Academic Games facts for kids

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Academic Games

Predecessor	National Academic Games Project
Formation	1991
Type	Non-Profit Organization

Academic Games is a fun competition in the U.S. where players use their brains to win! They compete in games about mathematics, language arts, and social studies.

Local groups organize tournaments, and a national group called the Academic Games Leagues of America (AGLOA) runs the big national tournament each year. Teams from eight states come together to play. Players are split into four age groups and compete in eight different games. Some games use a board and special cubes, while others have a leader who reads questions for players to answer.

Playing Divisions
Games You Can Play
National tournaments
Images for kids

Playing Divisions

Academic Games players compete against others their own age. Here are the four main age groups, called divisions:

Minor - Grades 3-4 (Only in Michigan)
Elementary – Grades 5-6 (Michigan) or 6 and under (other states)
Middle – Grades 7–8
Junior – Grades 9–10
Senior – Grades 11–12

Sometimes, a player might play in a higher division than their age group. Some teams have even won national championships with younger players on their Senior division team!

As players get older and move up divisions, the games become more challenging. Games often have two versions: "basic" and "adventurous." Basic games are straightforward. Adventurous games add special rules or challenges that make them harder, especially for older players.

Games You Can Play

Eight official games are played at AGLOA tournaments. Some local groups might play other games too, like On-Words, which is a simpler version of LinguiSHTIK.

Math Games

Two main math games, Equations and On-Sets, are played at AGLOA tournaments. There's also a logic game called WFF 'N Proof.

Equations

Equations is a math game for 2 or 3 players. It was created in 1965. The game uses a special mat with "Forbidden," "Permitted," and "Required" areas. It also has 24 cubes with numbers and math symbols.

At the start of each round, one player uses up to six cubes to set a "goal." Then, all players must use the other cubes to create a math problem that equals that goal. Players can also win by challenging if they think a goal is impossible to reach with the cubes given.

The game can get more complex with "variations." These are special rules that change how the game is played. Different age groups use different variations. Players take turns moving one cube. They can also challenge another player if they think a solution was possible but missed, or if they think no solution is possible.

In the Senior division, the game gets even harder. Players might use factorials, fractions, and even logarithms in their solutions.

On-Sets

On-Sets is a board and cube game that teaches basic logic and set theory. It uses a deck of 16 cards to create a "Universe." Each card has a different mix of colored dots. The cubes have numbers, colors, and logic symbols.

Players learn about logic ideas like union (combining groups) and intersection (finding what's in common between groups). They also learn about subsets. Like Equations, On-Sets can use variations. A player wins by using the cubes to make a logical statement that matches a set goal. Challenges and multiplayer rules are similar to the Equations game.

WFF 'N Proof

WFF 'N Proof is a board and cube game created in 1961 by Professor Layman Allen. It teaches the basics of symbolic logic.

The game uses 28 cubes with different letters. The game board has "forbidden," "permitted," and "required" sections. To win, you must write a proof using the cubes to create "WFFs" (Well-Formed Formulas). This game became part of the AGLOA National Tournament in 2013.

Language Games

LinguiSHTIK

LinguiSHTIK is a game that teaches language arts and linguistics. It has a playing mat and 23 cubes with letters of the alphabet.

Players must create a word using the available letters. Then, they must use that word in a sentence that follows certain "Demands." A demand might specify something about the sentence or word, like how many clauses it needs, what part of speech the word is, or how many letters it has.

Challenges in LinguiSHTIK are like those in other cube games. One special rule is a "forceout." This happens if the game runs out of time or if no more moves can be made without leading to a win or impossible situation. LinguiSHTIK teaches concepts like sentence patterns, clauses, grammar, and verbs.

This game is a bit like the popular word game Scrabble. But it adds a unique twist with its grammar demands and shared letter pool.

Propaganda

In Propaganda, a leader reads clues to all players. Each player must decide which persuasion technique was used in the clue. These techniques are from a specific list. The leader also tells players which section of techniques the answer is in.

Scoring can vary, but the official AGLOA method uses "bold" and "cautious" wagers. If you wager "bold," you get four points for a correct answer. But you lose two points for a wrong answer. If you wager "cautious," you get two points for a correct answer and lose nothing for a wrong one. A round has nine questions. The highest score is 36 points, and the lowest is -18 points.

Most Propaganda clues are like statements you might hear in advertising or politics. There are six different sections of Propaganda techniques. Only four specific sections are used each season. For example, Sections A, B, D, and E were used for the 2016–2017 season.

Propaganda Techniques

Further information: propaganda techniques

You can find more detailed explanations of these techniques on agloa.org.

#	Section A	Section B	Section C	Section D	Section E	Section F
	'Techniques of Self-Deception'	'Techniques of Language'	'Techniques of Irrelevance'	'Techniques of Exploitation'	'Techniques of Form'	'Techniques of Maneuver'
0	No Technique	No Technique	No Technique	No Technique	No Technique	No Technique
1	Prejudice	Emotional Terms	Appearance	Appeal To Pity	Concurrency	Diversion
2	Academic Detachment	Metaphor/Simile	Manner	Appeal to Flattery	Post Hoc	Disproving a Minor Point
3	Drawing the Line	Emphasis	Degrees and Titles	Appeal to Ridicule	Selected Instances	Ad Hominem
4	Not Drawing the Line	Quotation out of Context	Numbers	Appeal to Prestige	Hasty Generalization	Appeal to Ignorance
5	Conservatism, Radicalism, Moderatism	Abstract Terms	Status	Appeal to Prejudice	Faulty Analogy	Leading Question
6	Rationalization	Vagueness	Repetition	Bargain Appeal	Composition	Complex Question
7	Wishful Thinking	Ambiguity	Slogans	Folksy Appeal	Division	Inconsequent Argument
8	Tabloid Thinking	Shift of Meaning	Technical Jargon	Join the Bandwagon Appeal	Non-Sequitur	Attacking a Straw Man
9	Causal Oversimplification	—	Sophistical Formula	Appeal to Practical Consequences	—	Victory By Definition
10	Inconceivability		—	Passing from the Acceptable to the Dubious	—	Begging the Question

Social Studies Games

Presidents

In this game, a reader gives three clues about a U.S. President. Each player writes down which President they think it is. Players who guess correctly on the first clue get more points. The first clue is worth 6 points and is the hardest. The second clue is worth 4 points, and the third is worth 2 points, with each clue getting easier.

For Elementary and Middle divisions, only a certain group of presidents is used each season. These groups change every year. In Junior and Senior divisions, two groups of presidents are used. Players get a "gazetteer" (a small book) during the tournament. It has basic information about each president, like their name, birth date, and birthplace.

Current Events

This game is about important things that happened in the past year, both in the U.S. and around the world. It has two parts: a Wager Round and a Lightning Round.

In the Wager Round, players choose how many points they want to bet (two, four, or six) after hearing a general topic, like "international politics." Then, the question is asked. If you answer correctly, you earn the points you wagered. If you're wrong, you lose half of what you wagered. You can even have a negative score!

In the Lightning Round, questions already have point values (two, four, or six points). There are six questions of each value. The questions are asked quickly. If you answer correctly, you earn the points. But unlike the Wager Round, there's no penalty for a wrong answer.

Theme

This game is very similar to Current Events. It's played and scored the same way, with a Wager Round and a Lightning Round. The big difference is that Theme questions are about historical facts related to a specific topic. This topic is chosen at the national tournament two years before.

Past themes have included the 1970s, the history of NASA, Mesoamerican civilizations (Aztecs, Incas, Mayas), World War I, and the American Civil War. For example, the theme for the 2017–2018 season was Greek and Roman Mythology. The 2019-2020 season's theme was "The Supreme Court: Now and Then."

Terminology

If you watch an Academic Games tournament, you might hear some special words. Here are some common terms and what they mean:

Challenge Win or Now – A player calls this when they can create a solution using the cubes on the board, and maybe one more cube.
Challenge Impossible or Never – A player calls this when they think it's impossible to create a solution because of a previous player's move. The player who was challenged must then try to show a correct solution was possible.
Demand – In LinguiSHTIK, a demand is a rule that affects the word and sentence a player creates. Players state the demand and place a colored cube on the mat.
Force Out – If a game isn't finished on time, or no more moves can be made without causing a "Now" or "Never" situation, it goes into a force out. Players get two minutes to find a solution. Correct solutions earn 4 points, incorrect ones get 2 points.
Goal – In Equations, On-Sets, and WFF 'N Proof, the first player sets a "goal" using cubes. This is the target that all players try to reach with their solutions.
Resources – These are the cubes that are rolled at the start of each round (called a "shake"). Players use these cubes to create solutions.
Shake – One match of a cube game is called a shake. It can last from a few minutes to an hour.
Solution – Players use the cubes from resources to create an answer that equals the goal. Solutions are written on paper and checked by other players.
Stall – Players say "stall" before flipping the one-minute timer during an opponent's turn. Most actions in the games have a time limit (from 15 seconds to three minutes). Going over the time limit usually means a small penalty.
Universe – At the start of an On-Sets game, one player lays out 6 to 14 unique cards with colored dots. This collection of cards is called the universe.
Variation – In Equations and On-Sets, players can add special rules called variations. These make the game more interesting and harder for experienced players. For example, a "wild" variation means one cube can act as another.

National tournaments

Images for kids

"Equations" by Layman E. Allen (around 1969)

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