Joplin Resident Has Sixth Sense

First posted on 12-14-2007

Ron Hutchison admits he is a board game fanatic. It’s no wonder, then, that the Joplin resident developed a unique psychological board game that he markets on his web site, http://www.sixth-sense-game.com.

Sixth Sense has also hit book and toy store shelves meeting with rave reviews from consumers and store owners alike. And, to take the game to the next level, Hutchison has come up with a television version that he plans to market to Hollywood producers this fall.

Sixth Sense Board Game Hutchison, who has an extensive writing background, spent a year jotting down literally thousands of questions to be used in Sixth Sense. He culled out enough to bring the total down to about 1500, then honed that number to the 500 questions the current version of the game contains.

“You could play the game for many hours without ever repeating a question,” Hutchison told us.

Sixth Sense explores players’ attitudes about scores of social and psychological topics like friendship, marriage, religion, work, love and patriotism – issues that have an impact on the modern human psyche.

An example of one of the questions:

What is the greatest motivator for adults?

A. Love
B. Hate
C. Fear
D. Money

To play the game, one’s power of insight is tasked. “The game can be played on two levels,” Hutchison told us. “On one level, the group of players would try to determine how the contestant who is asked this question might answer it.

“On a second level, players would also try to determine how a majority of the other game participants would answer the same question.”

Hutchison also pointed out, “There are no right or wrong answers to any of the questions. The game is in trying to predict the opinions of the other players. It’s a game of perception.”

Prior to creating Sixth Sense, which he began marketing in 2006, Hutchison was a public relations executive with Sun Oil Company of Philadelphia and then owned his own Joplin-based ad agency with transportation clients like CFI and Tri-States.

In 1999, Hutchison’s book, Santa Fe Crazy was published. “Writing has always been the hallmark of my background,” Hutchison said.

Much like Hutchison’s style and background, Sixth Sense is singularly unique - it is the only psychological board game on the market - because it taps into the emotional and behavioral characteristics of each player.

As Hutchison says, “It certainly isn’t your father’s board game.”

Check out more details about Sixth Sense at: http://www.sixth-sense-game.com