Academic Games Logo |
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| Type | Non-Profit Organization |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | National Academic Games Project |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Website | http://agloa.net |
Academic Games is a U.S. competition in which players win by out-thinking each other in mathematics, language arts, and social studies. Formal tournaments are organized by local leagues, and on a national level by the Academic Games Leagues of America (AGLOA). Member leagues in eight states hold a national tournament every year, in which players in five divisions compete in eight different logic-based games. Some turn-based games require a kit consisting of a board and playing cubes, while other games have a central reader announcing questions or clues and each player answering individually.
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Before the existence of AGLOA, tournaments were held by the National Academic Games Project founded by the creator of many of the games. Many AGLOA leaders were involved with NAGP. The new league was created partially because of personal conflict with Robert W. Allen. Allen later sued the AGLOA for copyright, trademark, and tradename infringement [1].
Academic Games Leagues of America was founded in 1991 to encourage the use of Academic Games as an educational tool and as a scholar competition. Many of the games used in tournaments, however, were created as early as in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of the games played at tournaments are available fromWff 'N Proof Learning Games. Brother Neal Golden of New Orleans is the current board president of AGLOA; Larry Liss of Palm Beach, Florida is the current Executive Director. Other board members represent Academic Games leagues in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Academic Games players compete with other players in their own age group. These are the five age divisions in the league.
However, there is no restriction against playing one of your players in a higher division. Several teams have won national championships in the senior division, even though half their players belonged, agewise, in the junior division.
Games become more challenging as a player progresses through the divisions. There are often two variations of the games: basic and adventurous. Basic games have no variations, or special demands players can make on game solutions. Adventurous gaves have a series of variation possibilities that may apply and increase in difficulty as players age.
Six games are played in official AGLOA tournaments. Some local leagues also play other games; such as On-Words (a simplified version of LinguiSHTIK) and WFF 'N PROOF (the so-called "Game Of Modern Logic", which teaches symbolic logic and the use of well-formed formulas).
Two math games, Equations and On-Sets are played at AGLOA tournaments.
Equations is a mathematics game created in 1965. The game uses a playing mat and 24 cubes, each labeled with numbers and mathematical operations. At the beginning of each "shake" one of two or three players uses up to five cubes to set a "goal." All players must use the remaining cubes to devise a solution that equals the goal.
Gameplay can become more complicated through the use of "variations" called on the game. Applicable variations differ by the player's age division. The game progresses with each player moving one cube on their turn, or alternatively challenging that they can create a solution with the cubes in play, that a solution was possible on the last turn and the player before had missed it, or challenging that it is impossible to create a solution with the cubes available. When a player calls a challenge, it is called against the player who most recently completed their move.
In a three player game, the indifferent player may choose who he sides with in the case of a challenge. A player who correctly challenges another player wins the game. The loser of a game gains two points, The winner six, and the sider (if he sided with the winner) gains four or six (if he sided with the loser). Equations games become interesting with the use of factorials, vulgar fractions, and even logarithms, in the Senior division. a flub is when you can use one cube from resources to equal your goal. Pflub is when it is impossible to reach your goal using only wat you see in resources.
On-Sets is a board and cube game that teaches basic logic and set theory. This game also uses a deck of 16 cards that is used to make the "Universe". Each card contains a different combination of colored dots. The cubes contain numbers, colors and logic operators.
Players learn logic concepts such as union and intersection, and learn to use restrictions such as subset. Variations can be also be used in On-Sets games. A player wins by using the cubes in resources to create a logical statement which equals the goal set using the numeral cubes. Challenges and multiplayer games work in a similar way to Equations game.
WFF 'N Proof is a board and cube game that was created by Professor Layman Allen in 1961 to teach the basics of symbolic logic. [1] It is played with cubes that contain various symbols. The game board contains a required section, a rules section, and a premises section. To win the game, you have to write a proof, using the cubes to create "wff's" and the rules.
LinguiSHTIK is a technical game that teaches language arts and linguistics. The game has a playing mat and cubes which are imprinted with the 26 letters of the alphabet.
A player has to create a word using the letters available, and the word must be used in a sentence that matches the Demands called. A demand specifies something about the sentence or word, such as number of clauses, part of speech, number of letters, etc. Challenges in LinguiSHTIK work in the same way they do in the other cube games. Some concepts taught in LinguiSHTIK include sentence patterns, clauses, grammar, and verbs.
The game has elements similar to the popular word game Scrabble but adds a different element of play through grammatical demands.
In Propaganda, clues are read to all players by a central reader. Each player must decide, from a list, which persuasion technique that clue used. There are several different sections of Propaganda techniques, the reader also specifies which section the persuasion technique is listed in.
Different leagues have different scoring methods, but the official AGLOA scoring involves a "bold" and "cautious" rating method. If you rate your answer "bold", then you receive four points for a correct answer, or you lose two points for an incorrect answer. If you rate your answer "cautious," then you receive two points for a correct answer, however you lose nothing for an incorrect answer. A round consists of nine questions, so the highest score possible per round is 36 points, while the lowest is -18 points.
Most Propaganda clues involve statements that are likely to be heard in advertising or politics. There are six different Propaganda sections, but only four specific sections are used in each season. Sections A, B, D, and F are being used for the 2009 - 2010 season, and B, C, D, and E are used for the 2010-2011 season. Here are all the Propaganda techniques, listed by section.
| # | Section A | Section B | Section C | Section D | Section E | Section F |
| 'Techniques of Self-Deception' | 'Techniques of Language' | 'Techniques of Irrelevance' | 'Techniques of Exploitation' | 'Techniques of Form' | 'Techniques of Maneuver' | |
| 1 | Prejudice | Emotional Terms | Appearance | Appeal To Pity | Concurrency | Diversion |
| 2 | Academic Detachment | Metaphor/Simile | Manner | Appeal to Flattery | Post Hoc | Disproving a Minor Point |
| 3 | Drawing the Line | Emphasis | Degrees and Titles | Appeal to Ridicule | Selected Instances | Ad Hominem |
| 4 | Not Drawing the Line | Quotation out of Context | Numbers | Appeal to Prestige | Hasty Generalization | Appeal to Ignorance |
| 5 | Conservatism, Radicalism, Moderatism | Abstract Terms | Status | Appeal to Prejudice | Faulty Analogy | Leading Question |
| 6 | Rationalization | Vagueness | Repetition | Bargain Appeal | Composition | Complex Question |
| 7 | Wishful Thinking | Ambiguity | Solutions | Folksy Appeal | Division | Inconsequent Argument |
| 8 | Tabloid Thinking | Shift of Meaning | Technical Jargon | Join the Bandwagon Appeal | Non-Sequitur | Attacking a Straw Man |
| 9 | Causal Oversimplification | --- | Sophistical Formula | Appeal to Practical Consequences | --- | Victory By Definition |
| 10 | Inconceivability | --- | --- | Passing from the Acceptable to the Dubious | --- | Begging the Question |
A central reader announces three clues about a particular U.S. President. Each player must individually write down which President the clue describes. Players who answer correctly on the earliest clue get more points than players that answer after more clues are given. The first clue is worth 6 points, the second is worth 4 points, and the third is worth 2 points. In Michigan and West Virginia, the point system is slightly different. The first clue is worth 3 points, the second is worth 2 points, and the third is worth 1 point.
In the Elementary and Middle divisions, only a portion of presidents are used per season. For those divisions, ranges switch between presidents 1-24 and 25-43 every other year. In Junior and Senior divisions, however, all the presidents are used every season. During a tournament, players are assisted by a gazetteer which has each presidents name, birthdate, birthplace, and other basic information.
This event consists of a "current events" round about events from the past year, both foreign and domestic, and a "theme round," which changes yearly. In the current events and lightning round players may wager two, four, or six points after being given a broad category (such as "international politics" or "arts and entertainment") and are given two a few seconds. In theme round, players can use a resource book to assist them in finding the answer. They have 2 minutes Players are allowed to exempt themselves from two response if they are uncertain of the correct answers and thus prevent losing points.
The theme round is divided into two portions: A "lightning round," in which no references are permitted and point values are fixed, with questions worth two, four, and six points, and a "reference round." As In current events, players may wager two, four, or six points and are given two minutes to answer a question (generally more difficult than those in the lightning round) with help from prepared sources, and may "abstain" themselves for up to two questions. Correct answers gain points, while incorrect answers lose points. Correct and verified page numbers from resources can gain 4 bonus points. Past themes have included the American Civil War, the 1970s, the history of NASA, the Mesoamerican civilizations (Aztecs, Incas, Mayas), and World War I.
This game was originally known as "World Card."
The Theme of the 08-09 was the 1980s. The theme of the 09-10 is World War II. The Theme of the 10-11 is Australia. During the national tournament, players vote on a theme for the tournament after next i.e. the theme of World War II was voted on during the '07-08 tournament.
A spectator at an Academic Games tournament will hear a lot of jargon being thrown around that he or she may not be familiar with. Here are some of the most common AG-related words and their meanings.