Operation BP: Bullsh*t Plug (free print-and-play game)

Andrew Sheerin of TerrorBull Games (makers of the beloved War on Terror board game) have created a free print-and-play game called Operation BP: Bullshit Plug.

This game is for two players. Each player takes a role - either 'BP' or 'The Public' and each player has two cards that represent two possible strategies. BP is trying to shore up its dwindling share price, while the public just want the leak plugged. Both players pick a strategy and play it face down, simultaneously. These are then revealed and the effects on the share price and the leak are worked out. This action is then repeated until the game ends. It's very simple, takes just a few minutes to play, but is also quite devilish and deceiving.
For the game-design/psychology geeks among you, Operation BP: Bullshit Plug is (as you probably know if you're a game-design/psychology geek) actually a variant of the classic Prisoner's Dilemma. In fact, it's a re-iterative prisoner's dilemma with a non-finite amount of iterations (although the iterations can safely be presumed to be fairly low in number). This makes co-operation in the game rather difficult.

Operation BP: Bullshit Plug

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

MORE: Entertainment

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

Anonymous

Does anyone have confirmation if that’s Ralph Steadman’s art? Sure looks like him.
Urthen

Interesting!

At first glance, BP’s winning proposition is to play PR, (no possibility of gain if you fix) and the public’s is to Trust (no possibility of leak increasing if you trust). Unfortunately, that will result in a BP win. The ONLY way BP can win is if the public plays Trust, and the only way the Public can win is if BP plays Fix. Playing only Trust/Fix will always result in a Public win. If they only play Pressure/PR, everyone loses.

Really, the only real “winning” strategy I can see would seem for BP to always play PR, and the public to always play Pressure. Most games played this way will lose, but if the other side flinches even once, you’ll win.

I wonder how our real-life game will turn out…
arkizzle / Moderator

The only winning move is not to play.

/Not that relevant in this case, but it needed to be said :)