Game - UnExpected Values: From Dystopia to Utopia

UnExpected Values: From Dystopia to Utopia forms an expanding universe of educational strategy games designed to explore the ethical tensions that define our societies. Each game invites players into a different domain—economy, education, environment—where they must navigate dilemmas grounded in real-world stories and systems.

These interconnected worlds form a larger narrative about who we are, what we value, and how we might redesign our collective future. Through play, dialogue, and imagination, UnExpected Values transforms ethical reflection into shared storytelling—inviting everyone to participate in the ongoing creation of a better world.

UnExpected Values: From Dystopia to Utopia is a series of educational strategy games that challenge players to navigate ethical dilemmas across different sectors of society—from corporate boardrooms to classrooms and communities. Each version explores how everyday decisions shape our collective future, asking players to imagine alternative systems rooted in justice, sustainability, and collaboration.

Explore the UnExpected Values Game Series

• World 1: The Free Market
  Enter a world governed by the relentless pressures of a competitive capitalist landscape. As a CEO, you will navigate the tense trade-offs between profit, ethics, and social responsibility. This world holds up a mirror to our current reality, where short-term gains often overshadow long-term well-being.

• World 2: The Open Future
  Having experienced the limitations of the first world, you are now empowered to build an alternative. Collaborating as educators, learners, policy advisors, and community members, you will use Open Educational Practices to redesign education, prioritizing collaboration, equity, and the common good.

This journey from competition to collaboration, from extraction to regeneration, and from “I” to “We” provides a profound, hands-on understanding of how our values shape the systems we live in—and how we can reshape them.

Who it is for

• Educators & Professors:
  For courses and workshops in Business Ethics, Economics, Education, Open Education, Sociology, Technology, Ethics, Political Science, Law, and Environmental Studies.

• Students:
  To critically engage with real-world systems and develop skills in ethical reasoning, negotiation, and collaboration.

• Corporate Trainers & NGOs:
  For ethics workshops, leadership development, and team-building exercises.

• Community Organizers & Activists:
  To facilitate discussions about values, systemic change and community-led development.

• Board Game enthusiasts:
  Who enjoy deep, thematic, and thought-provoking strategy games.

Get involved & stay updated

The "UnExpected Values: From Dystopia to Utopia" board game is an evolving project, and we welcome input from anyone passionate about ethics, dilemmas, or board games! We especially encourage professionals to develop their own thematic sets to explore dilemmas relevant to their specific sectors. Here is how you can engage:

• Share feedback: If you have played the game and have feedback on the experience, we would love to hear from you! Your input can help shape the game’s development.

• Create your own: Since UnExpected Values is released under a Creative Commons license, you are free to adapt, remix, or expand the game. We would be thrilled to potentially add your world, mode, or thematic set to the official game, growing our shared universe of meaningful play.

• Contact us: Got questions about the game, its development, or using it in education? Reach out for more information, support, or partnership opportunities. Contact Angelos Konstantinidis at: a.konstantinidis rug.nl

• Stay updated: Want the latest on game updates, new game worlds, modes, thematic sets, or events? Subscribe to receive news about enhancements and where to play next.

About the project and license

UnExpected Values is designed and developed by Angelos Konstantinidis, with partial funding from the Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI, and the Open Science Programme. The project is also supported by the Educational Support and Innovation team of the Center for Information Technology Institute, all at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. Graphics Design: Ilaria Rosso.

The game is under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons License. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.

Download, print, and play the game!

Ready to dive into UnExpected Values? You can download all game materials - including the game board, cards, and Game Guide - for free! Simply print the files, assemble the components, and you are ready to play!

Recommended for ages 12 and up. The game’s depth and strategic complexity make it ideal for secondary/high school students, university learners, and adult audiences.