  Games can be a powerful tool for learning about statistical methodology.
Effective game design involves a fine balance between caricature and realism,
to simultaneously illustrate salient concepts in a controlled setting and serve
as a testament to real-world applicability. Striking that balance is
particularly challenging in response surface and design domains, where
real-world scenarios often play out over long time scales, during which
theories are revised, model and inferential techniques are improved, and
knowledge is updated. Here I present a game, borrowing liberally from one first
played over forty years ago, that attempts to achieve that balance while
reinforcing a cascade of topics in modern nonparametric response surfaces,
sequential design and optimization. The game embeds a blackbox simulation
within a shiny app whose interface is designed to simulate a realistic
information-availability setting, while offering a stimulating, competitive
environment wherein students can try out new methodology, and ultimately
appreciate its power and limitations. Interface, rules, timing with course
material, and evaluation are described, along with a "case study" involving a
cohort of students at Virginia Tech.
