Lords of the Valley

Experience and explore sustainable practices in complex environments

Use the game

Learn more

Lords of the Valley

Experience and explore sustainable practices in complex environments

Use the game

Learn more

Why?

With the growing demand for better and easier solutions, the world is getting more and more complex and unstable. Rivalry, miscommunication and external risks (such as natural disasters or stock market crashes) add to this uncertainty, forcing stakeholders to look for brand new strategies on their way to safety and success. Learn how to navigate through this complexity, relying on your mental prowess paired with collaboration skills.

How?

To train a swimmer you have to make him dive into water. The same goes for any business activity; systems thinking, risk management, and teamwork cannot be acquired without practice. Thrown in at the deep end, players develop critical thinking and learn to cope with difficult situations they experience firsthand. Great fun guaranteed!

What?

The Lords of the Valley is a professional role-play simulation game that takes place in the valley of the river exposed to unexpected droughts and floods. Players assume the roles of farmers-businessmen, public officials, banker, and NGO’s worker. They attempt to achieve their own goals, facing many challenges arising from the decisions of their co-players and the unpredictability of the environment.

Why?

How?

What?

Benefits

Teach, learn and have great fun

Engaged in something that feels real, players retain more information and learn faster. The game is fun both for the educators and the players!

Face the complexity of the real world

Solving real problems and observing the dynamic impacts of their decisions, players learn to apply various strategies and navigate towards their desired goals.

Diagnose organizational problems

The game lets you diagnose communication- and collaboration-related problems within your organization.

Become the master of systems thinking

Identifying the co-dependence of elements within a whole is the key to understand the complex reality we live in.The game helps players understand how a systematic approach enhances problem-solving processes.

Communicate and collaborate effectively

Divided into independent teams, players have to depend on their negotiation skills to reach compromises and collaborate for the greater good.

Get free educational tool for non-commercial use

You can run the game with your audience for free in non-commercial contexts. Contact us for details.

What participants say

“I found the game to be engaging, fun, and surprisingly useful to understand, given a relatively brief period of time, some of the collaboration challenges that individuals and organizations confront in working together in policy contexts.”

Alan Tomkins, J.D., Ph.D.

the Professor at the Department of Psychology

the director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Public Policy Center

“The very strong side of the game is that you have to “live” the problems (…). Hence it is an experience (…) which leads to a deeper understanding. It also allows to experience the challenges as different actors of the society, therefore it gives you a broader perspective on those problems.”

Zsolt Jolánkai

Assistant lecturer at the Department for Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

“Playing this game gave me an opportunity to see various interactions and learn the human dimension side which is an important part.”

Anil Giri

Department of Ag. Economics

University of Nebraska-Lincoln