A Fallacy Detective Board Game

Lydia in Ontario is having fun with a Fallacy Detective board game she invented called "Portals."



For 2-4 players, ages 12 and up.

Purpose: The purpose of Portals is to teach the basics of logic in a simple and fun environment.

Contents: Game board, playing pieces, dice, and cards.

Object: The object of Portals is to get to the destination star before anyone else does. The player to reach the destination star first is the winner. The idea is to stay on the logic track because the logic track has fewer spaces. A player who stays on the logic track can get to the destination star before his opponents. The player to reach the destination star first is the winner.

On your Turn: On each player’s turn he or she rolls the dice and moves that many spaces ahead, and this shows the player what color he has landed on. The color corresponds with the four fallacy corners of the board. The four fallacies are Assumptions, Avoiding the Question, Propaganda, and Statistical Fallacies. The player takes a card of that color from the corresponding pile.

Example Card: Whole-to-Part. Is this a weak analogy? "A cloud is 90% water. A watermelon is 90% water. Therefore, since a plane can fly through a cloud, a plane can fly through a watermelon."

Answer: Yes

The player answering the question will receive a definition to go with that fallacy to assist in answering the question.

The Portal questions can be answered on any color as well as on a star. If the player is able to answer the question correctly he is able to “portal over” to the logic track. If a player gets a portal question on the logic track, he may move ahead to the nearest same color to what he is on, but the player is not permitted to answer that question until his next turn. If the player gets a question wrong he then moves to the closest same colored square nearest to him on the fallacy track. If the player gets a question right on the fallacy track he cannot move to the logic track unless he has answered correctly a random Portal question from the corresponding colored fallacy corner. If he lands on a star the player may pick whichever card he chooses. If he can answer it correctly, he may “Portal” his way over to the nearest square on the logic track. The next person will than take his turn.

Lydia, who created the game, says: "I had to do this as a final project in my logic class. People like it because it is a fun twisted version of Cranium."

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Site Comments

1 • M • September 26, 2009 • 12:44 PM

Hello.  Is the Portals game for sale?  Thanks

2 • leighann evans • October 01, 2009 • 9:47 AM

how do i get to play this game if i want ot play.

3 • Lydia • November 25, 2009 • 4:25 PM

Hello,
If you would like to order Portals email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Thanks,
Lydia 😊

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