Shortly after that dramatic transformation I applied for, and was awarded, a small business grant to develop the game and bring it to market. On the first morning after being notified of the award I had the joyful experience of suddenly realizing that I no longer had to set the game aside for other priorities. That it now was my priority because it was now my job. What a great way to start a new day!

For the next 10 months I had a wonderful time. I researched and planned the game's administration, production, distribution and marketing and I worked on its business plan. The best part of this process was "play testing" the game with over 250 people.

For each "play test" I would put the game in front of a group of new players and asked them to learn to play it on their own as if I wasn't there so that I could see how clear the instructions were. I then watched and listened carefully as the game was played to see what worked and what didn't as well as what was fun and what wasn't. After the game I asked for honest feedback in order to tap into the player's insights.

After each "play test" I rewrote parts of the game and often the changes proved to be fundamental. During the 10 months of the grant the cummulative changes transformed the game as much as the single and very sudden transformation had at the beginning of the year.

Unfortunately I was unable to complete my preparation work before the grant ran out.

Since then the game has been developing slowly as I have been working full time and making some dramatic transformations in my personal life as well as working on the game and developing some other projects in my spare time.

I am now entering the first phase of making the game publicly available. At first only through game nights that I will host and facilitate here in Victoria. Soon there will be free copies of the game available to you anywhere in the world via this web site.

Thanks to the valuable contributions of its many play testers since 1998 The Appreciation Game has already taken on a life of its own that is well beyond my original vision of it. I am the game's originator and facilitator, not its sole creator.

From a game designed to share my ideas and attitudes with the world it has evolved into a game that makes it safe, easy and fun for us all to share our ideas and attitudes with each other.

I am committed to expanding on this evolutionary process by getting as many people as possible playing the game. Especially on the level of play which will invite your participation in developing new, special purpose game procedures and pieces that will support you in fulfilling your family, social, recreational, community and professional goals.

Sets of the LIfe Choice cards on which the game is based can be created for any age group or purpose. Sets for adults can include such topics as family life, clean loving, parent & teen communication, personal freedom, organizational team building and business management. Sets for kids and youths can deal with safety, drugs or peer pressure, and various life skills written in the language of the age group targeted. Sets can also be designed for a very wide variety of shared interest and special needs groups such as transition houses, 12 step recovery groups, prisoner rehabilitation programs and community living societies.

Feel free to click on "Play" in the link menu below to find out how, where and when you can play with people who are important to your life and with new people who might become important.

Please use the game to share your wisdom with each other and please share your ideas on how to improve the game with me.

Playing together we can make The Appreciation Game as unlimited as our imaginations.