Create a Game

Pick a format, check the summary and create the room. Demand, cost and delay parameters already have recommended values.

Room name

A name to recognize the room on the facilitator screen.

Game format

Standard class 10 teams, 24 rounds, 90 s Quick demo 2 teams, 8 rounds, 30 s Custom You choose the values

Maximum teams 1–12

How many teams can compete in the same room. Each team needs four players: Farmer, Processor, Roaster, and Retailer.

Rounds 1–60

Total number of decision cycles before final results are shown.

Round duration seconds 10–600

How long players have to submit each order. If everyone submits early, the round can advance before the timer ends.

Advanced parameters Demand, starting inventory, maximum order, costs and delays. Show

Pipeline demand defaults to mean x 1. Maximum order defaults to mean x 10. Inventory defaults to mean x 1.55.

Demand mean 0–1,000

The main setup value. It is the average customer demand sampled each round. Initial pipeline demand defaults to this value, and initial inventory defaults to 1.55 times this value.

Demand std dev 0–1,000

Controls volatility around the mean. Low values create steady demand; high values create more spikes and make coordination harder.

Initial pipeline demand 0–1,000

The default order already flowing between stages before round 1 starts. This keeps the chain from beginning completely empty.

Initial inventory 0–10,000

Starting stock for each role. Higher inventory protects service levels but increases holding cost.

Maximum order quantity 0–100,000

The largest order a player can submit in one round. By default this is 10 times the demand mean: wide enough for panic orders (the bullwhip effect the game teaches), tight enough to catch typos.

Inventory cost 0–100

Cost charged per unit held in inventory at the end of a round.

Backlog cost 0–100

Cost charged per unfilled unit of demand at the end of a round.

Order-information delay 1–8

How many rounds it takes an order signal to reach the upstream role.

Shipment delay 1–8

How many rounds it takes physical coffee to arrive from the upstream role.

Demand Distribution Preview

The game samples non-negative integer customer demand from this normal distribution when the room is created.