CiteSaga
(2023-2025)
CiteSaga is an educational board game centred around academic integrity and citation skills, developed collaboratively by Lance Bunt, Veruschka Pelser-Carstens, Gordon Matthew, Byron Bunt, and Kim Matthew. Set in the magical world of Taleterra, players are tasked with restoring the Grand Archive—a lost repository of knowledge—by correctly citing sources to overcome challenges posed by factions like the Ashenfolio and the Emberpage Diaspora.
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Table-top
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Historical
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Multi-player
Game Overview
Collaborators: Lance Bunt, Veruschka Pelser-Carstens, Gordon Matthew, Byron Bunt, and Kim Matthew
Copyright Holder: North-West University
The game’s core mechanics include gathering and arranging citation elements, with each player embodying characters possessing unique citation abilities. The Crystal of Citation serves as a pivotal device, verifying the authenticity of citations and presenting strategic challenges, while character abilities and environmental cards add layers of interaction and strategy. The game’s ultimate goal is not only to promote citation accuracy and academic integrity but also to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and research skills in an immersive, lore-rich environment.
Gameplay Overview:
In CiteSaga, players embark on an adventure to gather the fragmented shards of the Grand Archive in the realm of Taleterra. Players take on character roles with unique abilities, journeying across environment cards that represent diverse terrains, each offering distinct citation challenges. To progress, players must collect citation tokens of varying levels, arrange them strategically to solve citation card puzzles, and complete challenges that reinforce academic referencing skills. The first to gather five Grand Archive Shards wins, restoring the Grand Archive and earning the title of Archive Keeper.
Key Features:
Strategic Resource Management: Citation tokens come in three levels (LVL 1, 2, and 3), representing increasing complexity. Players must collect and trade these tokens across environments to complete citation challenges on their cards.
Character Abilities and Seals: Each character has unique skills that influence gameplay, such as resource gathering or movement. Players can also acquire powerful seals, providing one-time abilities that impact their journey.
Environment Card Interaction: The environment cards, a mix of essential and randomized locations, drive player actions and interactions. These cards offer resources, special actions, and strategic positioning, allowing players to impede others' progress.
Narrative and Learning Focus: Beyond winning, CiteSaga emphasizes learning citation accuracy in a collaborative and competitive setting, integrating narrative elements to make referencing enjoyable and memorable.
