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Help us bring this game to life!

Envision actions that drive moves on the board and change in the world

As was noted in LIFE ReImagined: A Quest, our introduction to Bay Area artist Lisa Zimmer-Chu’s re-envisioning of Milton Bradley’s 1960s Game of LIFE, the major issues of our time — coronavirus, racial injustice, the climate emergency, challenges to democracy, and economic inequality — are all interconnected.

While the original Game of LIFE reflected an era of planned obsolescence (building things so they need to be replaced) and continual growth (constantly taking more), LIFE ReImagined is about the truth that complicated problems cannot be solved simply.

It serves as a model to imagine together what all of our lives might look like in a Green New Deal (or GND-like) world. It’s a chance to consider not just what is good for the individual, but also what benefits the common good.

Thanks to a creative collaboration between Lisa, TAO the GND, Be the Green, EarthGames, the students of EarthGames Studio (aka EarthGames Collective) at the University of Washington, and folks who came up with actions in our original game lab, a local digital co-op version of LIFE ReImagined: A Quest is in the works.

Our goal is a justice-based culture shift of attitudes and practices – away from oppressing people and extracting resources – and toward creating healthy communities and a sustainable planet.

We’re psyched that the students at the EarthGames Collective has created amazing art for an inviting digital scene that helps us co-envision what that new world could look like.

I. Conceptual Goal

The overarching idea is to imagine together how we might successfully activate and navigate through a just transition toward a regenerative economy for people and the earth.

There are many existing vision frameworks from which to draw inspiration. Here are a few that might help in your process of sparking action ideas:

II. Concrete goals

• Work personally and collaboratively with other team members for a balance of SSSweet points (Self, Society, and Sustainability).
• Keep your “self” bar charged so you can thrive as you go around the board, contributing to society and sustainability, and building the board as you take action.
• Learn more about the many ways to make the justice-based shifts that form the base of healthy communities and sustainable environments by following the links in the game’s action cards.
• If inspired to do so, take action in real life based on game actions!

III. Proposed Game Play

While LIFE ReImagined is still under development (sign up here to become a beta tester), the following moves give you a rough idea of players’ objectives as they will travel along the path.

1. Choose your character.
2. Spin to move around the board and keep your “Self” charged.
3. Draw action cards and make your choices with the SSSweet points balance in mind. You build the board as you take action.
4. Learn and grow as you move around the board, and watch as you impact others and together help build the world of our dreams.
5. Save your place or start again as a new character after 10 spins.

Ready to take a spin?

Now that you’ve got the basic concept of LIFE ReImagined, it is time to create action cards that represent YOUR vision of a better world and help make the game engaging and informative for others.

These are the three intersecting guiding principles to orient yourself by that will give the actions both thematic and mechanical structure:

I. The Fields

Using the 21 concepts below from the 21 ‘fields’ that Lisa put on the game board, imagine actions that players can take to achieve our collectively reimagined world. For each action card, pick one of these fields.

II. The Pillars

And what shape does each ‘field’ take when viewed through the lens of the four pillars from A People’s Orientation to a Regenerative Economy? Pick one of them to further define your field.

III. The SSSweet Trifecta

Now it’s time for the Sssweet Trifecta which will add the narrative to your action card. Based on the field and pillar you’ve picked, choose an action that reflects “Self” (by or for self), another that reflects “Society” (by or for society), and a third one that delves into Sustainability (for the earth and human systems). Think about actions that could become moves in the game while also improving conditions for ourselves, the world around us, and generations to come. It doesn’t all have to be deadly serious — part of regenerating our various systems is to keep things simple and find a good groove, so just have some fun with it.

To give you a bit of a spark, here a few action card examples…

Sssweet action card examples:

Once you’ve got a completed Sssweet Action Card that represents YOUR vision, please share it  in a comment below or in this Action Card Form. Do as many as you feel inspired to.

You can also add a paragraph and link to background info for real life actions connected to your action cards.

Find more action card examples here. Any of your ideas could become moves in the game.

Let’s ReImagine LIFE and the world we must hurry toward together!

PS: More Ways to Help

1. Share this project on social media and tag folks involved and/or those who should know about this. Sample posts & tags here.
2. Donate to the Life Reimagined project via EarthGames Support Fund.
3. Beta test the game: Sign up here and we’ll invite you to Round 1 of beta testing when it’s ready.
4. Join our weekly meetings Fridays at 2:30PT/5:30ET on zoom to work on this directly. Email us to connect.