Thinking about what to buy your friends and family for Christmas? How about Co-opoly, the wacky new board game that's the co-operative riposte to the capitalist, cut-throat jousting of Monopoly.
"It's brilliant," enthuses Kate Whittle from Co-operantics, the online co-op that teaches co-operative skills and who's overseeing teams playing Co-opoly amid the lunchtime bustle of Co-ops United.
"Co-opoly is an interactive board game that was launched last year in America which simulates daily working life in a co-operative and where the players have to co-operate to succeed," says Whittle.
So how does a board game help people understand what it's like to be in a co-op?
"When people come into co-operatives, especially if they're coming from a regular business background, they're used a to a hierarchical structure and a boss telling them what to do," explains Whittle.
"What Co-opoly does is teach the skills that people need to work in a democratically managed business such as good communication, dealing with conflict and team building."
To get started all team members are given characters, not a top hat or Scotty dog like in Monopoly, but instead you could be a recent immigrant sending money home, a single parent or a student at college.
The team then agrees on the name of the co-op they're working in and that's it, you're off.
"There are cards you can land on that relate to events that can happen to you in business, such as your suppliers going out of business, or the price of your materials going up," says Whittle. "As a team you then have to decide how to deal with these events, just like in real life."
The goal then – which would reduce Lord Sugar to a weeping wreck – isn't to make as much filthy lucre as possible like in Monopoly, but to stay in business long enough to launch another co-op.
"You either all win or lose," says Whittle. "You have no opponents, you're all working together which is why it's so good for teaching team-building skills."
And what did the teams playing Co-opoly think of it?
Nisha who had been playing with her two young boys, Ishan 8 and Ravi 11, was full of praise: "My two boys are normally very competitive all the time but the game made them listen to each other and work things out together," says Nisha. "It wasn't about winning individually it was about everyone winning, something that I think was really good for them to learn."
Ishan was equally keen: "It helps you understand that everything doesn't have to be about winning or losing, it's about working together."
Rachel and Nick and their three children aged 12, 11 and 9 also gave it the thumbs up: "We're all Monopoly nuts but still found the game to be really enjoyable and fun" says Rachel who happens to be on the management team of Busy Bee Toys, the UK's first community-owned co-op toy shop in Manchester. "It's great to play a game which has a collective aim."
The only downside was Co-opoly's eye-watering price of £50 which everyone agreed was beyond their budget. Then again it was suggested that people could always act in a true co-operative spirit and buy it together for Christmas.
To buy Co-opoly click here or watch the Co-opoly video here. Simon Birch was reporting back from recent Co-operatives United event in Manchester.
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