2021: Creating a Lexicon of Future

T is for Transformative

The definition of transformative is something, such as a lesson or experience, that inspires change or causes a shift in viewpoint.

The Transformative Power of Games

“Games reflect the culture in which they exist,” says Nic Ricketts, curator of board games at the Strong National Museum of Play in upstate New York. “During every major war, war games became popular in one way or another.”

One striking example is The Game of Life, created in 1860 as a moralist fable that reflected puritanical American society, encouraging “honour”, “industry” and the achievement of “happy old age”. The evolution of a different form of capitalism becomes apparent in the 1960 version of the game, which is all about reaching “Millionaire Acres” and avoiding the “Poor Farm”, where players are eliminated.

At home, games don’t just bridge the generation gap — they can turn that gap to players’ advantage, by offering opportunities to educate. Parents and grandparents who play board games with children find that they help improve reflexes and mental agility, and that they promote healthy social interaction, from learning to be a good winner or loser to understanding the complexities of cheating.

They also confer a thrilling sense of…