Board Game

Prepared by Di McIntyre
Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town

Click here to download the game.

Facilitators note:

To prepare for the game, you need to do the following:

  • Print the board using a colour printer – preferably on A3 cardboard. The number of boards you need to print will depend on the number of groups who will play the game (there should be a maximum of 4 players per board, so if you have a group of 20 course participants, you will need 5 boards).
  • Print the sheets of colour-coded ‘decision cards’, preferably on cardboard, and cut them into individual cards. Again, the number of sets of cards to be printed will depend on the number of groups who will play the game (each group needs their own set of cards).
  • Print the money sheets (2 copies of the c2.50 sheet and 4 copies of each of the c5, c10 and c20 sheets for each group) and cut them into individual notes.
  • Print the instructions for playing the game (so that each group has an instruction sheet).
  • You also need to obtain a dice and a set of four coloured ‘counters’ – a yellow, green, blue and red counter – for each group. Players use the counters to indicate their position as they move around the board.
  • Prepare a set of 4 envelopes for each group, marked yellow, green, blue or red. Place the description of the household circumstances for each colour into the respective envelopes. In addition, place c40 into the yellow envelop, c60 into the green envelop, c100 into the blue envelop and c150 into the red envelop.

In facilitating the game, you should:

  • Divide participants into groups of a maximum of 4 per group and distribute the instructions for playing the game, boards, counters, dice, decision cards and money to each group.
  • You should allow each group to read through the instructions for playing the game and clarify any aspects that are uncertain.
  • Each group member should select a coloured counter – hand out the envelopes according to the counter chosen.

When each group has finished the game, you should have a brief discussion in plenary. In particular, you should re-emphasise the dimensions of access (availability, affordability and acceptability) and highlight issues relating to some households incurring debts or having to sell assets due to their illness and seeking health care.