Turf is a fun, easy-to-play strategy game set on a map of anyplace you choose – a web-based game that brings neighbors together in the real world.

The first game of Turf was created by Gabe Smedresman at Yale University in January 2007, and lasted 40 days. Called Old Campus Tree Risk at the time, it was a strategy game and would-be art piece, where the board was the freshman quad, each residential building formed a team, every student could be a player, and trees flew with banners reflected the state of the game.

The Yale Daily News: “Students hazard all in campus Risk game”

Old Campus Tree Risk was a tremendous success: 62% of undergraduates played – 3300 people, many of them playing an online multiplayer game for the very first time. Gabe released the code behind the game open-source, and Harvard ran a thrilling game a few weeks later: alliance, betrayal, hacking, bribery, and several Youtube videos ensued.

The Harvard Crimson: “Houses Compete in Bid For ‘Risk’ Supremacy”

Wall Street Journal: “Facebook Ignites Entrepreneurial Spirit at Harvard”

The game was mentioned by Bill Clinton (!) at his 2007 Harvard Class Day address.

Turf followed up its successful first season with games at Reed College, Olin, Stanford, and Harvard.

Harvard Independent: “Winner Take All”

Stanford Daily: “StanfordTurf invades campus”