Flashback: Anaryst, probably the world’s first IP board game

As part of our flashback series we look back to 2009, when Pravin Anand revealed Anaryst, “a board game that tries to replicate real life intellectual property”.

Complete with dice, moveable pieces, “Ana money” and uncannily compelling gameplay, Anaryst was two years in the making. “It’s gone through about six stages of evolution”, says Pravin Anand to Mint, HT Media’s daily business newspaper, as he explains some of the challenges of streamlining gameplay.

A number of goals were set out for the game, not least to inculcate an appreciation of intellectual property in students. If students gain a conscience about the function of intellectual property will it imbue value for the original creation, be it their own or another’s. The game was sold commercially but Pravin Anand was clear, if someone can’t afford it discount it or give it for free.

Anaryst’s gameplay teaches players the difference between different types of property, like copyright in music, patent in a car’s wiper system or an industrial design for the headlights. It includes elements of strategy too, such as players being able to decide whether they want to bunch all of their intellectual property together in one square ‘entity’ or spread it across various ‘factories’. Of course, licensing, cross-licensing and infringement concepts are introduced too.

Once you’re done with Anaryst, how about a little IPMAN.