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The Policy Board Game
Want to experience 'Churn'?
Ever wondered why great ideas get lost in the maze of government policy-making? Churn puts you right at the heart of that challenge.
Churn is a fast-paced, immersive board game that takes you inside the unpredictable world of policy design, delivery, and disruption. Players take on the role of civil servants, juggling political capital, resources, and competing priorities, all while trying to deliver a successful policy outcome before the system… well, churns.
It’s fun, frustrating, and fiercely realistic. Whether you’re a researcher, policymaker, civil servant, or funder, Churn helps you experience the strategic trade-offs, hidden costs, and bureaucratic hurdles that shape real-world policy success (and failure).
Come play, learn, and rethink how policy really gets made!
Is policy making so opaque?
Researchers share their honest experiences about their challenges when trying to demystify and understanding the policy making process! How to convert research evidence into policy soundbites?
Invest in the mindset!
With your support we can continue to develop the game to make this an accessible resource to wider audiences and to expand the knowledge base for expanding to relevant policies and potential digitisation of the game.
Meet the Team
The powerhouse team that resurrected policy training - taking it from death by PowerPoint to life by play!
Churn! Co-Designer (Game Concept & Experience)
Katie Thorpe
Katie is the Head of Learning and Development at the Institute for Government, a leading think tank improving how government works. Since joining in 2013, she has designed and delivered an extensive portfolio of workshops on government, policy-making, and leadership for diverse audiences, inclusive of MPs, public body chairs, international leaders, and academic researchers. She helps people navigate and engage effectively with government systems. Previously, Katie worked as a freelance learning consultant across public and private sectors, building leadership and organisational capacity by supporting them to build leadership and confidence. She also spent 13 years at Deloitte, first training as an auditor before joining the global learning group to develop professional learning programmes.
Churn! Co-Designer (Strategy & Implementation)
Dr Melissa Jogie
Dr Melissa Jogie is Director for Research Culture, Impact and Early Career Development and Associate Professor at the University of Roehampton. She is also the Founder and Director of Imposter Play Lab Ltd, a consultancy creating immersive training tools that empower researchers and leaders to build confidence and collaboration. A UKRI Policy Fellow and British Academy Innovation Fellow, she leads national initiatives on research culture, integrity, and impact. Her work bridges academia, policy, and practice—championing inclusive, values-driven environments that enable researchers to thrive and institutions to embed lasting, positive change across the higher education sector.
Churn! Producer
Jarvey Torres-Garzon
Jarvey is a Research Development and Knowledge Exchange Manager with an MRes in Infection and Immunity, combining scientific expertise with creativity and innovation. With experience across the NHS, academia, and the private sector, he bridges research and real-world application through engaging, accessible science communication. A bilingual scientific writer and consultant, he transforms complex ideas into inspiring narratives. As creator of Table Tales, an imaginative fictional and immersive roleplay series, Jarvey pioneers simulation-based learning that blends storytelling, world-building, and education. His work champions innovation across science and creativity, driving forward the next generation of research-inspired interactive experiences.