Transformation game: roll the dice and solve real life challenges

The name itself arose thanks to the Scottish game «Transformation», invented more than 30 years ago. Players «live» a stage of life and see how they behave and react in different circumstances. And, realizing and analyzing, they try to change it.

But the very first game that tracked life strategies is considered to be the ancient Indian Leela. On the board (the path of spiritual development) there were stinging snakes — a symbol of sins, fears, doubts — throwing the player back. And the stairs along which he could jump forward, finding himself in a new field with a certain philosophical content. During the journey, participants discovered patterns in randomness. According to Anton Nefedov, the author of transformational games, this algorithm contains their basic mechanism.

Psychologies: How are these games different, for example, from Monopoly, where several players also roll the die, move around the field, gaining benefits or losing them?

Anton Nefedov: There are three key components in the transformational game: the game, the master (leader) and the players. In Monopoly, which is considered to be developing, there is no master, no reflection, no review of the strategy. There are players who buy houses or businesses, their goal is simple — to become richer.

What is the value of having a master in the game?

The master supports the player in understanding what happened, why and why, helps to see his behavior patterns: when I do this, this is what happens to me. For example, during the course of the game, I ask for a loan, and I am thrown back five steps. And when I sincerely offer others to barter, gifts from the Universe rain down on me.

In life, we behave in the same way as in the game, but we do not notice strategies, and on the playing field they immediately appear. For me, the point of the game is to help participants see resource strategies. Sometimes they have such insights as after five sessions with a psychologist.

How is the playing field set up?

There are board games, but there are also those where the players themselves turn into chips by moving on the floor or ground. In the online versions, the computer screen becomes a whiteboard. Now many esotericists have come into our sphere who have drawn 7 chakras on the field, gave the players a die and cards and said: «This is a transformational game.» No, it’s not. The transformational game has a task and an algorithm for how to solve it, it is a game with meaning. A person comes for some kind of change in life.

Here, each puzzle must be in its place, and if I move some element of the field, the mechanism will not work so accurately. I like the metaphor: if I put on my shoes first, it’s hard to put on my socks. So here, one stage strictly follows from the other, and certain processes must take place at each, and nothing else.

Does the master of the game have to be a psychologist?

Not necessary. At one time, I even gave a discount on training for a master to those who did not have a basic psychological education. It is easier to re-teach than to re-teach. Often, psychologists in the game – and this is our Rubicon that we overcome together – try to dig deeper, give interpretations, give the player another card for a complete insight, unearth his pains and injuries. And the task of the game is different: to give the participants the opportunity to relax, rest, rejoice and learn something about themselves effortlessly.

Otherwise, it is no longer a game, but psychotherapy with game methods. A good master will help the player to see the resource and will be able to maintain a balance between game content and therapeutic content. If you make too cheerful, relaxing entertainment, then you can forget about the semantic stuffing, about requests, skills, tasks.

It’s good if the master has some kind of professional or life, but already conscious and processed experience: yes, I had it like that, but this does not mean that you will have the same. A good coach does not pull his card on someone else’s globe.

What requests do players most often come with and what about those who do not have them?

Each game is created for different purposes, and requests depend on this. For example, in the game on the topic of health, requests for this are to understand why I am sick all the time, or to get rid of specific problems. There are direct requests: I want to get married, become richer, lose weight (these are the three most popular), open a business, make peace with a friend. With an indirect request, the participant feels that some area of ​​life is hot for him, but there is no certainty.

There are a small number of games on the market without a request. But I’m sure there must be an entry point into the information space. Sometimes players are embarrassed to say it out loud — for example, in my game Heroine’s Journey, we just work with requests that are not voiced. I propose to write them down on a piece of paper, hide them in your pocket, and at least eat them. You can play completely without a request, but be careful: most likely, your whole life will be mirrored “about the game”, you never know where it will fly to you from. And «flies» sometimes very strongly.

What does «arrive» mean?

I’ll give you an example. In the Heroine’s Journey, at the start, you need to enter the game by saying: «I am.» It would seem — what is easier? But sometimes at this stage, the participant gets stuck in the throat. Or resistance begins: “I am a wife, I am a mother, I am a professional, why say this?” It is so difficult for some to give themselves a place — on the field and in life, without any social role, that this simple act causes a storm of emotions. And for many, the first step is insight.

Or they say to me: “I’m OK in this area, I’ll play in another one.” There was a case in the «Journey of a Hero» — a man voiced a request: «I want to expand the business so that there is more money.» According to the rules, you need to take a personal item as a chip. «I have nothing». I say: look in your pockets. He takes out a crumpled old piece of paper and starts playing with it.

The game mechanism is based on zeroing — the stage when the hero has gone in the wrong direction and, metaphorically, «life» stops and sobers him up — rest, think. And after that you need to change the chip. He unfolds his paper, and there is a tattered check for wedding rings from his first marriage. “What is it, I carried it in my pocket for so many years? So I didn’t come here to play business, but to sort things out?”

And here he «flew». He was in shock. It turns out that it took him so much strength and energy to fight with his ex-wife, to divide up property, that it was simply impossible for the business to grow.

Mystic is simple! But the player does not know what card he will draw, how many moves will fall on the dice …

There is no mysticism. I am not a magician, not a miracle worker, not a sorcerer, I do not have the task of being a psychic and using the game to predict the future. Play is a process of self-discovery. The player will always draw «that» card. It really doesn’t matter which one. I am often asked: why is there no description of the meaning of cards in transformation games? Neither cards nor dice tell us anything. And the master will not interpret.

If you get a “Take three steps back” card, the master will not say: “Yeah, you somehow behaved wrong!” The master will ask: “What do you feel? How do you like it?» We live in the belief that if I see something, then others should see it. But it’s not — and it’s often a powerful insight into my games. You and I are looking at the same map, and each sees his own. Participants leave the game: “God, people are so different! That is, at home, the wife can also see differently. So that’s why we fought yesterday!»

One intelligent participant, who never uses swearing, pulled out a card: rails, and a girl above them. Usually it is interpreted as something about Anna Karenina — everything is bad, there is no point in living. I noted to myself: «This lady will definitely see Karenina.» And then she exclaims with cursing: “Wow ***, so I also know how to fly over the rails ?!” The table lay down with laughter.

This is an example that I tell in all master classes on metaphorical maps: everyone sees his own. And everyone will have insights at a certain — only suitable for him — moment.

But insights may not be?

The transformational game is not a panacea, but, like any psychological, coaching tool, it provides an opportunity to look at yourself from different angles. And I don’t know a kinder, gentler way to know myself. The game will not decide for you. And if one does not fit, try further. After all, the ideology of trying new things, finding one’s own is about life in general.