Kellia - The Risk of the Desert

“Kellia” and “Koinobia” are cooperative strategy games developed and illustrated by the brothers of the Taizé community, inspired by the lives of the desert fathers and mothers. They combine spirituality, mutual aid, and ecology. The games were initially developed within the community and then tested multiple times by sharing them with friends and visitors who provided feedback. After this long phase of revision, the rules were established and written down, after which the graphics were created.

Kellia:

Abba Sisoës said to a brother:
– How are you?
– I am wasting my days.
– Even if I waste a day, I am grateful.
In the fourth century AD, a handful of men and women seeking the Absolute move into the desert in a remote area of Egypt, into small huts (Kellia) on the edge of a village.
But life in the desert is anything but easy! Everyone must provide for their material survival, accept the risks of a hostile place, cultivate the land, and above all – for those who would become the first Christian hermits – fight against their own demons.
But for these people, who would become the first Christian hermits, it will be the setting for a captivating adventure.

Koinobia:

Koinobia is a strategic, simple, and fascinating journey into the life of the monastic communities founded by Abba Pachomius in Egypt.
Living in community on the banks of the Nile. That was the surprising idea of some men and women in the fourth century in Egypt.
Inspired by the young Pachomius, they settled in an abandoned village that gradually came back to life. Their example inspired others to do the same.
Thus, the first Koinobia emerged: places where people left everything behind to live the Gospel together.

But could all these different characters, living in close quarters – ever work?
The seasons come and go. Moods change. Living together with neighbors becomes difficult. Would everyone’s desire for harmony be enough? The loss of one person would be a failure for all. Would it prove to be a joyful adventure or lead to a certain disaster?

https://www.taize.fr/en/koinobia