Mt Kilajava (2006)

Welcome to the world of Mt. Kilajava, the first board game from Christchurch-based Monsoon Games that combines the spirit of competitive gaming with a rare insight into the realities of global trade. You have arrived at the slopes of Mt Kilajava, a bare but fertile volcano, to establish a coffee farm. Your opponent arrives at the same moment, and has the same idea... The race is on! Who can successfully grow more coffee on the land available? This is a fun, strategy-based board game for two players. Unfolding events maintain the suspense until the very end - storms, eruptions and price crashes will claim a lot of coffee along the way. Mt. Kilajava also makes an important point; that for farmers in the developing world growing coffee is a very precarious occupation, and slumps in world coffee prices can and do have a catastrophic effect on the lives of millions of growers who are reliant on coffee for their income. With some skill, daring and a measure of good luck you can enjoy watching your opponent lose their coffee to plummeting world prices. On the way you will also gain an insight into the real story behind your double shot cappuccino. "Games first and foremost have to be fun to play, but I think they can also help us better understand and appreciate the world around us," says creator (and Trade Aid coffee buyer) Justin Purser.