Have We Got a Game for You: 'Bay Area Regional Planner'

Mary Jo Bowling shares news of a Kicktarter campaign to back a new game called Bay Area Regional Planner.

According to Bowling, the game, "promises fun while players navigate the very real-world problems of where to build housing, how to lower rents, keeping commutes manageable, and preserving open space." Plus, adds Bowling, "the trickiest part of the game is this: Players have to agree on policies. As the Kickstarter pitch cheerily states: '...Get ready to compromise and make coalitions!'"

That spirit of collaboration is also built on the lessons offered by the game—i.e., that the challenges of the planning, especially in high-demand areas like the Bay Area, are not east to solve.

The game was designed by Alfred Twu, a Berkeley resident who also designed games called California Water Crisis and US High Speed Rail Game. The game already has 18 backers and has more than doubled its modest goal to collect $500. A $40 pledge buys a copy of the game.