Clever Kickstarter board game teaches activists the skills they need for victory
Building a successful social movement doesn't just take passion and dedication. It requires strategy and organizing to turn a group of committed people into an unstoppable force for change.
A new board game, called Rise Up: The Game of People and Power, hopes to help activists learn the skills they need to challenge inequality and injustice.
The game recently closed out a month of successful funding on Kickstarter, raising more than $55,000 -- far surpassing the game's $35,000 goal.
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"Rise Up explores social movements and what it takes to build people power -- even when the cards are stacked against us."
"Rise Up is a fun, engaging game that explores social movements and what it takes to build people power -- even when the cards are stacked against us," the creators say on the game's Kickstarter page.
The game, which two to five people can play in about an hour, encourages players to take "creative actions to fight for victory." They can craft the game around their real-life activist efforts or fictional fights, like standing up for "dragon rights."
In true activist fashion, all players are on the same team, meaning everyone wins or loses together.
The creators say Rise Up isn't just fun -- it can also facilitate education and movement organizing in the real world. To help with that, the board game features a digital education kit with activities, discussion guides and worksheets.
"Rise Up is an alternative to many mainstream board games that feature themes of conquest, exploitation and warfare," the creators say. "It's a strategy game that can only be won through player collaboration."
Players ultimately win the game by keeping up the momentum behind their movement and gaining supporters. They also have to complete challenges, like creating protest songs, organizing marches and setting up grassroots awareness campaigns.
The true villain in the game is the "System," which tries to derail the movement by setting up surveillance, making arrests or prompting conflict within an activist group.
Each blow from the System makes the movement lose supporters and overall momentum. If players run out of supporters, or if the System gains too many victories, they lose.
The organization Toolbox for Education and Social Action, which builds tools, programs and games for educators and activists, created the game. The company is also behind Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives, which teaches players how to build a democratic business or organization.
Though Rise Up's Kickstarter has ended, those interested can still preorder the game through Toolbox for Education and Social Action prior to its April 2017 launch.
UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2016, 9:35 p.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect the end of the Kickstarter campaign and preorder information.
Topics Activism Social Good
Katie Dupere was a Social Good reporter at Mashable from May 2015 to July 2017, covering activism, identities and social impact. Prior to her work with Mashable, Katie penned pieces about queerness, body positivity, sex and relationships for Gurl. She also previously contributed LGBTQ news coverage to PinkNews.
