Ambicons (2013)

Ambicons is an educational card game I created for graphic design students.

It’s been noted by many who look at the differences between novice and expert designers in the face of ‘wicked problems’ that novices have a hard time escaping familiar solutions and reframing their questions and goals in light of evidence and experience they gain as they work. Ambicons is a gentle and I hope fun way of encouraging students to be more flexible in their choices and reflective in their judgment.

The game is similar to Apples to Apples, or Cards against Humanity. Players are dealt a hand of symbol cards, then one players starts as the judge. The judge draws a prompt card which contains an idea or contrasting ideas, to which the other players have to choose one or more cards in response as representations of that idea. The judge chooses the best response from the field, that player takes the prompt card as a score marker, and play continues with the next player as judge.
Mark