The use of simulation games in schools / Walter Oppenheim

Presumably most readers of this magazine agree that playing SPI games is
entertaining. It can, however, be very useful. As a history teacher in
a large secondary school, I have found using historical simulations a
most useful way of adding interest and realism to some of my lessons.

The use of historical simulations in history lessons has a lot to
recommend itself. They add variety and interest to the lessons but above
all they got pupils off the idea that events in history were inevitable
- e.g. that Napoleon lost at Waterloo because he was bound to lose.
Putting pupils in the place of the participants at Waterloo can help to
show them just what a "close run thing" it really was.

In previous years, before I became an SPI subsciber, I used games like
"Diplomacy" and the series of historical simulations produced by
Longmans in my lessons but found that these all suffered from a lack of
realism. SPI games are far better in this respect, although I often have
to adapt the rules to make them understandable to my pupils. Games I
have used successfully have included "Napoleon at Waterloo", "Battle for
Germany" and "Frederick the Great". I am now hoping to adapt
"Conquistador" to make it playable by the 3rd year students who are
taught about the Great Explorations.

I have found these games to be invariably popular, if only because they
make a welcome break from normal lessons but I also believe that they
are proving to be useful as well.

The big weakness undoubtedly of SPI games in schools is that most are
too complicated to be easily played by children. For this reason, it
would be useful to see more games at the level of NAW or Battle for
Germany. The interest my games has aroused, particularly amongst boys
aged 14 upwards, suggests that here is a big potential market which SPI
is currently missing. There are at the moment not enough games more
realistic than "Campaign" and "Risk" but also easy enough to be played
by almost anyone. I know most gamers (including me) prefer more
complicated games but we are cutting ourselves off from a large market
this way.