Pest friends: an educational board game about pest management

Pest Friends is an educational strategy board game designed to help youth and adults understand the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an ecosystem-based approach for managing pests and the damage they cause within economic thresholds. The game is designed to allow players to explore the different facets of IPM and how they affect a crop and species living within it. This is done through a facilitator-led simulation where players make decisions that ultimately lead to a unique outcome based on their choices. The facilitator carries out the effects of a player’s action within its scenario while players make decisions as pest managers contending with pests in an agricultural field or similar setting. Their role as managers is to keep pests in check and minimize the amount of damage done to a crop while using their time and money efficiently. Each game consists of eight rounds. At the end of a game, players tally points based on their crop yield and the amount of money they have collected/earned. The game can be played with multiple scenarios, but this set only comes with Scenario 1: Lunar Wheat.

The Pest Friends website is a user-friendly, free to access website designed to streamline the setup and facilitation of the Pest Friends board game, specifically scenario 1 (lunar wheat). This tool serves as a comprehensive platform for moderators and facilitators, enabling them to create and manage digital game sessions effortlessly. It facilitates both player-driven digital play, where participants receive unique invite codes to engage with the game on their devices, and moderator-led sessions, assisting facilitators in executing the game by automating calculations, providing real-time guidance on tile removal, and managing consequences for player choices. Overall, the tool enhances the accessibility, efficiency, and engagement of the Pest Friends board game, making it a valuable resource for educators, facilitators, and players alike.