Game combines product, project, management and finance in a fun and challenging way

The game is about reaching a successful market position with the help of product development and portfolio management. The game combines product, project, management and finance in a fun and challenging way and offers an experience that students can relate to – including rather abstract phenomena like portfolio management. 

– One thing that I really liked about the game is that it provides a clear visual representation, says John Johansson. It has also been fun to play across disciplines since it is useful to many different subjects. The game will be used with students during the autumn semester 2024.

– It was well thought out and included many relevant parts that allowed us to discuss different aspects of marketing and also gave us input to new ways of learning, says Nina Löfberg, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School. Playing a game contributes to a holistic approach where our students need to work together. Doing this physically instead of digitally means a lot and I think most of the students really enjoyed it.

In the game, the participants are constantly forced to discuss different approaches and solutions. This can be described in a course book, but even if reading a book can give rise to thoughts and ideas, the understanding becomes even more concrete when you are presented with practical scenarios under time pressure. The game itself is designed to stimulate discussions about business strategic goals and is fundamentally created to help management teams move forward.

– I felt that there were many positive aspects to the game, says Johan Netz, Senior Lecturer at Karlstad Business School. For example, the experience of what a complex reality can look like. Above all, I enjoyed the reflections afterwards, where we could really highlight behaviours on both individual and group level. Becoming aware of your behaviour in different situations and accepting feedback is a valuable strength.

Carolina Camén, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School sees many positive effects of allowing students to use the game.

– In addition to the game providing an understanding of the overall scenario, the game also allows for valuable discussions on how the students behaved as a group and how individual behaviours influenced the situation. The game offers a clear visual representation of both the overall scenario and consequences.