The story of Turf

The first game of Turf was played at Yale University in January through March, 2007. Called Old Campus Tree Risk at the time, it was a strategy game and would-be art piece, where the board was the freshman quad, each building was a team, every student could be a player, and trees flew with banners reflecting the state of the game. The game was a tremendous success: 62% of undergraduates -- 3300 people -- played. The code was released open-source, and Harvard ran a thrilling game a few weeks later: alliance, betrayal, hacking, bribery, and several Youtube videos all ensued.

Turf lives both online and in the real world.

The power of Turf is the very real strategy meetings, parties, communication networks, government structures, friendships, alliances and betrayals that emerge over the course of the game. We think this game is important because it brings together members of meaningful, already existing social groups, in the real world.

We're working to improve the gameplay, make more beautiful maps, and add features to better connect the communities that play Turf. We're always looking for new real-world elements to bring into the game, and ways to incorporate local businesses, schools and groups. If you want to run a great game for your community, any community, contact us!