Any good ideas for playing Hermann Hesse's "The Glass Bead Game"?

Answer 1

There's a Glass Bead Game wiki that has a lot of information about playable variants. Cool!

Answer 2

Have you actually read the book? There is no way one could play the game in any literal sense. I think the closest we could come in real life is to have an intriguing conversation with a well educated person about ideas in general in which we draw on all elements of the arts and intellectual life from various cultures throughout the ages.