Dr. Alli Edwards is facilitator, researcher and teacher whose design practices challenge the false dichotomy between work and play to create different ways of being together, sharing learnings, and imagining in equitable and sustainable ways. In this episode, we discuss Alli's practice and experience with games, her PhD research, and how presenting…

Randy Lubin is an applied game designer who has made a wide range of games that help individuals and groups gain insight into complex issues. Many of these games help players engage with possible futures, with a particular focus on how technology can influence elections. We dive deep into Randy's game design process, and important issues around pla…

Games and simulations have a lot in common. They both give players a low-risk, engaging way to develop a deeper understanding of a system. But they don’t always have to be immersive 3D experiences. We welcome our friend Sidney Icarus, a facilitator, game designer, and former air combat professional, to discuss the practical ins and outs of how simu…

We welcome our first external guest, Dr. Emma Blomkamp, an expert in co-design and participatory engagement, with a focus on policy. Together with Emma, we go deep on definitions and disambiguation of the relevant terms, and some of the enablers of and barriers to meaningful and inclusive co-design. We also discuss how to develop capability in co-d…

In this episode, we take a deep dive into our design process, through the lens of our game Green Hollow. All five members of the Troupe come together for the first time, with the first appearance by Bec Dahl. We designed Green Hollow as an experience for teams to come together, and learn more about themselves as individuals and as a group. We cover…

We invite Amble troupe member Logan Timmins back to discuss his practice as a game designer, and his journey into becoming a facilitator and collaboration designer. Recruiting the gamers and game designers of the world into collaboration practice is core to Amble's mission, and Logan has been our bellwether as we learn about this. This episode is f…

Our colleagues Logan Timmins and Kiri Bear share the amble and discuss their work with lyric games and ritual games. These emerging genres support players to have meaningful, emotional experiences in a way that expands the category of 'game'. Exploring these genres, and the grey areas they inhabit, inspires fruitful reflections on designing experie…

Hailey and Jase set off on the ambitious quest of answering the question “what is a game?”, but with a focus on what this means for ways of working. Our amble takes us through a wide range of terminology. We explore the differences (or lack thereof) between games, workshop activities, and rituals. We also discuss the distinction between “gameful de…

Hailey and Jase get their minds around the concept of a model. We mostly discuss mental models: how they are formed, how they are shared, and how they are improved. We also discuss how mental models are similar and different to computer models and other external models, as well as the limitations of working with models. Finally, we explore how game…

We explain how the best facilitators intentionally create the conditions that make fruitful collaboration possible. Then, we explore the different ways in which games can become part of this process, or can help develop the skills and mindsets necessary to participate in an effective collaboration. Get references and transcript at https://amble.stu…

We dive deep into the definition of strategy, and explore different trends in how strategy is made. From there, we discuss resonances between strategy-making and gameplay, and opportunities to apply games in real world strategy-making processes. Get references and transcript at https://amble.studio/episode-2-strategy…

In this first episode, we set the scene for the journey we're embarking on. We explain how games work, how facilitation works, and how the two are more connected than you might think. We also take a bird's eye view of the field applied gaming, pointing to the many and varied ways in which games are intentionally being applied for purposeful outcome…