What is Ramshackle?
Ramshackle is a building game that builds spatial and structural reasoning skills and, if kids undertake tweaking the rules or adding their own pieces, acts as an introduction to the design process. Speaking from experience, games are great for teaching design and iteration because user feedback is completely inescapable!
A set of Ramshackle includes laser-cut pieces, accordion-folded rules, and extensively playtested cards that keep gameplay exciting. Everything fits inside a stylish and durable jar, with storage for the rules and cards in the lid.
The rules are simple: get rid of all your pieces by playing them on the central structure sequentially; play a piece with stars to draw a card. Sounds peaceful, but this results in elaborate, sprawling constructions, and sometimes some screaming!
Ramshackle was designed and playtested off and on from 2015 through 2018, going through multiple rounds of iteration on materials, production, and gameplay. The most recent iteration was the product of an Independent Study through Smith College’s engineering department.
The sets I made have been distributed between myself, Smith, friends who now teach middle school, and my elementary school.
Eighth graders enjoying Ramshackle.
