Games for Practitioners
Introduction
Experimental games are used as intervention tools to stimulate collective action on nature resource management. The origin of this use of experiments is the observation by Juan Camilo Cardenas in the early 2000s that when he returned to villages where experiments on common-pool resources were done, communities sometimes had changed their governance as a response to lessons learned from the participation in experiments. Since 2012 we start testing the use of experimental games as intervention tools in India and Colombia (see also here). The experiments have their roots in theory and can be applied to many situations. As such it provides an intervention tool that can be applied to many communities (in contrast to games that are created with the communities). Here we provide manuals of games that could be used as intervention tools. We also provide videos on how the experiments are used. The experimental games do not provide solutions, but they provide a safe tacit experience by various people of the community that stimulate a discussion on governance issues of their shared natural resources. Below you find a video on experiences of how the games are used in India.
Colleagues in India also prepared a Sourcebook based on the use of games as a practitioner tool to strengthen management and governance of water as Commons. The Sourcebook collates their experiences, opportunities, challenges, innovations, and practices of commoning water. It provides a broad set of principles, processes, and action steps that can be built on and accustomed by practitioners working in different contexts to improve management and governance of water as Commons. The sourcebook can be downloaded here and includes methods and tools (such as Groundwater and Surface-water Games, Aquifer mapping, Mindmapping) that can help in this process.
Available Games
Group of scholars and practitioners who use experimental games to facilitate self-governance of common resources. Group members can share their experience with the games, share photos on the games in action and ask questions on it’s proper application.
Available Games
Introduction
Experimental games are used as intervention tools to stimulate collective action on nature resource management. The origin of this use of experiments is the observation by Juan Camilo Cardenas in the early 2000s that when he returned to villages where experiments on common pool resources were done, communities sometimes had changes their governance as a response to lessons learned from the participation in experiments. Since 2012 we start testing the use of experimental games as intervention tools in India and Colombia (see also here). The experiments have their roots in theory and can be applied to many situations. As such it provides an intervention tool that can be applied to many communities (in contrast to games that are created with the communities).Here we provide manuals of games that could be used as intervention tools. We also provide videos on how the experiments are used. The experimental games do not provide solutions, but they provide a safe tacit experience by various people of the community that stimulate a discussion on governance issues of their shared natural resources. Below you find a video on experiences how the games are used in India.
Potato Market Game for Practitioners
In this game the participants experience the power of the ‘invisible hand’. Each player has their own economic profile when it will be beneficial to sell potatoes. The participants experience that although each individual tries to do best for him or herself, players are able to trade and everyone benefits. After playing the standard potato market game we introduce externalities where players experience the consequences of the product on say the environment for which one adjust the price of the potatoes to internalize the impact of potato production on the environment.
(1) Without Externalities Version (2) With Externalities Version
(1) (2)Browse instruction manuals for the potato market game by clicking these images.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual of Potato Market Game for Practitioners
Without Externalities .docx
With Externalities .docx
Potato Market Game for Practitioners
In this game the participants experience the power of the ‘invisible hand’. Each player has their own economic profile when it will be beneficial to sell potatoes. The participants experience that although each individual tries to do best for him or herself, players are able to trade and everyone benefits. After playing the standard potato market game we introduce externalities where players experience the consequences of the product on say the environment for which one adjust the price of the potatoes to internalize the impact of potato production on the environment.
(1) Without Externalities Version (2) With Externalities Version
(1) (2)Browse instruction manuals for the potato market game by clicking these images.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual of Potato Market Game for Practitioners
Without Externalities .docx
With Externalities .docx
Cooperation, Coordination, and Conflict Game for Practitioners
In this set of games standard 2-player games on cooperation and coordination are framed in a natural resource management context. With this set of games we can see how small changes in the payoff matrix affect the nature of the social dilemma and expected outcomes. Those two-player games are the starting point for the more comprehensive n-player games that can be found on the rest of this page.
Browse instruction manual for the the cooperation, coordination, and conflict game by clicking this image.
Cooperation, Coordination, and Conflict Game for Practitioners
In this set of games standard 2-player games on cooperation and coordination are framed in a natural resource management context. With this set of games we can see how small changes in the payoff matrix affect the nature of the social dilemma and expected outcomes. Those two-player games are the starting point for the more comprehensive n-player games that can be found on the rest of this page.
Browse the instruction manual for the the cooperation, coordination, and conflict game by clicking this image.
Game of Trust for Practitioners
With this game we can measure trust and truthworthiness. The trust game is played by two players, where the first player have to decide how much to trust player 2 by giving this player an amount of his/her resources. The amount given to player 2 will be increased and player 2 will demonstrate it’s trustworthiness by deciding how much to give back to player 1 and how much to keep for him/herself.
Browse instruction manual for the game of trust by clicking this image.
Game of Trust for Practitioners
With this game we can measure trust and truthworthiness. The trust game is played by two players, where the first player have to decide how much to trust player 2 by giving this player an amount of his/her resources. The amount given to player 2 will be increased and player 2 will demonstrate it’s trustworthiness by deciding how much to give back to player 1 and how much to keep for him/herself.
Browse instruction manual for the game of trust by clicking this image.
Public Goods Game for Practitioners
This game is the classic public good game which captures a dilemma between what is good for the individual and for the group. An example is contributing labor to a community project. If everyone contributes to the project, everybody benefits, but if one person freerides and does not contribute labor, that person will still get the benefits.
Browse instruction manual for the public goods game by clicking this image.
Public Goods Game for Practitioners
This game is the classic public good game which captures a dilemma between what is good for the individual and for the group. An example is contributing labor to a community project. If everyone contributes to the project, everybody benefits, but if one person freerides and does not contribute labor, that person will still get the benefits.
Browse instruction manual for the public goods game by clicking this image.
Common Pool Resources Game for Practitioners
In this game participants share a common resource. We can create the situation of over-harvesting, popularly known as the “tragedy of the common”. We can adjust the rules of the game, for example by allowing participants to communicate with each other, to avoid over-harvesting without state-level interventions.
Browse instruction manual for the common pool resources game by clicking this images.
Common Pool Resources Game for Practitioners
In this game participants share a common resource. We can create the situation of over-harvesting, popularly known as the “tragedy of the common”. We can adjust the rules of the game, for example by allowing participants to communicate with each other, to avoid over-harvesting without state-level interventions.
Browse instruction manual for the common pool resources game by clicking this images.
Watershed Game for Practitioners
In this game participants experience asymmetries in a watershed where upstream players experience different problems and incentives compared to those downstream. The players make decisions on land use and whether they want to provide or accept payments to compensate the consequences of upstream players.
Browse instruction manual for the watershed game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Watershed Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Watershed Game for Practitioners
In this game participants experience asymmetries in a watershed where upstream players experience different problems and incentives compared to those downstream. The players make decisions on land use and whether they want to provide or accept payments to compensate the consequences of upstream players.
Browse instruction manual for the watershed game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Watershed Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Negotiations Game for Practitioners
In this game players will be in a large group but make each round a decision in a 2-player game where one player has control and propose a solution to a negotiation, and the other player can accept. Each round the player will play with somebody else, and we will see whether this distribution negotiation lead to a group level agreement.
Browse instruction manual for the negotiations game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual of Negotiations Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Negotiations Game for Practitioners
In this game players will be in a large group but make each round a decision in a 2-player game where one player has control and propose a solution to a negotiation, and the other player can accept. Each round the player will play with somebody else, and we will see whether this distribution negotiation lead to a group level agreement.
Browse instruction manual for the negotiations game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual of Negotiations Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Dam Maintenance Game for Practitioners
In this game players need to jointly contribute to a water harvesting infrastructure from which all group members receive benefits. The game is based on a public good game.
Browse the instruction manual for the dam maintenance game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Dam Maintenance Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Semicircle Poster PDF
Decision Cards PDF
Banners Poster PDF
Dam Maintenance Game for Practitioners
In this game players need to jointly contribute to a water harvesting infrastructure from which all group members receive benefits. The game is based on a public good game.
Browse the instruction manual for the dam maintenance game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Dam Maintenance Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Manual .docx
Semicircle Poster PDF
Decision Cards PDF
Banners Poster PDF
Channel Irrigation Game for Practitioners
In this game players need to take water use decision in the face of water scarcity. They can chose to grow water efficient or water consumptive crops while water is only sufficient for every player to grow the water efficient crop.
Browse the instruction manual for the channel irrigation game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Channel Irrigation Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Semicircle Poster PDF
Decision Cards PDF
Banners Poster PDF
Channel Irrigation Game for Practitioners
In this game players need to take water use decision in the face of water scarcity. They can chose to grow water efficient or water consumptive crops while water is only sufficient for every player to grow the water efficient crop.
Browse the instruction manual for the channel irrigation game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Channel Irrigation Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Manual .docx
Semicircle Poster PDF
Decision Cards PDF
Banners Poster PDF
Surface Water Game for Practitioners
This game features typical water management challenges faced by local communities. It is based on a common pool resource games. Players can take decisions on contributing to a water harvesting structure which makes water available for the group and water appropriation decisions framed as the choice of crops with different water efficiencies.
Browse the instruction manual for the surface water game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Surface Water Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Semicircle Poster PDF
Decision Cards PDF
Banners Posters PDF
Surface Water Game for Practitioners
This game features typical water management challenges faced by local communities. It is based on a common pool resource games. Players can take decisions on contributing to a water harvesting structure which makes water available for the group and water appropriation decisions framed as the choice of crops with different water efficiencies.
Browse the instruction manual for the surface water game by clicking this image.
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for the Surface Water Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Manual .docx
Semicircle Poster PDF
Decision Cards PDF
Banners Posters PDF
Pastoralism Game for Practitioners
In this game participants have to decide how much livestock to put in different locations.
Browse instruction manual for the pastoralism game by clicking this image.
Pastoralism Game for Practitioners
In this game participants have to decide how much livestock to put in different locations.
Browse instruction manual for the pastoralism game by clicking this image.
Irrigation Game for Practitioners
In this game participants have to make decisions to invest in the irrigation system maintenance and to extract water for irrigating their individual plots.
Browse instruction manual for the irrigation game by clicking this image.
Irrigation Game for Practitioners
In this game participants have to make decisions to invest in the irrigation system maintenance and to extract water for irrigating their individual plots.
Browse instruction manual for the irrigation game by clicking this image.
Groundwater Game for Practitioners
In this game participants make decisions about which crop to plant where crops require different amounts of water.
Browse the instruction manual for the groundwater game by clicking this image (updated September 2021).
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for Groundwater Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Groundwater Game for Practitioners
In this game participants make decisions about which crop to plant where crops require different amounts of water.
Browse the instruction manual for the groundwater game by clicking this image (updated September 2021).
DOWNLOAD Instruction Manual for Groundwater Game for Practitioners
Manual PDF
Group of scholars and practitioners who use experimental games to facilitate self-governance of common resources. Group members can share their experience with the games, share photos on the games in action and ask questions on it’s proper application.
This website was developed as part of, and funded by, the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). PIM is in turn supported by these donors.
CGIAR is a global research partnership
for a food-secure future
The CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) leads action-oriented research to equip decisionmakers with the evidence required to develop food and agricultural policies that better serve the interests of poor producers and consumers, both men and women. PIM combines the resources of CGIAR centers and numerous international, regional, and national partners. The program is led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). www.pim.cgiar.org
