Quandary - VCE Philosophy Camp

By Dave Hughes

The bell rang and students entered a new world. No longer students going to school, they were citizens of a faction colonizing a new planet. The problem was that resources were scarce and there was a rival faction willing to do whatever it takes to ensure survival. Odyssey versus Vanguard, black versus red. Only one faction would come out victorious. 

The ultimate aim of Quandary was to earn the most gold for your faction. The losing faction would be faced with the shocking reality of having to carry the winning faction’s gear all the way home on foot. Each faction competed in a series of quests to earn gold. Some quests were physical, others strategic, and still others ethical dilemmas that had to be solved and justified. 

Each faction was comprised of different roles with varying amounts of gold and special abilities. The captain motivated their faction, the vice-regent controlled the money and the commander controlled the armed forces. The high-priest fostered spirituality in their faction, the scientist was in charge of research and development, the engineer oversaw building and construction and the peasants did all the farming, building, serving and cleaning. Every step was a political action and could provoke vengeance from their enemy, so factions had to be strategic about when they used their abilities. Destabilising the opposition's political hierarchy, taking members of the opposing faction prisoner or travelling back in time to reverse the results of a quest could have a civilisation shaping impact.