Richterskala is a game of creating structures and seeing how well they withstand earthquakes. Game is played between two people (or two teams). Each team has a set of cards (0,0,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) and chooses 11 blocks. There is also a wooden "robot" for each team.
Rounds alternate between teams. On their "turn", a team lays down 1 or 2 cards facedown and chooses a number of bricks for the build. Each team then builds a structure with the stated number of bricks. The box is placed on the board blocking view of the building. The robot may be added in addition to the bricks. The team with the tallest structure before the earthquake gets a point. The card(s) are revealed, determining the strength of the earthquake. The rubber band mechanism is wound and released. The team with the tallest structure after the earthquake gets 3 points. If there is no clear difference in height, neither team scores. The other team then becomes the active team and you repeat.
Game continues until both sides run out of cards. It is possible for one team to be out of cards, thus leaving the other team to continue taking turns without alternating.
The game was apparently originally presented to a local geology group for demonstration purposes.