Make the Future Now

Make the Future Now

How to Play

1. Form a group of 2-6 players. Shuffle the deck and deal 12 cards to each player.

2. Starting with the dealer, each player places one card of a different suit on the game board until the game board is full.

3. The player placing a VALUE card selects which of the two values listed on the card is in play.

4. If a player cannot contribute a card, draw and discard new cards until he or she is able.

5. WILDCARDS can be played at any time by any player, but only one per round.

6. Once the board is full, the assembled cards create a design prompt: What scenarios could the combination of concepts in these cards produce? Players have 2 minutes to create a scenario (story or event) or artifact from the future (product or service) inspired by the design prompt. These can take the form of a written description and/or a sketch.

7. Players share their scenario or artifact and vote for their favorite. The player with the most voted-for idea is the winner of the round and keeps all the cards. Whoever has earned the most cards when play ends wins the game.

8. Play a few rounds to warm up your imagination before keeping score.

9. Share your favorite ideas with the IFTF community by tagging with #futurenow

Make the Future Now

Card Types

Use this card deck with IFTF’s research on Reconfiguring Reality: Toward an Internet of Actions.

STR ATEGIES | Ways we will deploy bots and machines to take action in the world. Together, four strategies will give us all the capacity to reconfigure reality and move toward an Internet of Actions.

VALUES | Priorities that we will encode in billions of bots and machines. Values also confront us with design choices about what we want from technology.

OB JECTS | Material things that can be enlisted to take action in the world. Think of these intelligent things as the protagonist of your story, the focal point for revealing unexpected possibilities.

TERR AINS | The business, social, or civic context for reconfiguring reality that gives meaning and purpose to your future stories.

WILDCARDS | Happen at any time and require flexibility and improvisation.

S T R AT E G Y

animating objects and

environmentsinfuse | anticipate | visualize | orchestrate

S T R AT E G Y

animating objects and

environmentsinfuse | anticipate | visualize | orchestrate

S T R AT E G Y

animating objects and

environmentsinfuse | anticipate | visualize | orchestrate

S T R AT E G Y

animating objects and

environmentsinfuse | anticipate | visualize | orchestrate

S T R AT E G Y

animating objects and

environmentsinfuse | anticipate | visualize | orchestrate

S T R AT E G Y

animating objects and

environmentsinfuse | anticipate | visualize | orchestrate

S T R AT E G Y

manipulating matter

model | make | swarm | route

S T R AT E G Y

manipulating matter

model | make | swarm | route

S T R AT E G Y

manipulating matter

model | make | swarm | route

S T R AT E G Y

manipulating matter

model | make | swarm | route

S T R AT E G Y

manipulating matter

model | make | swarm | route

S T R AT E G Y

manipulating matter

model | make | swarm | route

S T R AT E G Y

encoding human activity

embed | execute | rebalance | remix

S T R AT E G Y

encoding human activity

embed | execute | rebalance | remix

S T R AT E G Y

encoding human activity

embed | execute | rebalance | remix

S T R AT E G Y

encoding human activity

embed | execute | rebalance | remix

S T R AT E G Y

encoding human activity

embed | execute | rebalance | remix

S T R AT E G Y

encoding human activity

embed | execute | rebalance | remix

S T R AT E G Y

altering human

perceptionsimmerse | illuminate | control | influence

S T R AT E G Y

altering human

perceptionsimmerse | illuminate | control | influence

S T R AT E G Y

altering human

perceptionsimmerse | illuminate | control | influence

S T R AT E G Y

altering human

perceptionsimmerse | illuminate | control | influence

S T R AT E G Y

altering human

perceptionsimmerse | illuminate | control | influence

S T R AT E G Y

altering human

perceptionsimmerse | illuminate | control | influence

V A L U E

anticipationsurprise

V A L U E

languorvitality

V A L U E

criticismencouragement

V A L U E

hatelove

V A L U E

competitioncooperation

V A L U E

integrationisolation

V A L U E

durabilitydisposability

V A L U E

transformationreinforcement

V A L U E

conformitydiversity

V A L U E

uniformityoriginality

V A L U E

painpleasure

V A L U E

punishmentreward

V A L U E

securityfreedom

V A L U E

anxietycalm

V A L U E

suspiciontrust

V A L U E

publicprivate

V A L U E

fearhope

V A L U E

indifferenceempathy

V A L U E

independenceintimacy

V A L U E

comfortspeed

V A L U E

enmityequity

V A L U E

exclusivityinclusivity

V A L U E

redundancyefficiency

V A L U E

shamedignity

V A L U E

familiaritynovelty

V A L U E

communityindividuality

O B J E C T

weapon

O B J E C T

billboard

O B J E C T

clothing

O B J E C T

snack

O B J E C T

sign

O B J E C T

ticket

O B J E C T

relic

O B J E C T

poster

O B J E C T

magazine

O B J E C T

game

O B J E C T

packaging

O B J E C T

tattoo

O B J E C T

table

O B J E C T

slogan

O B J E C T

monument

O B J E C T

logo

O B J E C T

beverage

O B J E C T

vehicle

O B J E C T

tool

O B J E C T

law

O B J E C T

company

O B J E C T

souvenir

O B J E C T

contract

O B J E C T

door

O B J E C T

appliance

O B J E C T

toy

T E R R A I N

war

T E R R A I N

gender

T E R R A I N

pets

T E R R A I N

childhood

T E R R A I N

work

T E R R A I N

theater

T E R R A I N

religion

T E R R A I N

agriculture

T E R R A I N

food

T E R R A I N

election

T E R R A I N

transportation

T E R R A I N

community

T E R R A I N

sports

T E R R A I N

court

T E R R A I N

store

T E R R A I N

memory

T E R R A I N

family

T E R R A I N

fashion

T E R R A I N

entertainment

T E R R A I N

forest

T E R R A I N

health

T E R R A I N

classroom

T E R R A I N

street

T E R R A I N

home

T E R R A I N

protest

T E R R A I N

oceans

W I L D C A R D

strategyFour strategies

(individually or in combination) will reconfigure reality and move us

toward an Internet of Actions

Add ONE additional STRATEGY card to the game

W I L D C A R D

strategyFour strategies

(individually or in combination) will reconfigure reality and move us

toward an Internet of Actions

Play all FOUR STRATEGY cards in this round of the game

W I L D C A R D

objectAn Internet of Actions

is a future of many objects and environments orchestrated

to reconfigure reality and generate new value

Add ONE additional OBJECT card to the game.

W I L D C A R D

objectAn Internet of Actions

is a future of many objects and environments orchestrated

to reconfigure reality and generate new value

Add TWO additional OBJECT cards to the game.

W I L D C A R D

time horizonSometimes the future is already here

and can be seen today; the future may also take 10 or

more years to unfold

Set your time horizonShort-Term

something we can prototype today

Mid-Term evolution beyond what we can make today

Long-Term emerging possibilities beyond the next decade

W I L D C A R D

autonomyBalancing autonomy will be a critical

design choice in an Internet of Actions

Set the Level of Autonomy:

0: No Automation 1: Machine Assitance 2: Partial Control 3: Conditional Control 4: High Automation 5: Full Automation

CreditsThis game takes inspiration from Situation Lab’s The Thing From the Future.

About Institute for the FutureInstitute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) strategic research and educational organization celebrating nearly 50 years of forecasting experience. The core of our work is identifying emerging trends and discontinuities that will transform global society and the global marketplace. Our research generates the foresight needed to create insights that lead to action and spans a broad territory of deeply transformative futures, from health and health-care to technology, the workplace, learning, and human identity. Institute for the Future is based in Palo Alto, California. www.iftf.org

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | 2017 Institute for the Future.