Step Into My Sessions: Modifying Games = Modifying Possibilities

From cooperative to competitive (and back again).

One of my favorite cooperative games is Cauldron Quest. 🧙🏼‍♀️🧙🏼‍♂️ It’s naturally rich for social learning: shared goals, collaborative planning, and conversation. But this week, something really interesting happened.

Students in a group asked me, “Can we make this game competitive?” 🤨

I loved that question 😍 —not because competitive is “better,” but because it showed that they were thinking about game structure, motivation, and change. And more importantly, they were noticing that rules aren’t permanent. They’re choices.

So, I said, “Sure. Let’s figure out how.”

Modifying Games to Fit the Student

We talked about what makes something cooperative versus competitive. 🏃🏼‍♀️‍➡️🏃🏼‍♂️

Cooperative means we’re all on one team. Competitive means players are working toward a goal, but not necessarily the same goal. That simple contrast set us up to do something I use all the time in sessions: modify the game instead of forcing the student to fit the game.

Here’s what we changed:

We kept the basic Cauldron Quest mechanics the same (turns, moves, collecting items, problem-solving). But instead of one shared outcome, we created individual goals. Players each choose an ingredient to hunt for.🪴🍄‍🟫 First person to get their ingredient into the cauldron, wins. 🎉

Sounds easy? 😼

Well, what was so great was that, in each person’s search for their ingredient, there was the possibility that they would disclose someone else’s ingredient. And, with the magic spell choices 🪄, it was possible to sabotage a friend, placing their ingredient behind a path blocker. I loved how we all were able to modify the rules into a fab competitive game! 🏆🎲

And you know what? It didn’t become “mean” or cutthroat. It became more engaged. Because the change gave my students a new way to participate, and a new reason to stay invested.

That’s one of the biggest takeaways I want clinicians to remember: Game modification is not a workaround. It’s instruction. 👩🏼‍🏫📃

When students collaborate to rewrite the rules, they’re practicing flexibility, collaboration, negotiation, perspective-taking, and self-advocacy—all while they’re playing. 😄

👀 A Noticing Moment…

Take a fresh look at your game closet. What’s one game you could modify this week so a new (or more hesitant) player can join in—and feel successful?

Onward to warmer weather – it’s there somewhere!