HOST

Funding programme

Erasmus+ KA220-VET – Cooperation Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training

Project reference

2022-1-CY01-KA220-VET-000086365

Period

2022–2024

Coordinating organisation

DEKAPLUS BUSINESS SERVICES LTD, Cyprus

Participating countries

Cyprus, Denmark, Latvia, Netherlands, Austria

Official project website

Visit official website

HOST aimed to improve the professional inclusion, development and retention of autistic employees in the hospitality sector through vocational education, inclusive management practices and an original cooperative educational board game.

The project addressed the needs of both autistic and non-autistic employees, recognising that successful workplace inclusion requires appropriate organisational support, communication and mutual understanding.

Specific learning objectives

• Autism awareness and understanding: Increase knowledge of autism and neurodiversity among hospitality managers, human resources professionals, trainers and employees, while challenging common stereotypes and misconceptions.
• Inclusive employment practices: Develop understanding of the organisational conditions, reasonable accommodations and management practices that can support autistic employees in hospitality workplaces.
• Communication and interpersonal skills: Encourage clear communication, active listening, constructive feedback and mutual understanding between colleagues with different communication preferences and support needs.
• Workplace problem-solving: Explore realistic hospitality situations involving guest interactions, work organisation, unexpected changes and professional responsibilities.
• Perspective-taking: Help participants consider situations from the perspectives of different employees, managers and other workplace stakeholders.
• Teamwork and social inclusion: Strengthen collaboration among neurodiverse teams and encourage workplace environments in which all employees can participate and contribute.
• Job-specific competence: Support reflection on professional situations associated with front-office services, administration, restaurants, kitchens and housekeeping.
• Management competence: Equip hospitality managers and HR professionals with knowledge about inclusive recruitment, employee development, workplace adaptation, change management and support mechanisms.
• Facilitator competence: Provide VET educators and workplace trainers with practical resources for discussing inclusion and facilitating game-based learning.
• Sustainable employment: Contribute to more supportive working environments, professional development opportunities and the long-term retention of autistic employees.

Intended learning outcomes

HOST sought to increase autism awareness, improve workplace communication, encourage collaborative problem-solving and strengthen the capacity of hospitality organisations to create inclusive working environments.

These are intended educational and organisational outcomes. The publicly reviewed materials do not establish their achievement through controlled measurements of learning, employment or workplace inclusion.

HOST developed an original cooperative discussion board game designed to promote mutual understanding, autism awareness and collaborative problem-solving in the hospitality workplace.

Game developed: HOST Board Game

The game was designed by the Dutch company 8D Games in collaboration with the Erasmus+ partnership and representatives of its intended users.

Its central educational mechanism involves discussing realistic workplace situations and dilemmas from different perspectives rather than competing to obtain an individual victory.

Documented game characteristics

• Cooperative discussion: The game prioritises mutual understanding and collective reflection, without winners, losers or player elimination.
• Realistic workplace scenarios: Situation cards present practical and interpersonal dilemmas associated with everyday work in hospitality environments.
• Perspective-taking: Fictional characters and workplace settings encourage participants to consider how different people may experience and interpret the same situation.
• Scenario-based problem-solving: Participants explore possible responses to workplace challenges and discuss their implications for colleagues, customers and the organisation.
• Reflection questions: Additional cards encourage participants to explain their reasoning, consider alternative responses and reflect on interpersonal communication.
• Structured progression: The designers prioritised a clear, linear and step-by-step format to facilitate participation.
• Shared participation: All members of the team receive the same types of questions and assignments, avoiding the isolation or singling out of autistic participants.

Workplace contexts represented

The development documentation describes six fictional hotels of different sizes and characteristics, providing varied organisational contexts for the scenarios.

Situations were developed for several hospitality departments:

• Front office: Guest communication, reservations and social interactions.
• Back office: Administrative responsibilities, organisation and problem-solving.
• Restaurant: Customer service, orders and dietary requirements.
• Kitchen: Multitasking, work organisation and sensory considerations.
• Housekeeping: Routine, precision, task organisation and workplace expectations.

Fictional characters

The design process included characters representing different ages, backgrounds, professional positions and personal characteristics. Their purpose is to support identification and facilitate reflection on situations from more than one perspective.

Game approach: Custom-Designed Educational Games.

Primary audience: Hospitality employees, including autistic and non-autistic workers, managers, HR professionals and workplace trainers.

Format: Original physical cooperative board/discussion game supported by scenario cards and reflection questions.

Languages: English, Greek, Latvian, Danish and German.

Availability: The official project website provides a downloadable archive of game files for local printing and offers the possibility of contacting 8D Games for further information.

Technical specifications: An independently verified final rulebook specifying participant numbers, playing time, complete components and detailed turn structure was not available during this review.

Digital version: Although the original project description mentioned digital gaming possibilities, the reviewed final documentation confirms the physical game and printable files. A separate playable digital implementation was not independently verified.

Games developed: One original cooperative workplace discussion board game, the HOST Board Game.

HOST combines a cooperative, scenario-based Board Game-Based Learning approach with a broader vocational education methodology designed to improve inclusion and professional development in the hospitality industry.

The board game acts as a structured conversation tool, while the complementary VET methodology and course provide wider organisational and professional training.

Board Game-Based Learning approach

The original game was developed through a user-centred design process involving workplace research, consultation with target groups and collaboration between the game designers and project partners.

Its core methodological principles are:

• Inclusive participation: Both autistic and non-autistic participants engage with the same questions and assignments, avoiding the identification of one group as the sole focus of the activity.
• Cooperation rather than competition: The game uses a collective approach without winners, losers or early player elimination.
• Realistic workplace dilemmas: Scenarios encourage discussion of situations that may arise in hospitality organisations.
• Perspective-taking: Fictional characters and different hotel settings allow participants to consider alternative experiences and organisational viewpoints.
• Structured progression: The game was designed to follow an accessible, linear sequence with clear steps.
• Reflection-oriented dialogue: Scenario and question cards encourage participants to explore possible responses, communication needs and opportunities for mutual support.

Facilitation and reflection

The project presents the board game as a means of creating constructive conversations about workplace inclusion, personal experiences and professional dilemmas.

Facilitators can use the scenarios to encourage participants to identify different needs, describe possible responses and discuss how communication or working arrangements might be improved.

The use of fictional characters offers participants the opportunity to discuss sensitive situations indirectly, without being required to disclose their own personal experiences.

Question cards create opportunities for reflection during gameplay. However, the publicly reviewed sources do not establish a single mandatory post-game debriefing protocol or a standardised educational assessment procedure.

Complementary HOST VET methodology

The broader methodology was informed by interviews with hospitality managers and identifies five principal training areas:

1. General Information About the Autism Spectrum: Understanding autism, workplace diversity, reasonable accommodations, inclusion and misconceptions.
2. Interaction with and Among All Staff: Communication, constructive feedback, motivation, task explanations, goal-setting and social inclusion.
3. Change Management: Planning organisational changes, adjusting working procedures, managing resources and supporting neurodiverse teams.
4. Support Management: Developing inclusive workplace environments, supporting employees, creating training measures and introducing serious games and gamification.
5. Evaluation and Monitoring: Assessing workplace adaptations, employee development, job satisfaction and the effectiveness of organisational support measures.

Training delivery

The VET methodology recommends flexible, modular learning and short learning units that can be accessed according to participants’ professional needs and available time.

It also emphasises practical examples, opportunities for reflection and the application of learning within real workplace situations.

Relationship between game design and learning objectives

The game directly connects its cooperative discussion format with objectives involving mutual understanding, workplace communication and inclusive problem-solving.

Scenario cards provide authentic professional contexts, while fictional characters and reflection questions encourage perspective-taking and consideration of different responses.

The broader educational impact depends on the quality of the discussions and on whether organisations translate insights from gameplay into practical workplace arrangements.

Methodological documentation status

The game’s design principles and development process are well documented. However, a complete independently verified final rulebook is required to assess its exact game sequence, session duration and facilitation instructions.

HOST was implemented through an Erasmus+ cooperation partnership involving six organisations from Cyprus, Denmark, Latvia, the Netherlands and Austria.

The project combined a needs analysis in the hospitality sector, the development of a vocational education methodology, the creation of an original cooperative board game, professional training resources and international dissemination activities.

Documented implementation activities

• Needs analysis: The consortium conducted 78 interviews with hospitality managers across the participating countries to investigate existing knowledge, organisational practices and training needs concerning the employment of autistic staff.
• Needs analysis findings: The methodological report indicates that 82% of surveyed managers reported some familiarity with autism. It also identified gaps in knowledge, uncertainty about workplace adjustments and practical constraints affecting participation in training.
• Participatory game development: 8D Games collaborated with project partners and intended users to identify the needs, preferences and design characteristics relevant to an inclusive workplace discussion game.
• Scenario development: The consortium developed fictional hotel settings, workplace characters, realistic scenario cards and reflection questions addressing situations across several hospitality departments.
• Transnational development activities: Project meetings in Cyprus, Latvia and Austria supported coordination, the exchange of expertise and the development and testing of the educational resources.
• Prototype testing: Partners tested game mechanics during project meetings, including the fourth transnational meeting in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, reported in October 2024.
• VET methodology: BEST coordinated the development of a vocational education methodology informed by the needs analysis and designed for hospitality managers and HR professionals.
• Training curriculum: The consortium prepared five professional training modules addressing autism awareness, workplace interaction, change management, support management, and evaluation and monitoring.
• Dissemination: Project partners presented the educational approach and resources through professional events, institutional communication and online project materials.
• Pilot use: The game developer reports that a limited number of pilot copies were being used by partner organisations working directly with the intended target group.

Evaluation approach

The project incorporated needs assessment, stakeholder consultation, formative game design and practical testing.

The initial 78 interviews provided information for the development of the training methodology. These interviews were conducted before or during the development process and should not be interpreted as an impact evaluation of the completed game.

Game development involved feedback on the proposed format, design principles, workplace scenarios and gameplay mechanics.

Partner publications also document prototype testing and the use of pilot copies in organisations working with the intended participants.

Available evidence

The available sources establish that the consortium produced the cooperative discussion game, developed the VET methodology and training materials, and conducted needs analysis and formative testing.

However, the publicly reviewed documents do not provide consolidated quantitative results demonstrating that the game improved workplace communication, mutual understanding, professional skills, job satisfaction or employment retention.

Detailed information about pilot sample sizes, game-session frequency, validated learning measures and longitudinal follow-up was not identified.

Evidence classification: Documented needs analysis, user-centred educational game development, formative testing and limited pilot implementation. Quantitative evidence of educational or organisational effectiveness has not been established from the publicly reviewed sources.

Evaluation limitations

The 78 managerial interviews constitute preliminary research informing the intervention, not evidence of its effectiveness.

Likewise, prototype testing and pilot implementation demonstrate practical development and use but do not establish measurable improvements in learning or workplace inclusion.

Further evaluation would require transparent reporting of participant characteristics, appropriate outcome measures, pre- and post-intervention comparisons, and follow-up data on workplace practices and employee experiences.

Project status: Completed in October 2024 according to the period reported by project partner BEST.

HOST developed a collection of vocational education resources intended to strengthen autism-inclusive practices in hospitality organisations and support the professional development of managers, HR specialists, trainers and employees.

Available resources

• HOST Board Game: An original cooperative workplace discussion game using fictional hospitality settings, realistic scenario cards and reflection questions to promote mutual understanding and inclusive problem-solving.
• Printable Game Files: The official project website provides a downloadable archive of game files intended for local printing. Physical copies may also be requested through the game development partner, 8D Games.
• HOST VET Methodology: A methodological document coordinated by BEST, based on interviews with hospitality managers and focused on the training needs associated with inclusive employment.
• HOST VET Course Curriculum: A structured professional training framework for hospitality managers, human resources specialists and vocational educators.
• Module 1 – General Information About the Autism Spectrum: Educational material addressing autism awareness, misconceptions, workplace diversity and reasonable accommodations.
• Module 2 – Interaction with and Among All Staff: Training resources covering communication, feedback, motivation, goal-setting and inclusive teamwork.
• Module 3 – Change Management: Resources for planning organisational changes, adapting procedures and managing the introduction of more inclusive workplace practices.
• Module 4 – Support Management: Guidance on supporting autistic employees, developing inclusive work environments and integrating serious games and gamification into professional development.
• Module 5 – Evaluation and Monitoring: Resources addressing performance appraisal, workplace adaptation, employee satisfaction and the monitoring of inclusion-related practices.
• Additional Training Tools: Complementary resources associated with the VET curriculum, available through the official course page.
• Multilingual Materials: The project provides resources in English, Greek, Latvian, Danish and German, with additional Dutch materials listed for selected training content.
• Project Documentation: Articles describing game development, participatory design, character creation, workplace inclusion and international implementation activities.

Accessibility and transferability

The combination of printable game files, multilingual vocational training resources and a modular educational methodology supports potential replication in hospitality companies, VET centres and professional development activities.

The game’s cooperative format is intended to enable participation by entire workplace teams, rather than isolating autistic employees as a separate training group.

The VET course’s modular structure also allows managers and trainers to select relevant topics according to organisational needs and available time.

Resource availability and licensing

The official project website advertises downloadable game files and training documents. However, the complete contents of the game archive were not independently inspected during this review.

No explicit reuse licence covering all physical game components was verified. Public availability of printable files should therefore not automatically be interpreted as permission for unrestricted modification or commercial redistribution.

Replicability limitations

Although the project provides the game and complementary professional training resources, detailed information on the final game rules, required facilitation time and standardised session evaluation remains insufficiently documented in the accessible sources reviewed.

HOST represents a distinctive example of purpose-designed Board Game-Based Learning applied to workplace inclusion, neurodiversity and professional development in the hospitality sector.

Its principal methodological contribution lies in using a cooperative discussion game to make workplace dilemmas accessible for collective reflection, rather than relying on individual competition or the assessment of participants’ personal characteristics.

Methodological strengths

1. User-centred and participatory design. The development process incorporated research with intended users, workplace needs analysis and collaboration between game designers and organisations with expertise in autism and vocational training.
2. Clear connection with authentic professional situations. The game uses realistic hospitality scenarios rather than generic social-skills exercises. This provides opportunities to discuss situations that may arise in front-office services, administration, restaurants, kitchens and housekeeping.
3. Cooperative rather than competitive structure. The absence of winners, losers and player elimination is consistent with the project’s objective of promoting mutual understanding and constructive workplace relationships.
4. Inclusive participation design. All team members receive the same types of questions and assignments. This reduces the risk of singling out autistic employees and reinforces the idea that workplace inclusion is a shared responsibility.
5. Perspective-taking through fictional scenarios. Characters and workplace situations allow participants to examine different viewpoints without necessarily requiring personal disclosure. This is particularly valuable when discussing potentially sensitive professional experiences.
6. Structured and accessible interaction. The designers prioritised a clear, linear and step-by-step format, recognising the importance of usability and predictability when creating an intervention for a diverse group of participants.
7. Integration of reflection into gameplay. Scenario and question cards provide opportunities to discuss communication preferences, possible misunderstandings, organisational expectations and alternative ways of responding to workplace challenges.
8. Connection with organisational training. The game is supported by a broader vocational education methodology addressing awareness, communication, management practices, organisational change and employee support.
9. Multilingual and practical transferability. The availability of game files and training resources in multiple languages supports adaptation and implementation in other European hospitality settings.

Methodological limitations

1. Risk of oversimplifying neurodiversity.

Although fictional characters and scenarios facilitate discussion, autism encompasses diverse experiences, abilities, communication preferences and support needs. Educational activities should avoid suggesting that a single character or scenario represents all autistic employees.

The game should therefore be used to explore possibilities and encourage dialogue, rather than to establish universal assumptions about how autistic people think or behave.

2. Perspective-taking does not automatically guarantee understanding.

Discussing a situation from another person’s perspective can encourage reflection, but it does not necessarily reproduce that person’s lived experience.

Facilitators should avoid treating players’ interpretations as authoritative descriptions of autism and should encourage consultation with the individuals concerned.

3. Individual skills and organisational responsibility must be distinguished.

Improving interpersonal communication is relevant to inclusion, but workplace barriers may also arise from unclear procedures, inaccessible environments, inflexible management practices or inadequate accommodations.

A successful educational intervention should therefore address organisational change rather than place responsibility for adaptation exclusively on autistic employees.

4. Learning depends on the quality of facilitation.

The cooperative discussion format creates opportunities for reflection, but participants may reproduce stereotypes or reinforce existing assumptions if conversations are not facilitated carefully.

Facilitators should establish respectful participation guidelines, avoid pressuring participants to disclose personal information and connect discussions with evidence-informed inclusion practices.

5. Practical effects on workplace behaviour remain uncertain.

Even when a discussion produces valuable insights, there is no guarantee that participants or managers will apply them consistently in their working environment.

Transfer requires follow-up actions, organisational commitment and appropriate monitoring.

6. Educational effectiveness has not been established quantitatively.

The project reports needs analysis, participatory development, prototype testing and limited pilot use. However, the publicly available sources do not provide sufficient quantitative evidence to establish improvements in workplace inclusion, communication, employee wellbeing or job retention attributable to the game.

Ludus Magnus assessment

HOST offers a valuable example of how a cooperative tabletop game can be designed to facilitate dialogue about sensitive and complex workplace challenges.

Its methodological strengths are particularly evident in the alignment between the game’s non-competitive structure, shared participation and the project’s objectives of mutual understanding and inclusion.

The use of realistic hospitality scenarios provides a practical foundation for discussing communication and collaboration, while the accompanying VET methodology situates the game within a broader framework of professional development and organisational responsibility.

For educational replication, Ludus Magnus recommends using the game with appropriately trained facilitators, establishing clear participation and confidentiality guidelines, ensuring that personal disclosure remains voluntary, and connecting the discussion outcomes with concrete workplace improvement actions.

Future research should evaluate the effects of the game on mutual understanding, communication practices, perceptions of workplace inclusion and the adoption of reasonable accommodations.

Longitudinal assessment and the participation of autistic employees in the evaluation process would be particularly valuable for determining whether the intervention produces meaningful and sustainable organisational changes.

Independence of assessment

HOST was developed by an external European consortium. This appraisal by Ludus Magnus is based on publicly available project documentation, the published vocational education methodology, the game developer’s design description and consortium reports.

It does not constitute direct observation of the complete educational intervention or an independent experimental evaluation of its effectiveness.