creative Archives - Quest For Wisdom

Masquerade Game: Meeting Strange Others!

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Masks and the wisdom in live encounters: the strange other — within yourself

Jester (Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Taranto, Italy) — photo by Joke Koppius

With the masquerade game you explore the social masks that we all wear and the art of meeting each other in a small group. The game lets you play with kingly wisdom and foolish tricks! It invites you to see the interplay between people as a masquerade and to meet the strange other (in yourself) and thereby unmask yourself and others.

Playing with masks teaches one to find a good balance between identification with functional role(s) and total detachment to your own form of social engagement.

ISBN: 978-90-822774-5-6 — Masquerade Game: meeting strange others!

Playing with social masks and tapping into your own jester and king to wisdom
The Masquerade Game provides an introduction to the Hero Game: play yourself!
Duration: at least one half day, for 3 to 6 players.
A workshop ‘demasqué’, also available an in-company program, with a multitude of the game material for groups of teams of up to 24 people: to strengthen relational qualities and developmental processes by giving attention to nasty encounters, bad feelings in collaboration and confrontations in work contexts.

Playing Materials

Part of Masquerade Game: Meeting Strange Others!

Box containing:

Playing field:
1 Nasty Encounters
Play Attributes:
1 Hourglass (of about 3 minutes);
1 six Colour Dice;
6 Coloured Pencils;
8 mask holders
Playing Cards:
8 Nasty creaturers;
8 Royal Wisdom
Playing tokens:
8 Symbols of Encountering

Working Materials:

1 Instruction Guide with
8 Fill-in form for the exercises in the game;
8 Format for making the mask;

Inquire: info@questforwisdom.org.

Update 2022-07

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Compassion Game: The Good Life!

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Passion as wisdom on elementary paths of research in order to develop the good (working) life

The Compassion Game appeals to the passions of players to align their course in life and career with their own inner compass. The game assignments are aimed at imagining and articulating the meaning of the good life in relation to tragedy. A playful introduction to research traditions from the perspective of philosophical counseling.

Using the symbolism of the four elements and mythological stories, you are invited to explore a personal fascination hand in hand with a theme from your own professional practice.

In the 6th century BCE natural philosophers debated which of the four elements contains the origin of life.

An investigative approach to this question marks the transition from a magical-mythical experience of the world to a rational worldview.

ISBN: 978-94-92127-05-1 — Kompassiespel: het goede leven!

The Compassion Game for developing the good (working) life provides a playful introduction to research paradigms and to Levensvisiespel: Visualize your inner compass!
Duration: two half-days, for 3 to 6 players.

Playing materials

Box contains:

Playing Field:
1 the Labyrinth
Playing Attributes:
1 six Colour Dice;
1 Hourglass (of about 10- 15 minutes)
1 CD Dream travelling and Heroic Dreams (Droomreizen en Heldendromen) with 22 songs
Playing Cards and Tokens:
4*5 Cards with Elementary Ways;
4*6 Cards with Places of Destination;
2*4 Tokens with Symbols of Power
Working Materials:
1 Instruction Guide with
8 Fill-in form for the exercises in the game

Purchase: Compassion Game

Inquire and purchase: info@questforwisdom.org.

Art Dialogue Methods (ADM)

ADM is the research variant of the board game Know Yourself, the Compassion Game, and has contributed to the development of the Body of Knowledge and Skills of the master’s degree program in counselling at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and at Arnhem and Nijmegen Universities of Applied Sciences.

By playing the game with the involvement of teachers, the symbolism of the game has co-creatively led to the development of concepts of research qualities; such as the dynamic interplay between the ‘power symbols’ of the eye, the heart, the spiral and the hand, which has been interpreted as the methodical interplay of different voices inside oneself: mythos, pathos, logos and ethos.

This methodology has been developed into the Art Dialogue Methods (ADM), a developmental oriented approach in change processes and action research. A forthcoming textbook will be published about ADM, and there have been articles published in professional magazines (in NL): een artikelen reeks ― Begeleidingskundig-Handelingsonderzoek-MBK

Update 2022-07

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Hero Game (also outdoors): Play Yourself!

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Play yourself in the mirror of an inspiring role model

SPlayers look in the Mirror of Life with their own heroes and favorite fairy tales. What motivational figure or story do you remember from your childhood? Is there a living hero that inspires you right now? Following the path of an inspiring person (a living, legendary or fictional hero or heroine) in the game enables players to (re)orient themselves on their own path of life.

ISBN: 978-90-822774-6-3 — Heldenspel: speel je zelf!

Dynamic Game for discovering your motives and drives by following the way of living of your hero
Duration: two half-days, for 3 to 6 players.

Playing Materials

Box contains:

Playing fields:
1 Mirror of Hero’s;
1 Field of Ordeals
Playing attributes:
1 Six Colours Dice;
1 Sand Glass;
8 Quintessence drops;
2*4 Elements of Happiness;
1 CD Dream travelling and Heroic Dreams (Droomreizen en Heldendromen) with 22 songs
Playing Cards and Tokens:
8 Cards with Principles of Happiness;
8 Cards with Weapons;
8 Cards with Magical Helpers;
8 Tokens with symbols of power of the way chosen;
8 Rings with Hope and Fear;
8 Tokens with Quintessence Qualities
Working Materials:
1 Instruction Guide with
8 Fill-in form for the exercises in the game

Purchase: Hero Game

Inquire and purchase: info@questforwisdom.org.

Live-give, a rap from Henry Muldrow — Stichting Culturele Droomwevers! Listen:

Read (NL): Heldenspel-workshop

Hero Game Outdoors: Play Yourself!

Outside in nature or inside in a special location

ISBN: 978-94-92127-01-3 — Heldenbuitenspel: speel je zelf!

Outdoor Hero Game for teambuilding as well as for developing personal and collective values
Duration: two half-days, for 6 to 16 players, for groups of up to 24 players per team.
Also as activity for children!

Playing Materials

Comparable to the Hero Game

The Hero Game taps into the power to dream about life.

I dreamed I was a butterfly …
or maybe I am a butterfly dreaming of … ?

Inquire and purchase: info@questforwisdom.org

Update 2022-07

Hero Game (also outdoors): Play Yourself! Read More »

Dream Game: Follow your Wish!

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Board Game to follow your wish in a dreamlike landscape

Game Board of Dream Game: Follow your Wish!

A preliminary round is based on a creative exercise that depicts the dream wish of the players and determines their starting position, linked to their chosen element (earth, water, air, fire) and their chosen attitude in life. Players then place their pawn on one of the eight frames with principles of happiness through which they enter the dreamlike landscape on the game board. They choose a game supervisor from among themselves who will guide the group through the game on the basis of the Instruction Guide.

The journey then begins by following the labyrinthine paths with mythical-philosophical symbols in five rounds, devoted to life themes.

In a ‘harvesting’ seventh round on the elemental Places of Arrival, the players reflect on their individual journies and its significance for their (working) everyday life.

The Power of Interplay and Dialogue

The dialogues around the game board introduce mythical-philosophical perspectives, tapping into the intuitive knowledge of the players. It is precisely the enigmatic questions and symbols that add an out-of-the-box and metaphorical language about everyone’s dreams and wishes, while the game cards shed light on the insights gleaned from the philosophical art of living. Players are invited to give meaning to what is at stake, and explore the situation into which they have been thrown by the dice (symbolic of chance or destiny). What leeway do you see and how do you give direction on your path of life?

In-between space …

Playing the game calls for some self-reflection, and yet at the same time it is appealing to meet each other in the ‘in-between space’ which is created. Both individually and in a small group, you wander a labyrinthine path across the game board: a landscape full of symbolism. By letting the visual language and the myths speak, an ‘as if’ space is created. While travelling, your own life feels like a dream and your dreams come true…

The game rounds are devoted to basic life themes: authenticity, education, ups and downs, crises and tragedy, encounters on life’s journey and finding your destiny (the centre of the game board). While making choices in the game, players will experience the existential tension between the power of destiny and following your own course, necessary to find your own true orientation in life.

ISBN: 978-90-822774-7-0 — Droomspel: doe je droomwens!

Wisdom game for investigating a personal motivation and guiding values in life and work contexts, by playfully practicing the philosophical and mythical art of living.
Duration: 1 day to six half-days, for 3 to 8 players.
Also applicable for groups and teams of up to 24 people (with a counsellor and suitable working materials) to explore the interplay between personal and professional values and to empower relational qualities and enhance developmental processes.

Playing Materials

2 Boxes containing:

Board game, Playing Fields en Overview:
1 game board Landscape of happiness;
1 playing field Dreaming in the Mirror of Myths;
1 playing field Alchemy of the Soul;
1 playing field Temple of Life’s Riddles;
1 Overview per round of playing cards and rings
Playing cards and rings:
3*32 Cards of rounds;
3*4 Cards of Elementary way’s;
6 rings with forces of prosperity and adversary;
20 Cards of Destiny
Playing attributes:
1 sic coloured dice;
1 whirlabout;
1 hourglass (of about 3 minutes);
1 CD Dream travelling and Heroic Dreams (Droomreizen en Heldendromen) with 22 songs
Playing figures/ pawns:
2 green, 2 red, 2 yellow en 2 blue wooden playing figures;
2 green, 2 red, 2 yellow en 2 blue hats for the playing figures
120 Elements of happiness:
30 green — Earth;
30 red — Fire;
30 yellow — Air;
30 blue — Water
Working materials:
1 Instruction Guide with
8 Fill-in form for the exercises in the game My Life’s Myth.

Inquire: info@questforwisdom.org

Explore the motivational power of dreams!

Philosophical Lantern in the Round of Education

Update 2022-07

Dream Game: Follow your Wish! Read More »

Vision game: Visualize your inner compass!

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Wisdom for tuning your inner compass

In a preliminary round, players become acquainted with the symbolism of the natural elements and the philosophical art of living as the basis of the game. This is expressed on the cards and playing fields with pithy sayings, such as those of Herakleitos of Ephesus (in present-day Turkey, around 600 BC):

Boundaries of the soul you will not find, however far you go and whatever road you walk, so deep is its ground.

Players choose a game leader from among themselves who will lead the tour group through the game using the Game Guide. Then the journey starts with the five game rounds on the game board and a final (seventh) afterplay round, in which players harvest from the game.

Each round of the game allows players to reflect on an important theme of the philosophical art of living. The game counsellor encourages the players to reflect on their own life themes and questions, enriched by the philosophical and mythical perspectives on the playing cards. As a result, philosophical insights come to life and personal themes are deepened in a dialogue with each other.

After each game round with dialogic exchange around mythical and philosophical perspectives, players express and imagine their own vision of the (life) theme that has been raised. Rolling the dice leaves players interested in a situation, symbolic of being ‘thrown into life’. Conducting a dialogue with each other is an exercise in giving meaning to life and being aware of the scope for designing life as a work of art according to the philosophical art of living. The symbols on the game board invite to associative thinking and thus to confront one’s own view in a playful way and to make a connection with questions in life.

At the end of the journey across the game board, participants have visualized and expressed their own vision on the themes addressed on the Game Form.

Tune your inner compass and develop your vision in life by means of the philosophical art of living!

ISBN: 978-90-822774-9-4 — Levensvisiespel: stem je innerlijk kompas!

Wisdom game for developing the art of living by tuning your inner compass.
Duration: 3 to 9 half-days, for 3 to 8 players.
With a multitude of game material also applicable for groups and teams of up to 24 people: in work contexts to empower and develop ethical perspectives on working issues and to get acquainted with a philosophical art of living.

Playing materials

Box containing:

Board game, Playing fields, Overview:
1 Board game of the Art of Living;
1 Playing field Philosophical Compass;
2 Playing field Alchemie of Collaboration;
2 Playing field Ethical Perspectives;
1 Overview Tokens of Qualities
Playing Cards and RIngs:
2*32 Cards of Rounds;
20 Cards of Elementaire Way’s;
6 Rings with Moral Motives;
24 k Cards of Destiny
Working materials:
1 Instruction Guide with
8 double Fill-in form for the exercises in the game ‘Research form’ en ‘Visualizing my life vision’;
Tokens with elementary qualities:
4*4 Course in life (green, red, yellow and blue);
4*4 Education (green, red, yellow and blue);
4*4 Reflection (green, red, yellow and blue);
4*4 Crisis (green, red, yellow and blue)

Vision Game: visualise your inner compass!!

Playing attributes:
1 CD Dream travelling and Heroic Dreams (Droomreizen en Heldendromen) with 22 songs;
1 six coloured dice;
1 whirlabout;
1 hourglass (of about 3 minutes)
Playing figures:
2 green, 2 red, 2 yellow and 2 blue Playing figures with symbol; respectively eye, hand, head and heart

Inquire: info@questforwisdom.org

Read more (NL): Levensvisiespel-workshopcyclus

Update 2022-07

Vision game: Visualize your inner compass! Read More »

Existential Play: follow your own path!

Playful Dialogues — Dialogue Table — Playful Dialogue Table — Quintessence Play — Quest Play — Pythia Play — Existential Play

Dialogue on existential questions with ethical perspectives

Four sets of cards accompanying the four rounds in the dialogue

The Existential play introduces philosophical and mythological perspectives for conducting a moral dialogue within a small group. In a preliminary round, one chooses who will guide the game as a dialogue facilitator. All other participants enter the game with their chosen personal dilemma, existential question or theme in life and/or in their career.

The game and dialogue facilitator ensures that in each round everyone’s problem, theme or question is addressed. At the same time, there will be a collective dialogical exploration in which players ask each other in-depth questions and reflect on the different symbols in the game that are linked to mythological and philosophical narratives.

During the four dialogical rounds, the players enrich their insights to the question or theme at stake, as well as critically examine their normative beliefs on the basis of:

the philosophy on the art of living and the good life
the morality of obedience versus the ideal of mastery in life
the morality of autonomy and makeability of life
the existential loyalty to oneself and the ability to play with a plurality of perspectives

By examining your theme in the game as a moral issue, you are introduced to ethical perspectives in a playful manner. Playing the game will not provide a univocal answer, but rather, players will spin off their problem, theme or question as a moral thread on life’s journey.

ISBN: 978-90-822774-4-9 — Existentiespel: volg je weg!

Duration: one (half) to one full day, for 4 to 6 players.

Playing material

Box contains:

4 Playing fields in the instruction guide:
1 Elementary happiness;
1 Existential motives;
1 Temple of moral riddles;
1 Inner compass;
Playing attributes:
1 colour dice;
1 hourglass of about 5 minutes;
1 whirl about
Playing cards:
2*8 Good and evil;
2*8 Mythical signs;
2*8 Philosophical signs;
2*8 Philosophical tools
Working materials:
1 instruction guide with dialogical exercises and
8 Fill-in forms (double sided)

Playing cards, fill-in form and playing attributes for the Existential Play

Inquire: info@questforwisdom.org

Update 2022-07

Existential Play: follow your own path! Read More »

Gnosis game

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Elementary wisdom to reflect on happiness through the philosophical art of living

The Gnosis game encourages players to explore their own views of life and happiness in life and to give them shape through words and images.

The word gnosis is an ancient Greek word for wisdom associated with self-knowledge. With this game you develop your knowledge about the full life from within.

Against the background of classical concepts on the art of living and mythical themes, players conduct a dialogue about the meaning of a personal moment of happiness and reflect on their own life orientation. How could your view on happiness be enriched? This game offers classical perspectives on the art of living by being aware of the tragedy and shadow sides of life, to develop a vision of the full potential of the happiness of life!

ISBN: 978-90-822774-8-7 — Gnosisspel (NL) Quest for Wisdom!

The Gnosis Game offers the basic explanation of the game concept Know Yourself, specifically the Dream Game (Droomspel): Follow your Wish!
Duration: half a day, for 3 to 6 players.

ISBN: 978-94-92127-00-6 — Gnosis Game (EN) Quest for Wisdom

English version: Gnosis Game: a quest for wisdom

Dynamic game based on the philosophy of the art of living to facilitate dialogues on inclusive happiness to enrich your personal view on happiness in life

Playing Materials

Box contains:

Playing Fields:
1 Elementary Directions to Happiness;
1 Mythical Red Thread
Playing Attributes:
1 hourglass (about 2 minutes);
1 six colour dice;
2*5 Elements of Happiness;
1 CD Dream travelling and Heroic Dreams (Droomreizen en Heldendromen) with 22 songs
Playing Cards:
2*5 Cards of Elementary Paths
Working Materials:
1 Instruction Guide with
8 Fill-in form for the exercises in the game ‘My Way to Happiness’
Overview:
of the steps in the game on the bottom of the box.

info@questforwisdom.org

Update 2022-07

Gnosis game Read More »

Playful Dialogues

Playful Dialogues — Dialogue Table — Playful Dialogue Table — Quintessence Play — Quest Play — Pythia Play — Existential Play

Pillar 1 What is your quest?! — the playful dialogue table

Dis-covering worlds around (your) life theme’s and professional issues

Meeting the other means really letting someone in!
Together you explore the questions and ideas that arise around the issues at stake and you examine each other’s ideas, associations and experiences around them.

The dialogue ‘tablecloth’ contains symbolism for tapping into the ancient wisdom from East and West, North and South.

The playful Dialogue Table What is your Quest?!

In groups of 2 to 8 people, you can explore a personal, professional or social issue with the help of the Dialogue Guide or under the guidance of a QFWF Game and Dialogue Facilitator.

Co-creatively engaging on a quest!

The images on the dialogue table stimulate the imagination of the participants and they contain different symbolic, mythological, and philosophical wisdoms.
Two card sets, one with European and one with intercultural perspectives, facilitate a multi-perspective view of the issue being discussed.
With a small group on a Quest in four game rounds, the QFWF guide or a game supervisor helps you to discover rich meanings around sensitive issues.

There are several dialogue forms:

Dialogue Table: Dis-covering worlds around issues!
Playful Dialogue Table: Exploring an important issue as your quest!
Quintessence Play: The five elements
Quest Play: Follow your quest in the labyrinth
Pythia Play: Take a throw (oracle game)
Existential Play: Follow your path

The Dialogue Tables of What is your Quest? is suitable for playing in a small group: Either to play it by yourself with the help of the extensive Play Guide. Or you may do so under the guidance of a QFWF game supervisor.

Purchase: Wisdom Shop
Inquire and purchase: info@questforwisdom.org

Purchase of Educative Materials

One hundred percent of the money raised by the sale of all of all these games will be used in realising our upcoming QFWF educational projects, all of which are non-profit and run by volunteers.

Update 2022-07

Playful Dialogues Read More »

Know yourself

Know yourself — Gnosis Game — Masquerade Game — Hero Game — Compassion Game — Dream Game — Vision game

Pillar 1 Know Yourself — the Mythical-philosophical Board Game

Know thyself is a mythical-philosophical game concept.

The game board consists of five circles, corresponding to themes and game rounds. In total there are seven game rounds, with an intake round and a finishing round. Each round is dedicated to a particular theme of the art of living ― such as authenticity, ups and downs in life, how to deal with crises, meaningful encounters and finding your destiny ― helping the participants to find a good course in their (working) life.

A journey through a landscape full of images of happiness and tragedy

With a small group ― family or friends, work or sports team ― you make a journey through the landscape of images on the game board, which is full of symbolism and philosophical perspectives on the art of living, and the tragedies and happinesses of life!

Although each participant makes the journey across the game board individually, with their own choices determining their path in the game ― just as everyone undertakes the life journey alone ― you still travel together as a group. The dialogues with each other and surprising perspectives on the Playing Cards and Playing Fields stimulate thinking outside the box and help the players to find a good course in their own (working) life.

Variants of the Board Game Know Yourself

Playful exercises for the art of living

Around the board game there is space for meeting and fun, wonder and discovery.

There is space for the playful exercises in the philosophical and practical art of living: the art of giving meaning to life!

The art of living is the art of ‘becoming who you truly are’, through encounters and dialogues as crucial ingredients! These you will cocreate in a small group around the board game on your mythical-philosophical journey, by finding your way through the labyrinthine landscape.

Given the complexity of Knowing Yourself, the game concept has been thematically developed into five smaller game forms; There is also a philosophical variant, in which the mythical and philosophical backgrounds are elaborated upon in the Instruction book and on the Playing Cards.

Thematic mythical-philosophical games:

Elementary wisdom and the pursuit of happiness — Gnosisspel: both in Dutch and English: Gnosis Game: Quest for Wisdom!
Masks in living encounters — Masquerade Game: Meeting Strange Others!
Follow an inspiring role model on your ‘path of a hero’ — Hero Game: play yourself! (also as outdoors activity; and as an activity for kids)
Passion as wisdom on elementary paths of research — Compassion Game: the Good Life!
Follow your wish through a mythical-philosophical landscape of the art of living — Dream Game: Follow your Wish!
Imagine your vision on life in the mirror of philosophical perspectives — Vision Game: Visualize your Inner Compass!

The different forms of the board game Know Yourself are suitable to play in a small group, guiding you with the help of the extensive Game Instructions or under the guidance of a QFWF counsellor.

Purchase: Wisdom Shop
Inquire and purchase: info@questforwisdom.org.

Purchase of Educative Materials

One hundred percent of the money raised by the sale of all of the products will be used in realising our upcoming QFWF educational projects, all of which are non-profit and run by volunteers.

Update 2022-07

Know yourself Read More »