Amalgam

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to look closely at board to understand options and make good choices.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parental support is not necessarily required. However, if you notice a child is not making the best choices for accumulating points, encourage the child to think about the following factors as they examine the cards on the playing area: 1) point value, 2) type of Ingredient, 3) number of spaces they will move next turn, 4) spell cards they may want to collect or use, 5) does the color of the card (which is found in the lower right corner) match their pawn.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Amalgam is a good game for helping children learn to examine carefully and evaluate multiple factors in order to make a decision.

If you notice a child is not making the best choices for accumulating points, encourage the child to think about the following factors as they examine the cards on the playing area: 1) point value, 2) type of ingredient, 3) number of spaces they will move next turn, 4) spell cards they may want to collect or use, 5) does the color of the card (which is found in the lower right corner) match their pawn.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
This is one of the primary skills used in Amalgam as each turn involves thoughtful determining and decision-making.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parental support is not necessarily required. However, to help them make the best decisions, you may remind children to think about their scoring strategy (e.g. what ingredients are they collecting), observe what cards other players are collecting, and consider when and how to use spell cards.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Determining what to do on your turn in Amalgam involves skills like analysis, reasoning, observation and prediction.

To help children make the best decisions, you may remind children to think about their scoring strategy (e.g. what ingredients are they collecting), observe what cards other players are collecting, and consider when and how to use spell cards.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to compare the cards they have collected with those remaining on the playing area.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When first learning to play the game, allow children to look at their collection pile of Ingredient Cards. This will enable them to compare more easily.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
When first learning to play the game, allow children to look at their collection pile of Ingredient Cards. This will enable them to compare more easily.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to remember the cards in their Ingredient Cards pile in order to make good scoring decisions on their next turn. Additionally, players will do better if they remember the cards others have collected.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When first learning to play the game, allow children to look at their collection pile of Ingredient Cards. This will enable them to compare more easily without having to remember what they have already collected.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
While Amalgam is primarily a strategy game, it is good for building short term memory skills. Children try to recall which Ingredient Cards they have collected in order to decide which card to collect or move towards on their next turn.

When first learning to play the game, allow children to look at their collection pile of Ingredient Cards. This will enable them to compare more easily without having to remember what they have already collected.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Amalgam is a highly strategic game where players are continuously analyzing the possible consequences of their choices and predicting the actions of others.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children evaluate different options, encourage them to "Wait. Look. Think."

Help them think about the impact of varying plays on their score as well as limiting the points of the other players. For example, ask children to describe aloud the potential reward and cost selecting a particular Ingredient Card. Does it help them increase their score, or block another player from scoring?

Learning Implications and Educator Support
In order to make predictions, children use spatial reasoning, risk and reward analysis, and complex comparison. Also, children need to change perspective, imagining being their opponents, in order to have optimal predicting skills.

Educators may want to ask open ended questions to encourage more thoughtful analysis and prediction. For example, "What options do you see? How will the card you pick set you up for scoring on your next turn? What do you think others are trying to collect? What do you think an opponent might do in response? Is your strategy to maximize points or block opponents from scoring?" This requires playing non-competitively for the purpose of learning.

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Planning is closely tied to predicting in playing Amalgam. Players need to think about how to move their Wood Tower Pawn to fulfill their strategy, while responding to the moves of other players.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children evaluate different options, encourage them to "Wait. Look. Think."

Help them think about the impact of varying plays on their score as well as limiting the points of the other players. For example, ask children to describe aloud the potential what will happen on their next turn if they pick a particular Ingredient Card. How does this help or hinder them?

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Planning is an important skill for developing strategic thinking, persistence and reaching a goal. In Amalgam, it is particularly important because each card a child selects determines how their Wood Tower Pawn will move on their next turn.

Educators may want to ask open ended questions to encourage more thoughtful planning. For example, "What options do you see? How will the card you pick set you up for scoring on your next turn? What do you think others are trying to collect? What do you think an opponent might do in response? Is your strategy to maximize points or block opponents from scoring?" This requires playing non-competitively for the purpose of learning.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Playing Amalgam is a good way to practice and improve strategic thinking.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When learning this game, play several rounds collaboratively with each player's Ingredient Cards visible. Talk about different moves and the consequences of each. Try asking open ended questions to encourage more active learning. For example, "What options do you see? How will the card you pick set you up for scoring on your next turn? What do you think others are trying to collect? What do you think an opponent might do in response? Is your strategy to maximize points or block opponents from scoring?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Amalgam has several implicit levels of mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies and adaptive responses. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others. Teaching others demonstrates mastery, the final stage of learning, and is wonderful for building self-esteem, confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
In order to win Amalgam, players need to adapt to Ingredient Cards being collected and Spell Cards being used by others.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
As the game is being learned, children may select cards in non-strategic ways. If you see this, ask the child to explain their thinking and discuss what they might do differently next time.

After children have mastered the basic strategies, scoring and use of Spell Cards, they learn new information constantly during game play. This information directly effects how children plan, strategize, adapt and ultimately solve the game.

Beyond the game, the ability to shift strategies based on new information can help children cope with the stresses of change in other areas of their life.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Amalgam involves use of visual spatial problem solving, perspective changing, risk and reward analysis, and if/then problem solving.

After children have mastered the basic strategies, scoring and use of Spell Cards, they learn new information constantly during game play. This information directly effects how children plan, strategize, adapt and ultimately solve the game.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players review when they total and share their scores. In the advanced version of the game, players also use Recipe Cards for additional scoring options.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special adult support is required.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special adult support is required.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Amalgam is a complex strategy game, with many different components to play. It is not a good match for children with cognitive challenges.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
No discussion is required to play Amalgam, but players will comment on each others' moves as the cards they are collected by others or spells are played on them. Encourage the child with communication issues to make comments after each turn.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The Tower Pawn is large, so children with minor fine motor problems should not have difficulty moving it. Players also have to pick up, place and maneuver the cards on the board and in their cauldron. Depending on the child's level of dexterity, they may need to play with the assistance of other players.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Amalgam is a complex strategy game, with many different components to play. This may make the game difficult for children who are impulsive or have low frustration tolerance. Encourage the child to take their time. Remind the child of what to pay attention to pay attention to: 1) point value, 2) type of Ingredient, 3) number of spaces they will move next turn, 4) spell cards they may want to collect or use, 5) does the color of the card (which is found in the lower right corner) match their pawn.

If the child becomes overwhelmed or angry, help the child review his and others' moves, so they can approach the next move with a plan. First, acknowledge the child's anger. For example, "I understand you are angry about Jamal's move with the Spell Card. Let's all take a deep breath, and have Jamal tell us how he decided to make that play. I want to learn so I can do something like that."

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Amalgam is visually complex and thus too difficult for person's with low vision to be able to scan and select moves.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Amalgam can be played without communication, but sign language or other assistive communication devices will assist players in discussing various moves.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Modify the play to allow pawns to move within the board instead of (or in addition tow) around the board. Players have the option of moving vertically or horizontally, but not diagonally. Once the pawn lands on a card, they can choose one card from either the vertical or horizontal row corresponding to the pawn. No two pawns can occupy the same space.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification increases decision-making options, as players must analyze which move will give them the best option for play.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Modify the play to allow pawns to move within the board in addition to (or instead of) around the board. The player must take the card they land on.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification decreases the players options. This makes the player think more carefully about each move, and players may not always have their desired option.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Allow an option to "shoot the moon." If a player chooses to, they can go for one of each of 16 Ingredient Cards. If the player succeeds, they win 50 points and all other players lose 10 points.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This adds an element of risk and reward to the game. Players who choose to "shoot the moon" need to plan each move carefully to be able to gather all different cards. Once other players realize what the player is doing, they will also become more defensive to block the player's ability to get all the Ingredient Cards.