Paperclips and opinion dynamics in Delft

In August Shaoni Wang (University of Groningen) led the ActIPLEx game-based workshop at the Social Simulation Conference 2025 in Delft: “Gaming Polarisation: Insights from Paper Clips and Simulations.”.
As Shaoni puts it: “The idea is simple yet powerful: we turned paper clips and rulers into a hands-on game to simulate how people exchange opinions, and paired it with computer simulations to see how these interactions play out in society. The goal? To experience polarisation firsthand and inspire thoughtful, reflective discussions.”
The game shows the mechanisms behind the polarisation process in an engaging and thought-provoking manner. And at the same time, thanks to using an abstract example, we avoid entering heated discussions on today’s polarities.