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Board games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history; some even predate literacy skill development in the earliest civilizations.A number of important historical sites, artifacts and documents exist which shed light on early board games. 3
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A expedition through the world of bagh aur bakri
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Packaging Project: Game Revival
Bagh aur Bakri 7
This document is prepared by Nidhi Singh Rathore Set in Sansita One and Caecilia Š Nidhi Singh Rathore
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Contents Untie.12 Prologue.18 Process.20 System.23 Approach.26 Plan.28 Acknowledegment.33
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Untie
how to use it? 2.1 The most interesting part of the game is that, the packet opens up in the game. It is in a form of small purse, which has all the pieces and manual of the game. 2.2 The purse is opened up on a flat surface, so that it can serve as the grid for the game. 2.3 The default positions of the pieces, 4 tigers and 16 goats. 2.4 With the packet one gets a customized coin, which helps them decide the teams. The small cubes are for goats and the flat cuboids for lions. 2.5 The manual is in the form of a scroll to give it an ethnic look.
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2.1
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2.5
Prologue
a brief introduction
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I wanted to work on a product, which is interesting and constructive. Especially for children and teenagers. I started from looking into milk packaging to games and then decided to work on this product. This packaging is more of an introduction of a tradition board game of Uttar Pradesh, India. It’s a strategy game named Bagh aur Bakri. This games have a lot of international versions so I was working on an Indian version for the international market.
The game of Bagh aur Bakri is played upon a square board consisting 8x8 grid with diagonal lines. Pieces are allowedto move from one point to another only along lines which join points. Accompanying the board, there should be a 4 playing pieces representing the bagh and 16 pieces representing the bakri.
Bagh aur Bakri (i.e Tiger and Goat) is an ancient board game played under different names in various parts of India. A strategy game where the ‘tigers’ and ‘goats’ try to outwit each other is a fun and involving game for all ages. The rural Nepalese game Bagh Chaal, the American/Appalachian game ‘Fox and geese’ and the Venezuelan game ‘Foxes and Hens’ are some of the variants of ‘Bagh aur Bakri’ played around the world.
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Process
how it happened?
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The assignment started as a thought of redesigning an existing game, which has a non user-friendly packaging. I thought it would be nice to explore and look around me to find answers, as to how these games are designed and why?
and work on something original.
While looking up on Google, I came across a lot of new games, which I never heard of. I realized that everyday someone or the other is coming up with something new and it would be nice But while researching and talking to if I try something new too. I started different people including my course thinking about different possibilities of guide, that there is not really an existing a game. And then I came across Bagh problem in the game packaging. It is aur Bakri. I remember I saw my mother something which kids are attracted to. playing it with few of her friends. They The visual language or the packaging could see my inquisitiveness towards doesn’t really make a difference to them this game, and they taught me how to because at the end of the day it will be tackle with the pieces. I twas starting in one of the parents who will be packing the start to tackle with this strategy but it up for them. Then I looked into milk I could somehow play it. products and chawanprash, because that would have been interesting. And I started working on it with a very spethat thought came into my head when cific idea in my head, I wanted to retain I realized that are products, which the Indian-ness of the game. I worked people don’t like but still purchase them on a lot of thumbnails, where I tried to because of brand value and appearance. work on a design, which can save mateI thought I could work out the surface rials and would be cost effective. graphics for one of the two. It was obviously interesting but not really challenging. I wanted to explore more 21
Fortunately, I got an idea of using the packet as the board of the game. That was the basic idea, further I worked on various thumbnails and prototypes, where I could work on the same idea. I finally decided to work on a circle packet in the form of potli , which opens up and reveals the grid of the game. The structure of the game is pretty simple and can be placed in any manner.
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System
involving others
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I tried working on the project as a system rather than just a product. While working on it, I interacted with Ms. Swasti Ghai as well. She guided me through textile usage and techniques. We discussed that instead of buying a set of new materials, one can manage the whole production with waste management. We looked into different possibilities, which could not only help reduce the production cost but also reflect an interesting Indian feel. I worked out a tiny model for the same, I thought of including local cloth vendors and tailors in the process. The whole game is made up of cloth. Left over cloth can be collected from various stores and used in various ways like patchwork, block printing, bandhage, brocade, depending on the nature of the cloth but something which reflects Indianness. The pieces are also generated from wastage. The leftovers of wood can be painted and used for them.
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There are more suggestions also in the whole process but to look at it from another perspective, it will grow over time. I have been in touch with a lot of people, and have been asking them for different suggestions and got critical feedback with a lot of encouragement. Few suggestions people mentioned were like, making slits inside the bag to store pieces in a more secure manner and including other versions of Bagh aur Bakri to make the game more interesting and the packet more useful.
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Approach
tiny details
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This game is on a piece of stitched cloth, which is stitched using the quilting method. The quilting method is very beautifully used to show the grid, which serves as the board of the game. The outer side of the packet is a printed cloth, and inside we have a plain white muslin/cotton fabric to give emphasis to the game and pieces. The nature of outer material is subjected to change depending on the availability of materials and technique experimentation. The strings used to pull the packet together are jute cords, which aer available in cheap rates everywhere.
This project is still in progress so there are few changes, which will come along the way. It is an experimentation, which is open to changes until and unless they change the idea behind the whole process and system.
The diameter of the circle (after stitching) is 45 cm, which gives us a grid of 30 cm. The bag after closing can be carried on your shoulder with the help of the strings. The pieces and the manual are stored inside the packet and there is actually enough room to carry anything in it.
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Plan
final measurements
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Measurements of the bag/game.
30 cm
45 cm 3 cm
2.5 cm
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Measurements of the pieces.
1 cm
0.5 cm 1.5 cm
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1.5 cm
1 cm
1 cm
2.5 cm
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Acknowledegment I’m really grateful to the following people for their help at every tiny stage and their encouragement. Thank you so much! My Mother and Father Tridha Gajjar Swasti Ghai Shradhha Jain Sanchit Sawaria Pranay Arun-Kumar Sayan Chanda Tanvi Kareer Reuben Dsilva Pritesh Tailor Amrapali Tailor Sanskruti Store Saurabh Stores My batchmates
Web: www.google.com www.wikipedia.com ww.historyforkids.org/learn/india/games veda.wikidot.com/info:origin-of-games
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Notes
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