career that is similar to or different from the career choice you would make for your life? Why or why not?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.31/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • CV
  • Developmental
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

CV

60 Minutes
2-4 Players
$40

Developmental

In this dice-rolling game, players create the narrative of their life by collecting life experiences in areas like education, career, and relationships.

Learning Objectives:

Erikson’s psychosocial development theory identifies the issue of identity vs. role as a (internal) conflict that is prominent in adolescence. During this stage, teenagers and young adults may be making decisions about their education status and careers.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of stages or experiences in the game are similar to your own life? (2) Are there any alternative realities that you tried to explore? Something you wouldn’t have done in real life?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (2.79/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • The Game of Life
  • Developmental
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

The Game of Life

20-30 Minutes
2-4 Players
$25

Developmental

A classic family board game where players navigate through various life stages, making decisions about education, career, and family. Players earn money, experience events, and aim to retire with the most wealth.

Learning Objectives:

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development identifies eight stages within a person's lifespan, where people have different conflicts that they are trying to resolve within themselves and with society. These conflicts (e.g., intimacy vs. isolation) relate to goals for that life stage (e.g., finding a partner).

Discussion Questions:

(1) What led you to make the choices you made in the game? What was the main goal (in life) that you were pursuing? (2) Were the decisions you made in the game the same ones you would have made for your own life? Why or why not?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.09/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • The Pursuit of Happiness
  • Developmental
  • 1-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

The Pursuit of Happiness

60-90 Minutes
1-4 Players
$60

Developmental

A worker placement game where players take on the role of an individual living through various stages of life. Players make decisions about jobs, relationships, and hobbies to build their ideal life while balancing stress and time management.

Learning Objectives:

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development identifies eight stages within a person's lifespan, where people have different conflicts that they are trying to resolve within themselves and with society. These conflicts (e.g., intimacy vs. isolation) relate to goals for that life stage (e.g., finding a partner).

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kind of life do you think would bring you happiness? Was that the same approach you had with the game? (2)What were the stages of development you played through? Did you meet the goals of that life stage?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.33/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • The Game of Life Goals
  • Developmental
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

The Game of Life Goals

30 Minutes
2-4 Players
$30

Developmental

A variation of the original Game of Life, focusing on specific personal goals rather than just wealth accumulation. Players work to achieve predefined life objectives like becoming a successful entrepreneur or starting a family.

Learning Objectives:

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development identifies eight stages within a person's lifespan, where people have different conflicts that they are trying to resolve within themselves and with society. These conflicts (e.g., intimacy vs. isolation) relate to goals for that life stage (e.g., finding a partner).

Discussion Questions:

(1) What led you to make the choices you made in the game? What was the main goal (in life) that you were pursuing? (2) Were the decisions you made in the game the same ones you would have made for your own life? Why or why not?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.51/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • The Game of Real Life
  • Developmental
  • 3-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

The Game of Real Life

30 Minutes
3-6 Players
$35

Developmental

In this card game, players choose a life problem card and the other players propose choose from their cards a solution or technique to use to address the life problem. The solutions and techniques are inspired by Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Learning Objectives:

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development identifies eight stages within a person's lifespan, where people have different conflicts that they are trying to resolve within themselves and with society. These conflicts (e.g., intimacy vs. isolation) relate to goals for that life stage (e.g., finding a partner).

Discussion Questions:

(1) What challenges do you anticipate in each stage of life? Is this in line with the conflict for this stage of life (according to Erikson’s stages) (2) How did you solve the conflicts in the game? Have you had previous experience with these conflicts?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.82/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Amygdala
  • Emotion
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Amygdala

60-90 Minutes
2-4 Players
$45

Emotion

In this strategy game, the board is divided into regions. There are resources one needs to collect in order to get their emotions on the board. Some emotions are stored in a memory bank. Players try to get their emotion tiles into connected networks.

Learning Objectives:

The amygdala is part of the brain’s limbic system and is responsible for processing emotional stimuli and detecting threats. The amygdala and hippocampus communicate with each other for storing emotionally charged memories.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What emotional regulation strategies were used? (2) What emotions were easier to balance? What emotions had the biggest impact in the game? Do these align with real life?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (2.14/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Block Happy
  • Emotion
  • 2-5
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Block Happy

15-50 Minutes
2-5 Players
$30

Emotion

Block Happy is a card game that uses real emotions to drive gameplay, and is designed to help players understand and recognize their emotions

Learning Objectives:

Emotions can serve as guiding principles for our thoughts and behaviors. Some emotions will motivate us to act in situations or make certain decisions. Some of these actions could have consequences that either serve us or work against our goals and desires. It is important to distinguish when acting on an emotion is productive (e.g., setting boundaries) and when they are counterproductive and thus require emotional regulation.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How did you gather as much happiness as possible? Which negative emotions were making it more difficult to reach this goal? (2) How did you balance regulating your own emotions and others?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.75/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Feelinks
  • Emotion
  • 3-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Feelinks

20-40 Minutes
3-8 Players
$30

Emotion

In Feelinks, players read scenarios and identify how they will feel in the scenarios. Others will guess on how each player will feel about the scenario.

Learning Objectives:

People can have different emotional reactions to the same scenario. Being able to anticipate how other people would feel in a situation requires perspective taking and empathy. Anticipating the emotional reaction of others could create opportunities for social bonding, social support and conflict resolution.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Which scenarios did most players do a better job at guessing emotions on? (2) Which scenarios did players have the most disagreement on how they would feel?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.02/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Your Friend is Sad
  • Emotion
  • 1-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Your Friend is Sad

15-30 Minutes
1-4 Players
$30

Emotion

In Your Friend is Sad, players engage in storytelling and role-playing to navigate situations where a friend is experiencing sadness. Each player takes turns offering support and solutions, focusing on active listening and empathy. The objective is to promote understanding and strategies for helping others in emotional distress.

Learning Objectives:

Social support is one of protective factors against developing depression and other mental health issues. Noticing when your friend is sad and what to do to support them could strengthen the bond you have with your friend.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What life challenges were the most relatable? (2) What cheer-up strategies were the most effective or helpful?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.41/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Fluxx 5.0
  • Learning
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Fluxx 5.0

5-30 Minutes
2-6 Players
$15

Learning

A card game where the rules and winning conditions are constantly changing. Players draw and play cards that alter the game, such as changing how many cards to draw, play, or what’s needed to win.

Learning Objectives:

Learning builds off of previous events. Learning a new rule may be easier or harder depending on how often the rule applies and what the consequences are.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of learning or conditioning exists in this game? Give examples. (2) What were the qualities of the rules that were easier or harder to learn? Think about the reinforcement schedules and reward vs. punishment

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.27/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Fluxx Across America
  • Learning
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Fluxx Across America

5-30 Minutes
2-6 Players
$20

Learning

A variation of Fluxx with geography-themed cards, where players change rules and win conditions, similar to other Fluxx versions. The goal is to align the cards in play with the current winning conditions.

Learning Objectives:

Learning builds off of previous events. Learning a new rule may be easier or harder depending on how often the rule applies and what the consequences are.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of learning or conditioning exists in this game? Give examples. (2) What were the qualities of the rules that were easier or harder to learn? Think about the reinforcement schedules and reward vs. punishment

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.57/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Fluxx The Board Game
  • Learning
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Fluxx The Board Game

15-45 Minutes
2-4 Players
$30

Learning

Similar to the card game, but with a board. Players move pieces to match the ever-changing goal cards, and rules for movement, winning, and actions change throughout the game.

Learning Objectives:

Learning builds off of previous events. Learning a new rule may be easier or harder depending on how often the rule applies and what the consequences are.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of learning or conditioning exists in this game? Give examples. (2) What were the qualities of the rules that were easier or harder to learn? Think about the reinforcement schedules and reward vs. punishment

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.13/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Pavlov's Dogs
  • Learning
  • 2-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Pavlov's Dogs

20-45 Minutes
2-8 Players
$25

Learning

A fast-paced party game where players follow behavioral commands in a "Simon Says" style. Inspired by Pavlov’s famous experiments on conditioning, players must quickly respond to prompts while trying not to mess up.

Learning Objectives:

Classical conditioning is a learning process in which a neutral stimulus elicits an unconditioned response after repeated pairings with an unconditioned stimulus. This type of learning is relevant when teaching dogs tricks.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Name the elements of conditioning that exist in this game. (2) What were the reward or punishment in this game? Was the reinforcement schedule ideal to learn the rules?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.5/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • We Didn’t Playtest This at All
  • Learning
  • 2+
  •     
  • ★★★★★

We Didn’t Playtest This at All

1-5 Minutes
2+ Players
$15

Learning

A chaotic card game where players draw and play cards with absurd effects. The goal is simple: survive and make sure you're not the one who loses. The rules are intentionally quick and random.

Learning Objectives:

Learning builds off of previous events. Learning a new rule may be easier or harder depending on how often the rule applies and what the consequences are.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of learning or conditioning exists in this game? Give examples. (2) What were the qualities of the rules that were easier or harder to learn? Think about the reinforcement schedules and reward vs. punishment

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.65/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Memory Mayhem
  • Memory
  • 2+
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Memory Mayhem

20-30 Minutes
2+ Players
$25

Memory

Players must recall and match a series of rapidly changing images, numbers, or patterns within a limited time frame, testing not only your recall ability but also your focus under stress.

Learning Objectives:

People have two working memories: visuospatial sketchpad (visual) and phonological loop (verbal/phonological). To store things in memory, people need to convert information in their working memory into long term memory. There can be order effects depending on the sequence of memorization. You can remove the recency effect by having people do a distractor task.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What strategy did you use to memorize the numbers and objects on the cards? How did it work out? (2) What did you notice about what you remember after you completed the naming task? Did you remember less or misremember locations?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.91/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Parks Memories: Mountaineers
  • Memory
  • 2-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Parks Memories: Mountaineers

30 Minutes
2-8 Players
$20

Memory

Players take turns revealing beautifully illustrated tiles featuring landmarks, wildlife, and natural scenery. The goal is to match tiles with the same park symbols to create pairs while using special abilities that can help or hinder other players.

Learning Objectives:

When viewing images, we first use sensory memory and then visual working memory to keep them in mind. We need to convert this into long term memory in order to recall them for later. You may use chunking or elaborative processing in order to remember them better.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What memory techniques did you use for remembering the tiles? What worked and what didn’t work? (2) What mistakes did you make? What may this be? Are the tiles confusable or are you getting the location wrong?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.04/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Hues and Cues
  • Perception
  • 3-10
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Hues and Cues

30 Minutes
3-10 Players
$25

Perception

Players try to guess a specific color based on one or two-word clues given by the “Cue Giver.” The closer the guesses are to the target color on the board, the more points are awarded.

Learning Objectives:

Perception of color category boundaries is culture-dependent but specific hues are even more subjective and experience-dependent

Discussion Questions:

(1) What kinds of cues were most effective (i.e., consistent/similar responses)? (2) Were there color ranges or hues that had the most variable responses? Why may this be?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.74/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Set
  • Perception
  • 1+
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Set

20 Minutes
1+ Players
$12

Perception

A pattern recognition game where players identify sets of three cards cards that match or differ in four specific attributes. A "set" consists of three cards where each feature (shape, color, number, shading) is either all the same or all different.

Learning Objectives:

Binding features requires attention. Serial search is used to check for common and differing features.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What strategies were you using to complete the task? (2) What cognitive abilities are you using? E.g., attention

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.78/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • That Sound Game
  • Perception
  • 4+
  •     
  • ★★★★★

That Sound Game

60 Minutes
4+ Players
$30

Perception

Players listen to sounds and guess what they are. This could involve guessing animal sounds, object noises, or other sound effects. It's a fun, sound-based memory or recognition game.

Learning Objectives:

Sounds (of the same kind) have a wide range of acoustics. People use a typical or prototypical sample to represent the category.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What was your thought process when giving the clues? (2) What was your thought process when guessing the sound?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.93/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Comanauts
  • Sleep
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Comanauts

90-120 Minutes
2-4 Players
$60

Sleep

In Comanauts, players team up to explore the dreamscapes of a comatose patient. Each player uses unique abilities to solve puzzles and confront emotional fears. The goal is to collect memory fragments that help the patient awaken, fostering emotional healing along the way.

Learning Objectives:

A coma is a state of severely reduced or absent consciousness in which an individual is alive but unable to respond to the environment.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How does our emotions relate to our dreams and vice versa? (2) How does our dreams relate to what is going on in our lives? And the problems we face and the solutions we look for?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (2.62/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Dream On
  • Sleep
  • 2-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Dream On

15-20 Minutes
2-8 Players
$30

Sleep

Dream On is a storytelling game where players work collectively to tell the story of a dream based on picture cards. This process continues until the timer runs out, during which players try to retell the dream and keep the order of events consistent. More points is earned for a more accurate recollection.

Learning Objectives:

Dreams most commonly occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a stage of the sleep cycle characterized by heightened brain activity, vivid imagery, and temporary muscle paralysis.Themes that appear in dreams often reflect personal experiences, emotions, and concerns, with common motifs including being chased, falling, flying, or navigating social interactions, which may serve to process unresolved thoughts or emotions.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What are some common themes that exist in our dreams? How does that relate to our needs, wants and fears as humans? (2) How does our dreams relate to what is going on in our lives? And the problems we face and the solutions we look for?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.81/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Dream Runners
  • Sleep
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Dream Runners

30-40 Minutes
2-4 Players
$30

Sleep

In Dream Runners, players race through a colorful, modular board representing a dream world. Each player uses unique character abilities and power-ups to navigate obstacles and advance. The objective is to be the first to reach the finish line, using strategy and speed to outpace opponents.

Learning Objectives:

Dreams most commonly occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a stage of the sleep cycle characterized by heightened brain activity, vivid imagery, and temporary muscle paralysis.Themes that appear in dreams often reflect personal experiences, emotions, and concerns, with common motifs including being chased, falling, flying, or navigating social interactions, which may serve to process unresolved thoughts or emotions.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How do the nightmares we have relate to the obstacles that we face in real life? (2) Do our dreams or nightmares help us realize or solve our real-life problems? If so, how?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (2.95/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • When I Dream
  • Sleep
  • 4-10
  •     
  • ★★★★★

When I Dream

30 Minutes
4-10 Players
$40

Sleep

In When I Dream, one player takes on the role of the Dreamer, who guesses cards based on clues from other players. Some players are on the side of helping, while others may mislead the Dreamer. The aim is to guess as many cards correctly as possible within a time limit to earn points.

Learning Objectives:

Dreams most commonly occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a stage of the sleep cycle characterized by heightened brain activity, vivid imagery, and temporary muscle paralysis.Themes that appear in dreams often reflect personal experiences, emotions, and concerns, with common motifs including being chased, falling, flying, or navigating social interactions, which may serve to process unresolved thoughts or emotions.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What are some common themes that exist in our dreams? How does that relate to our needs, wants and fears as humans? (2) How does our dreams relate to what is going on in our lives? And the problems we face and the solutions we look for?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.62/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Bohnanza
  • Social
  • 2-7
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Bohnanza

45 Minutes
2-7 Players
$15

Social

Bohnanza is a game of growing and harvesting beans. Each player manages their fields and is able to trade with other players in order to sell their beans for more money.

Learning Objectives:

Reciprocal altruism is when people help others expecting that they would be helped later. Reciprocal norm is the social norm that people should return favors or kindness that they received from others. Engaging in these two acts can help foster cooperation and collaboration in short-term and long-term relationships.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Did reciprocal altruism or reciprocity norm occur during the game? If so, what were the specific examples? (2) What prosocial behaviors occurred during the game?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.63/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Coup
  • Social
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Coup

15 Minutes
2-6 Players
$15

Social

Coup is a bluffing game where players try to eliminate each other by using various character abilities. Each player starts with two face-down cards representing their influence in the court. The goal is to outsmart opponents, bluff effectively, and be the last player standing by eliminating all others.

Learning Objectives:

There are different motivations for social deception or lying. Some lies could stem from self-preservation desires and others could be trying to fit into a group. In order to survive in certain social or political climates, people have learned how to keep the peace, make friends, and not appear like a foe. Those who are outside of a group but want to appear within a group would need to appear cooperative and aligned with the group's goals. Evolutionary psychology explains why we are sensitive to freeloaders and cheaters and try to detect these people within groups.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What incentives do players have to lie? (2) Were you good at detecting lies or bluffs? What were people’s tells, or how could you tell?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.61/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Exchalibohn
  • Social
  • 3-5
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Exchalibohn

45-60 Minutes
3-5 Players
$15

Social

In Exchalibohn, players manage bean cards and embark on quests for special abilities and bonuses. Players draw, trade, and plant beans, aiming to harvest them for points. They can use magical items to influence gameplay and gain advantages. The objective is to earn the most points by harvesting beans and completing quests in a competitive setting.

Learning Objectives:

Reciprocal altruism is when people help others expecting that they would be helped later. Reciprocal norm is the social norm that people should return favors or kindness that they received from others. Engaging in these two acts can help foster cooperation and collaboration in short-term and long-term relationships.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Did reciprocal altruism or reciprocity norm occur during the game? If so, what were the specific examples? (2) What prosocial behaviors occurred during the game?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.08/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Nailed It
  • Social
  • 4-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Nailed It

30 Minutes
4-8 Players
$20

Social

Nailed It is about generating stories from stereotypes. You will try to match the most likely stories and contexts for different character archetypes. The judge will choose their favorite match.

Learning Objectives:

Over our lifetime, we may be forming schemas about particular groups of people based on our own experiences and the opinions of others. These schemas could lead us to stereotype people when we know little about them. While stereotyping could be helpful in cases of uncertainty, we may not always be correct in our assessments.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How did you use stereotypes to choose which contexts is most likely for a character archetype? Give a specific example. (2) Did judges tend to like picking obvious/coherent stories more or surprising ones?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.8/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • One Night Ultimate Werewolf
  • Social
  • 3-10
  •     
  • ★★★★★

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

10 Minutes
3-10 Players
$25

Social

In One Night Ultimate Werewolf, players assume hidden roles, including villagers and werewolves, and engage in a fast-paced round of discussion and deduction. Players have a single night to figure out who the werewolves are before the round ends. The goal is for villagers to identify and eliminate the werewolves, while the werewolves aim to survive without being caught.

Learning Objectives:

There are different motivations for social deception or lying. Some lies could stem from self-preservation desires and others could be trying to fit into a group. In order to survive in certain social or political climates, people have learned how to keep the peace, make friends, and not appear like a foe. Those who are outside of a group but want to appear within a group would need to appear cooperative and aligned with the group's goals. Evolutionary psychology explains why we are sensitive to freeloaders and cheaters and try to detect these people within groups.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What social psychology topics were relevant when you were the villagers? (2) What social psychology topics were relevant when you were a werewolf trying to evade detection?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.01/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Right or Racist
  • Social
  • 3-10
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Right or Racist

30-60 Minutes
3-10 Players
$25

Social

Right or Racist is a party game where players take turns reading statements and determining whether they are accurate or racially insensitive. Players discuss and debate their choices. The goal is to encourage conversation about social issues while scoring points for correct answers and thoughtful discussions.

Learning Objectives:

Over our lifetime, we may be forming schemas about particular groups of people based on our own experiences and the opinions of others. These schemas could lead us to stereotype people when we know little about them. While stereotyping could be helpful in cases of uncertainty, we may not always be correct in our assessments.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What did you learn about your own implicit bias? (2) What was the most surprising fact that you were wrong about?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.57/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Schrodinger's Cats
  • Social
  • 2-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Schrodinger's Cats

10-30 Minutes
2-6 Players
$20

Social

Each player starts with six cards and asserts, on their turn, how many identical cards — whether live cat, dead cat, or empty box they have. The next player can increase the claim or call. When you call, if you are right, you stay in the game and the other player is eliminated.

Learning Objectives:

There are different motivations for social deception or lying. Bluffing is a way to make others think that one is more competent or has more resources than one has. Successful bluffing can give one opportunities or an advantage. Evolutionary psychology explains why we are sensitive to freeloaders and cheaters and try to detect these people within groups.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What was your favorite bluff or deduction from this game, and why do you think it worked (or didn’t)? (2) How do you think group dynamics influence success in a game like this?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.83/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Similo
  • Social
  • 2-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Similo

10-15 Minutes
2-8 Players
$10

Social

In Similo, players work together to identify a hidden character from a deck of 12 cards. One player gives clues by revealing cards that are either similar or different from the chosen character. The goal is to guess the character within a limited number of clues, fostering teamwork and deduction as players discuss options and eliminate possibilities.

Learning Objectives:

Over our lifetime, we may be forming schemas about particular groups of people based on our own experiences and the opinions of others. These schemas could lead us to stereotype people when we know little about them. While stereotyping could be helpful in cases of uncertainty, we may not always be correct in our assessments.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What personalities did we learn to attribute to different animals? Where does this come from? (2) Were some animals harder to come up with clues for? Does this relate to how often we see these animals in real life and in media?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.35/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Typecast
  • Social
  • 3-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Typecast

5 Minutes
3-8 Players
$20

Social

In Typecast, players are shown an image of a real person and a quote. From there, players need to guess correctly 2 out of 3 categories of the person’s favorite things.

Learning Objectives:

Over our lifetime, we may be forming schemas about particular groups of people based on our own experiences and the opinions of others. These schemas could lead us to stereotype people when we know little about them. While stereotyping could be helpful in cases of uncertainty, we may not always be correct in our assessments.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What did you learn about your own implicit bias? (2) Was your group generally good or bad at guessing people’s favorite things? Why may this be?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.63/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • CBT 123
  • Therapy
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

CBT 123

15 Minutes
2-4 Players
$15

Therapy

In CBT 123, players learn and apply cognitive behavioral therapy techniques through structured activities and discussions. Each round presents scenarios that encourage players to identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The goal is to enhance emotional regulation and promote mental well-being through collaborative learning.

Learning Objectives:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combines cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy to target both our thought patterns and our behaviors in order to address maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that keep us in poor mental health conditions. CBT has us challenging unhealthy and unhelpful thought patterns and developing new habits and behaviors that improve our mental and emotional states.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How does this game incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy techniques? (2) Which cognitive behavioral therapy techniques would you try to incorporate into your life?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.21/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Mindfulness (Black Box)
  • Therapy
  • 2-5
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Mindfulness (Black Box)

15 Minutes
2-5 Players
$20

Therapy

In Mindfulness, players participate in activities designed to promote self-awareness and present-moment focus. Each round includes exercises such as breathing techniques and guided reflections. The goal is to cultivate mindfulness practices and enhance emotional resilience through shared experiences.

Learning Objectives:

Mindfulness practices can help with stress reduction, emotional regulation, gratitude and compassion. Mindfulness practices include meditation, breathing exercises, and eating slowly.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Which mindfulness techniques have you heard of before? Which ones are new to you? (2) Which mindfulness techniques are you considering adopting?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.41/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Mindfulness (White Box)
  • Therapy
  • 2-5
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Mindfulness (White Box)

15 Minutes
2-5 Players
$20

Therapy

In Mindfulness, players participate in activities designed to promote self-awareness and present-moment focus. Each round includes exercises such as breathing techniques and guided reflections. The goal is to cultivate mindfulness practices and enhance emotional resilience through shared experiences.

Learning Objectives:

Mindfulness practices can help with stress reduction, emotional regulation, gratitude and compassion. Mindfulness practices include meditation, breathing exercises, and eating slowly.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Which mindfulness techniques have you heard of before? Which ones are new to you? (2) Which mindfulness techniques are you considering adopting?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.05/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Think Like A Shrink
  • Therapy
  • 2-4
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Think Like A Shrink

10-15 Minutes
2-4 Players
$25

Therapy

In Think Like a Shrink, players assume the role of a therapist. Players associate images, prompts and emotions together and the therapist needs to guess the “client”’s reasons for the association.

Learning Objectives:

Free association tests are commonly used in psychoanaltyic therapy. Psychoanalysis aims to find the root of the mental health problem by digging into the client's subconscious. Free association tests is one way a psychoanalyst would do this.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What type of therapy is the free association test based on? (2) Was it easy or hard for you to determine what the client is thinking about? Why or why not?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.57/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • Horrible Therapists
  • Therapy
  • 3-8
  •     
  • ★★★★★

Horrible Therapists

15 Minutes
3-8 Players
$25

Therapy

This card game uses comics to show different scenarios that can come up in therapy. The judge picks a question that the therapist asks the client and the response from the client. Then the whole group decides the best treatment to suggest based on the question and answer. The judge then picks their favorite treatment.

Learning Objectives:

The code of ethics for therapists serves as a set of professional guidelines to ensure the ethical, legal, and competent practice of therapy. These include beneficience, nonmaleficence, integrity, justice, fidelity and responsibility.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Which code of ethics of therapy was most often violated? (2) What kinds of responses was most inappropriate and why?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (3.93/5)

Buy the game HERE

  • The Game of Real Life
  • Therapy
  • 3-6
  •     
  • ★★★★★

The Game of Real Life

30 Minutes
3-6 Players
$35

Therapy

In The Game of Real Life, players navigate various life scenarios, making choices that impact their emotional and mental well-being. Each player faces challenges and opportunities, prompting discussions about real-life experiences and coping mechanisms. The objective is to reflect on personal growth and learn from each other's journeys.

Learning Objectives:

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that has been commonly used for borderline personality disorder, post traumatic disorder, depression and anxiety. DBT teaches the client a set of skills to manage their symptoms such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

Discussion Questions:

(1) How does this game incorporate dialectical behavioral therapy techniques? (2) Which dialectical behavioral therapy techniques would you try to incorporate into your life?

  • Effectiveness
  • ★★★★★  (4.24/5)

Buy the game HERE