Tabletop Psychological Game - Lepeshka

«Lepeshka» — a socio-psychological game that develops social intelligence (the ability to communicate) in children, teenagers, and adults. The creator of the game is Günther Horn, a child psychotherapist from the city of Karlsruhe (Germany). The game helps children learn... to recognize and express their feelings, wishes, as well as to defend themselves using words. Participants independently mold their game pieces from plasticine, thus conveying how they feel about themselves and other players, what their desires and intentions are. The game also practices experiences of mutual accusations, polite apologies, expressions of gratitude, and requests for help. Players learn to deal with aggression in a socially acceptable way, while unacceptable behavior is punished. Additionally, the game helps participants recognize and work on the theme of boundaries, and they gain an understanding of the value of their home.
 
The goal of the game is to be the first to reach the final point (the Castle). However, the gameplay often drags on to the point where the living relationships between the participants, their interactions, and the development of behavioral strategies are much more important than the formal objective.
 
Rules of the game:
1. First, each participant chooses plasticine of red, yellow, green, or blue color and molds an animal figure from it — this is their game piece, and they are the owner of this animal. Then everyone places their figures in huts of the corresponding color on the starting field. In addition to the hut, the player owns all the fields of the same color as their figure; these are also their «homes».
 
2. First, each participant chooses plasticine of red, yellow, green, or blue color and molds an animal figure from it — this is their game piece, and they are the owner of this animal. Then everyone places their figures in huts of the corresponding color on the starting field. In addition to the hut, the player owns all the fields of the same color as their figure; these are also their «homes».
 
3. When a figure lands on another player's field, the owner of that field must accuse the invading animal of some misdemeanour, such as «being too noisy» or «destroying something in my home.» After this accusation, the owner of the offending animal must apologize and may offer to fix the harm done. If the owner of the hut is satisfied with the guest's behavior, their apology for the misdeed, or the compensation for the damage, then the guest stays in the hut without punishment. If the guest did not apologize or the owner did not like their apology, the owner can punish the figure by snapping it, squishing it, or altering its shape in any way, even turning it into a «lepeshka.» However, the owner of the hut has the right to touch someone else's figure only after its owner has apologized. They cannot touch their own figure on someone else's field.
 
4. If an intact, undamaged figure lands on its color's field, it may somehow change itself, adorn itself, or simply rest. Here it is at home, and the player can pick it up. A damaged figure is not allowed to pass by its color's field; it must stop there and heal itself. Only a wounded figure must stop at its color's field; an intact figure can move further by as many spaces as rolled on the die.
 
5. The penultimate stop before the Castle is the Mirror field. Since the piece reflects in the mirror, coloring the field with its color, any figure can stop here as if it were the owner. An undamaged figure can continue moving to the Castle without stopping, but a wounded one must stop at the Mirror field, just like at any of its previous own fields. An undamaged figure moves into the Castle on the next turn if «1» is rolled on the die.
 
At the first stage of the game, the above-described rules may be sufficient. Later, the game can be made more complicated.
 
Included in the set:
— game board;
— plasticine;
— die;
— instructions.
 
Number of players: 2-8
Game time: 30 minutes