About the Game

Dogs have been man's faithful companions since the dawn of civilisation. Descending from mighty wolves, these domesticated canines have evolved to find their niche in the ecosystem governed by humans. They not only survive but also thrive in a human-centric environment.

In this board game, you will experience what it means to be a dog living in an urban environment filled with humans at the Ahmedabad University campus. Step into the shoes—or should we say paws—of a dog and make decisions that maximise your chances of survival. Be mindful of the dangers around the campus that can hinder your survival and ensure you outsmart your competition. Become the top dog on campus!

Ecology of Street Dogs

Survival of the Fittest
The game encourages the players to compete with each other. In the game, it is important to be the best at making vital decisions based on the resources you currently possess and the environment you are in. This closely mirrors the way nature works. Only the dogs that can assess their situation best and make the correct decisions can survive and pass on their genes. While they are known to be conscious (i.e., self-aware) as we are when making these decisions, much comes from instinct.

Interspecies Interactions
The game also highlights complex interspecies interactions. For example, in an urban setting, dogs rely on humans to procure food and water. While some rely on human waste, others rely on people who feed dogs. This is an example of interspecies interaction. A lot of the time, street dogs and humans will live in the form of a symbiotic relationship; the humans provide the dog with food, water and care, and the dogs will often protect a housing society or a house from or alert residents of intruders.

However, in most cases, this relationship evolves well past the simplistic nature of symbiotic relationships. Dogs and humans often also have mutualistic and positive interactions that affect their psychological health as well. There can also be negative interactions due to aggression from either party.

Analysing Risk and Reward
Animal activity tends to shadow a pattern, perfected through experiences (and natural selection) that maximises resource utilisation and rewards while simultaneously minimising risk. As the players move through their turns, they start to learn from their previous experiences and make choices that maximise the number of tokens they receive. This is influenced by the environment, the availability and distribution of food and dangers.

Territorial Nature
Dogs are territorial. They mark their territory, constituting locations with a steady source of food and water and defend it profusely against other dogs.

Pack Nature
The benefit of belonging to a pack in the game loosely represents the benefit of being in a pack for a dog. By becoming a part of a pack, the dog will have a more reliable source of food and water. By not losing food and water tokens per turn, the game shows that a dog in a pack can easily regain used-up resources, as the pack will have access to reliable food and water sources.

PRANAV PRABHU

Integrated Master of Science in Life Sciences
Class of 2028

Game Concept and Mechanics

Pranav is an inquisitive and industrious college student with a background in Life Sciences, interested in interdisciplinary applications that use science as a basis for problem solving, with experience in writing, communications, marketing, and public speaking. He wishes to work on projects that nurture creative thinking and scientific methods.

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