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“The Board Game Inspired by a Broken System”
Cavity Sam from the children’s electronic board game Operation has died from a lack of proper healthcare.
To provoke conversation about the current healthcare system in the United States, One Club Member and Copywriter, Ted Masterson, worked with his friends Motion Designer, Ian Dickson, and Art Director, Austin Warnick, on a special edition board game: Operation: US Healthcare Edition.
This reimagined classic includes Cavity Sam’s gravestone, a game manual turned into a funeral program, and game pieces to place on Cavity Sam’s grave to express your condolences.
Ted shares the details of his project while encouraging a larger discussion.
Everyone remembers playing Operation as a kid, so what inspired you to create this rendition of the classic board game?
We were inspired by a uniquely American health issue that affects everyone, our pay-to-play healthcare system. The sad reality is that America spends the most on healthcare despite having worse outcomes compared to other developed countries. One of these outcomes is that Americans are mostly likely to die from treatable causes.
While healthcare reform was a hot-button issue during the 2020 presidential elections, this is hardly the case today. Our system didn’t get any better, just our acceptance of it did. Whether it’s today’s volatile job market that jeopardizes people’s employment-based healthcare, or the fact that America’s senior population is projected to double by 2050, now more than ever we need to move toward a better healthcare system.
Right now, this project is a concept to provoke conversation, but we intend to create a physical board game in the future.
What shocks you about our current healthcare in the US?
Americans spend nearly twice as much on healthcare compared to other developed countries, yet have a lower life expectancy.
“Americans spend nearly twice as much on healthcare compared to other developed countries, yet have a lower life expectancy.”
Why did you choose to focus on Cavity Sam?
The board game Operation was first produced in 1965, meaning Cavity Sam would fall into the age group of 55-64. And for this age range the third most common cause of death is lack of healthcare coverage. These are preventable deaths that disproportionately affect an aging American population.
Talk to me about the game pieces you redesigned.
We replaced all the original game pieces with items that people use to remember the deceased, such as portraits and candles.
What were some of the reactions when you shared your project publicly?
Our goal for this project was to start a conversation. Loads of people have reached out to us after seeing the game on social media. Some even with their own healthcare woes.
We all consider ourselves lucky in that we have had no healthcare horror stories. That said, we have had a lot of experience paying out of pocket while students only for insurance to do so much.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a parody AI chatbot that helps people navigate love. It’s a bit more, or a lot more, light-hearted.
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