Category: Games

Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

Richard Cushing

Before I was president of a software company, I was the world judo champion. It’s true. You can look it up in Wikipedia. I also ran track in college. Since then, I have coached hundreds of kids.

What does this all have to do with games to teach decision-making?

I’ve told players a thousand times,

When you’re in the middle of a match is not the time to think of your strategy.

Me

What Crossroads: New Decisions and Crossroads: Options do is put players in situations in a virtual world where they can think about what they would do if they had to get away from an abusive relationship or were stuck in the middle of a party that’s gotten out of hand.

Maybe you’ve never thought very much about who you could go to stay with for a few days if you need to get out of a bad situation. Perhaps you’ve never really thought it through, that if you need to get away from someone right now it can be done in stages. You could go to that person who will let you stay for a week or so while you figure out what to do next.

If you’re going to be on your own some day, you need to start thinking about what bills you’ll have to pay, how much you’ll have to make each month. Next step is finding a job. How do you pick a job? Even if you’re talking entry level jobs, there are choices. Which would be a better fit for you?

Where do you draw the line that someone is just bad news and you don’t want them in your life?

When you’re in an emotional situation, whether it’s dating violence or trying to figure out how to get home when you’re in the middle of nowhere and all of your friends are wasted, that’s not when you’re going to make your best decisions.

Does having thought about the possibilities in advance guarantee you’ll always make the right choice?

No, of course not, just like planning a strategy in practice doesn’t guarantee you will win. I can promise you this, though – it will improve your odds.

New Decisions is one of two games we offer for players age 13 and older. The other is Crossroads: Options. Although players can benefit from playing either game, we recommend beginning with New Decisions.

Players begin by being introduced to our main character, Jessie. They learn how to play the game and customize their own avatar. They can spend money they earn in each module in the clothing, furniture and gift store. More stores open in the second game.

Crossroads: New Decisions covers six topics

1. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
2. Unsupervised teen parties
3. Budgeting
4. Safety plan
5. Motivational interviewing
6. Assessment: Depression and Adverse Childhood Events

Driving under the Influence

In this scenario, you’ve had quite a few beers, you have no money and one of your friends looks less high than the rest. What should you do? Pick the correct answer and play a driving game where Grandma comes to pick you up in a snowmobile. Also, earn money you can spend in our virtual mall. Get it wrong and hear the consequences.

Unsupervised Parties

Where did you get that alcohol or drugs you were driving under the influence of? Oh, right, at that party where the parents weren’t home. Select the right choice when things start getting out of hand. Once you have cleaned the place up, go in the backyard and play a game where you whack all the gophers. Get paid for every gopher and spend that money (virtually) wherever you like.

Making a Budget

When you have money problems, where do you even start? Get across the basketball court to your house. Try finding all your bills and making a budget. Search through every room. You can keep all the money you find and spend it in the store.

Safety Plan

Do you know what a safety plan is? Start learning about it with packing a safety bag. You have one minute to find everything on the list.

Motivational Interviewing

Most situations have good and bad about them. Most people do, too. In this module, help Jessie identify what she does and doesn’t like about her situation. Next, help her determine what she can and cannot change about her life.

Assessment: Depression and ACES

In the assessment module, you’ll find Jessie and then complete a depression inventory, answer some questions on relationships and events in your childhood.

Now that you’ve read about Crossroads: New Decisions, I’m sure you’re dying to know where to get it.

Get it from Google Play for Android Phones

Get it from the app store for iPhones

Options is the second of two games we offer for players age 13 and older. The other is Crossroads: New Decisions. Although players can benefit from playing either game alone, we recommend beginning with New Decisions. Players who completed the first game will find all their objects purchased still in their virtual home and all their remaining cash carried over. The games do follow a logical order, with a budget made in New Decisions and then in Options, finding and keeping a job to cover expenses.

Crossroads: Options covers the following topics:

1. Dating Violence (Healthy and Dysfunctional Relationships)
2. Avoiding Drug Use
3. Finding a Job (Financial Literacy)
4. Identifying unacceptable situations (Safety Plans)
5. Positive Self-Talk (Healthy and Dysfunctional Relationships)
6. Emotional Abuse
7. Anxiety and Locus of Control (Assessment)
8. Keeping a Job (Financial Literacy)

See below for a brief video and summary of each module.

Available Data

Registered programs can access data for users. In New Decisions, this includes individual items and total scores for two scales measuring anxiety and locus of control.

Dating violence

This module identifies signs of an abusive relationship and encourages bystanders to get involved. At the end of the scenario, the game play is an escape room where the player solves clues to exit the house.

Avoiding Drug Use

This module addresses appropriate responses when invited to situations where excessive alcohol or drug use may occur. Consequences of functional and dysfunctional decisions are also shown. Game play after the scenario has the player running to get to work on time, avoiding obstacles on the way.

Finding a Job

This module discusses selecting and applying for a job that pays sufficient to meet your monthly budget. The Crossroads: New Decisions game covers an introduction to creating a budget.

Safety plans

This module addresses identifying situations that are acceptable, need improvement or unacceptable. Game play at the end has the player leaving the situation to find a new home, avoiding bad choices on the way.

Positive Self-Talk

Often, an obstacle to leaving an unhealthy relationship is that the abuser has convinced his or her partner of their own inherent lack of value. In this “text messaging” scenario, the player is reminded of their own helpfulness, honesty and generosity. Game play involves searching for lost items to help friends, family members and community.

Emotional Abuse

Abusers aren’t always physical and they aren’t always male. This module presents a controlling relationship that is, well, out of control. Game play requires solving a puzzle lock to retrieve a phone that the character’s girlfriend has stolen and locked in a drawer.

Anxiety and Locus of Control

Assessment is part of the job of any counselor and yet the best way to start off a relationship probably isn’t with pushing a pile of papers in front of a person.

Keeping a Job

Part of keeping a job is realizing that you need to do the dirty work, sometimes literally, and follow company procedures. In this module, players are presented with a couple of work place challenges, such as agreeing to clean out cages and put their phone away. The game ends with catching hamsters and walking dogs.

Now that you’ve read about Crossroads: OPTIONS, I’m sure you’re dying to know where to get it.

Get it from Google Play for Android Phones

Get it from the app store for iPhones