- 10 to 15 minutes
- In person
Overview
This Mightier card game allows clients to practice regulating their heart rate and emotions while playing a familiar game similar to ‘War.’
Time in Mightier program
Weeks 4+
Therapeutic Goals
- Develop emotional awareness
- Develop body awareness
- Increase emotional vocabulary
- Practice communication and social skills
- Support client’s understanding and enjoyment of Mightier
Documentation Suggestion
Client and clinician engaged in a collaborative play intervention using the Mightier biofeedback tool. The intervention helped the client to develop emotional and body awareness, increasing emotional vocabulary, and practice communication and social skills.
Materials needed
Mightier card deck (with no jokers)
6 coins/tokens
Heart rate monitor
Mightier tablet
Step-by-step instructions
- To start, split a shuffled deck into 2 face-down piles, one for each player.
- Give each player 3 coins to represent their available ‘Challenges.’
- Choose if you or the client is going to wear the heart monitor, making them the ‘Gizmo Keeper.’
- Turn on the Mightier tablet, enter Gizmode, and select ‘Dragon Duel.’
- On each turn players flip over their top card and place it face-up between them.
- The player with the higher card takes both cards and adds them to their win pile.
- If the cards have the same value, a Duel begins. Both players add another 3 cards face-down and then one more card face-up. The higher card wins the duel and all the cards in the duel go into that player’s win pile.
- If the cards deciding the duel are the same value, then the duel process repeats until someone plays a higher card.
- The game is over once one player is completely out of cards or does not have enough cards to complete a duel.
CHALLENGES
- After both players have placed their cards, either during a turn or a duel, either player can try to change the result using one of their Challenge coins and calling out ‘Challenge!’
- The Gizmo Keeper (player wearing the heart rate monitor) must try to get into the blue or grey by the end of a countdown.
- To determine the countdown length, refer to the last card placed by the Gizmo Keeper (player wearing the heart rate monitor). The value of that card is the countdown length.
- Reveal the Gizmo on the Mightier app to begin the challenge and start the countdown.
- Once the countdown begins, the Gizmo Keeper (the person wearing the heart rate monitor) must try to stay or get into the blue, despite any distractions the other players may be creating for them.
- No matter who began the challenge, if the Gizmo is in the blue or grey by the end of the countdown the Gizmo Keeper (the person wearing the heart rate monitor) wins the challenge. If Gizmo is in the red the other player (who is not wearing the heart rate monitor) wins.
To make the game more or less difficult try these rule variations:
- No Rush Rules – makes challenges easier
There is no time limit to the challenges, take as long as you like.
- Flip It Rules – makes challenges easier
If a player is already in the blue when a challenge begins they must get into the red before the end of the countdown. If they are in the red or grey, they must get into the blue to win.
- Long Haul Rules – makes the game last longer
Continue play until one player is completely out of cards or does not have enough cards to complete a duel.
- En Garde Rules – more challenges during play
Play with more challenge coins, choose a number that keeps play interesting.
- Shorty Rules-makes the game shorter
To limit playtime, decide how many rounds you want to do before starting. Once the count reaches the round limit, both players count their cards to determine the winner.