Board Game Design_Report

Symbiosis Institute of Design S. No. 231/3A-4, Viman Nagar, Pune - 411 014

Graduation Degree Project 2011 “Board Game Design for Children�

Selva Anuja

Communication Design (Graphic Design) Name of Faculty Guide Prof. Pramod Riswadkar Symbiosis Institute of Design

S. No. 231/3A-4, Viman Nagar, Pune - 411 014

GRADUATION DEGREE PROJECT 2010 The Graduate Degree Project Evaluation Jury recommends

Selva Anuja to be awarded the Graduate Degree of the Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune In Communication Design (Graphic Design) herewith, for the project titled “Board Game Design for Children” NAME OF JURY

ORGANISATION

SIGNATURE

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o on fulfilling the further requirements by* (subsequent remarks regarding fulfilling the requirements :) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Chairperson of the Jury

Name :_____________________________ Date :_____________________________

Signature___________________

Content

i.

Acknowledgment

v

ii. Preface

vi

iii. Basic Research

• Define game

1

• About game

2

• Type of games

3

• The category of game chosen

4

• Effect of game on children

5

• Learning from the existing board games

7

• Observing children at play

8

• Conclusion

9

• The art of game design

10

• User study

11

• Analysis

16

iv. The Project

• Project statement, Problem Statement, Design Brief

Design Statement and Scope

17

• Ideas and Concepts

18

v. Project 1: Major project

• Concept

20

• Age group

21

• Geography

23

• Game concept

25

• Information collection

26

Symbiosis Institute of Design

iii

Content

• Design Explorations

28

• Motives & Strategies for the game

48

• Game Play

49

• Function / Game element mapping

52

vi. Project 2: Minor project

• Concept

53

• Game concept

54

• Logo developement

56

• Design explorations

57

• Hardware development

63

• Packaging

65

• Game Play

66

• The Game

67

• Why Sucessful?

68

• Play Testing

69

vii. Conclusion

70

viii. Bibliography

71

Symbiosis Institute of Design

iv

Acknowledgement

I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of really amazing game designers, teachers, friends, and children who have all contributed immensely to my research, view of games, play testing and game design. Thanks to each of you, especially my mentor, Mr. Pramod Riswadkar, for giving me this oppurtunity to explore a new and an uncovered part of design myself. This study has really helped me increase my knowledge and understanding of the subject. I am forever greatful to all the authors of the books and the web pages which I referred to, to help me understand this topic.

I have furthermore to thank Mr. Uday Athvankar and Mr. Mahendra Patel who’s stimulating suggestions and encouragement helped me in my project and research.

To all the great friends and students I’ve had the chance to work with over the years who keep me on my toes and teach me something new every semester.

And thanks to my parents who made all of this possible.

I would also thank my institute, Symbiosis Institute of Design for providing me with all the basic amenities that I needed during this project.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

v

Preface

The Game design project is all about

This game was designed in such a way

having an understanding of a game being

that parents would never hesitate to buy

structured playing, usually undertaken

such an edutainment game which would

for enjoyment and sometimes used as an

reduce the stress of the children while

educational tool. Its a 16 week project.

studying in the later stages.

Game Design being not a part of the academics in Symbiosis Institute of Design, I had to take a crash crouse from IDC, IIT- Bombay, Mumbai of 2 weeks under the guidance of Prof. Uday Athvankar, which was absolutely worth it.

There I was taught how to develop a game from scratch to the final product. I had developed a game called “Flip- Flap� which was based on mental arithmetics as a learning project, which is my minor project.

After a lot of research on game and brainstrom, I concluded on developing an edutainment game based on geography which is my major project. The reason for choosing this subject was an attempt to make geography as playful as possible by moulding it in form of a game so that students will play game while getting more and more knowledge.

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Define game:

“Games are an exercise of voluntary

So these definition points out some

“A game is a problem-solving activity,

control systems, in which there is a

key qualities important to games:

approached with a playful attitude.”

contest between powers, confined by

Games are entered willfully and have

Any game with a goal effectively has

rules in order to produce a disequilibrial

goals. They also have rules and conflict.

presented you with a problem to solve.

outcome.”

They can be won and lost. They are

Examples might be to get more points

interactive and have challenge. They

than the other team or to get to the

can create their own internal value. They

finish line before the other players or to

engage the players and are closed, formal

complete levels or to destroy the other

systems.

player before he destroys you.

-Elliot Avedon and Brian Sutton Smith

“A game is an interactive structure of endogenous meaning that requires players to struggle toward a goal.”

– Greg Costikyan

“A game is a closed, formal system, that engages players in structured conflict, and resolves in an unequal outcome.”

– Tracy Fullerton, Chris Swain, and Steven Hoffman

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research About game:

What is Game?

Modelling Game:

Player’s play is a key role in the game:

• Artificial world

• Game design is designing rules

• His moves creates turning points

• Clear intention of winning

• Engage players/ spectators

• Fight and win

• This world has private rules

• Create or maintain uncertainity

• Ones action will modify the state of the game

Can be expert in a game:

Hardware

sup

• Mental

po

• Ones move should affect the other

rts

• Skill

players move or action of plan

Game play

• It should challenge - skill and intellect • Plan action or strategy • Maintaining competition and co-operation, conflicts

gic

e lo cor

s uc ate cre ep str de e r th

o

Do game work?

• Thus create unexpected situations • Ability to surprise someone A Game is not a design problem:

• Played for fun Intermediate Actions and Moves:

• winning and losing

• Equally probable meaning

• Indirect understanding

option discovered

• Because we create conditions as we play.

• There could be wow factors

• Players- actions -strategies

• Final action matters a lot.

• Cant be sure of the concept being understood by the children

• Hardware is not important

So what generally goes into designing Gambling:

A Sucessful Game:

• Uncertainity = Tension

• Engages player

• Create delibrate clues

• Repeats play

• Giving imperfect information

• Allows players to develop strategies.

- Legal michief

games : Idea

Prototype

?

• Excercise individual style of play • Equal chance of winning.

Luck is the major factor in some younger children’s game

ture

Rules

• No luck

External factor: • Limitied time

Hardware

• Power play

Playtesting

• Matching players ability

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Types of games

• Role-playing games

• Outdoor games

• Single player games

- Field games i.e. sports

• Family games

- Family games e.g. badminton

• Narrative games

- Narrative games e.g. treasure hunting

• Ludology games

- Ludology games e.g. kho-kho

- Single player games e.g. yo-yo

• Abstract games

- Role-playing games. e.g. Chor police

- Family games e.g. snakes & ladders

- Video games & Computer games e.g.

Counter strike - Role-playing games e.g. dungeons & dragons

- Narrative games e.g. Kichen set Classification of Games

• Indoor games

- Ludology games e.g ludo

Games could be broadly divided into

- Board games e.g. Chess

- Abstract games e.g ticks & crosses

these categories:

- Card games e.g. Uno

Qualities

Indoor Games

Outdoor Games

• Boundary • Mental strategy • Skill • Rules

Limited Yes

Unlimited No

Yes Particular world rules

Yes Few rules

• Turns • Number of players

Play in turns Fixed Particular theme Very less, stationary Mostly

Not necessary, differs Any number Often narration

• Theme • Movement or action • Luck based • All age groups • Team game • Physical exercise • Reflex action • Gender specific • Involvement of spectators • Interactive • Play phase • Environmental conditions

Definitely Not much No No Not much Depends Yes Steady No

All are in action Less Limited Mostly Yes Yes Could be Always Yes Fast Yes

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research The category of game chose

Board game / Card game

Game-playing requires:

• They are competitive

• A category of indoor games that are

• Is a vital educational function for any

• Most of the games that come in childrens

essentially played on a marked surface.

• It not only comprises of the board but also pieces that can be moved across the board.

• Board games today are a favorite family activity.

• Board games are a huge hit amongst the young as well as the old.

• Kid’s board games that enhance strategic thinking are ideal for a growing child.

• Are you tired of all the running and physical strain? Well try playing indoor board games

creature capable of learning.

mind is fantasy.

• Two components: a game and a player • Final goal is to educate, entertain, or

What constitutes... the “gameness” of the game?

edify the game-player.

• Basic concept: mental skill, physical skill,

• Fun & entertainment

entirely on luck, combination of skill and

• Socialization

luck.

• Winning

• Component of Game: They determine

• Risk and pay off relationships

the player’s moves, actions, methods

• Interaction & conflict between players

and strategies based on which is the

• Fantasy / Nostalgia

achievement of the goal a player has to establish. The key components of a game

the “game experience”?

are its

• Luck

- Goals and challenges

• Degree of problem solving

based on features like: learning,

- Rules

• Control over choice

information, play factor, surprise

- Tools

• Challenge

•The board games could be analyzed

elements, involvement levels etc.

• Ability in building & changing tension

• Board game is more favourable from the

Game play and on what basis

age of 6 to 12:

to design it?

motivates to “repeat play”?

6-7 years old -have social skills - Generally

• Children are excited about games

• Challenge

need parents to guide them.

• Learning might take place

• Hope of chances of winning

8-10 years old- developed social skills -

• Two different issues:

• Showmanship

Need components of luck.

- they play with parents / siblings

• 5 minutes of fame

11-12 years old -completely learn and

- own age group

• Desire to be an expert

play.

• Game play is partially independent of hardware • Children are not bothered about failure

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Effect of game on children

Effect of game on children:

• Experience surrounding through

• Prefer bright colours

• Are expected to play games because

touching, smelling, tasting and feeling.

• Can identify body parts when asked.

• Motor movement are becoming much

• Can use two to three word sentence.

we recognize the fundamental utility of games as an educational tool.

• Can be used as aids for developing social, language, problem solving, motor and math skills • Are frequently used (especially by adults) as social lubricants. Card games

more refined- 4 yrs

• Want to know how to use common

• Four year old can play in ways that require more body control.

• Can think logically.

• Can recognise and replicate patterns and rhyms

• Help make your children smarter. Not only will they practice basic reading and math skills, but also learn problem solving, strategy, and critical thinking skills.

• Help children with social interaction,

• Know eight basic colors.

• Memory is developing

• Increased eye- hand coordination.

• Sometimes are metally many steps

and some light board games serve this function.

items.

ahead of their physical selves.

Social skills:

• Become interested in writing and words.

• Cooperative or parallel play with other

• Self esteem is developing

children is unlikely.

• Can understand clear differences

• Cannot sit and play with the same toy for

between own opinon and those of others.

more than a few minutes.

• Enjoy pretend play; imitate parents. May have an imaginary friend.

taking turns and learning to follow rules

• Intent on doing things by himself.

and to win and lose gracefully.

• Prefer gender appropriate activities like role playing.

Understanding children of different age group

• Can separate themselves mentally from physical surroundings.

2 to 4 years old: Motor and physical development:

Intellectual & cognitive developement:

• Motor movement are stil unrefined

• Enjoy simple stories, rhymes and songs.

• Cannot concentrate for long periods of

• Like to hum and sing

time • Enjoy exploring, pushing, pulling, filling, dumping and touching

• Simple memorization activities are appropriate • Repeat word and names of toys

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Effect of game on children

5 to 8 years old: Motor and physical development:

• Children of this age may become sendentary without intervention.

• Are becoming better readers

• Large motor skills are highly developed.

• Enjoy team sports.

Balance develops.

• Excellent eye-hand coordination

• Small motor skills are becoming more

• Require even more rest due to increase

developed

• Are experimenting with different shades of specific colors.

activity levels. Can feel stressed. consciousness.

• Can dicuss topics as groups.

• Can count in new ways. (by fives, tens, Social skills:

and so on.)

• Are good team players; can follow

• Understand more about the natural

• Can play ahead.

rules and take turns with out adult

• Have empathy for others.

intervention. degree of risk.

• Respect other people’s space and

people other than caregivers, such as

property; like it have the same respect

• Prefer bright colors that create a pattern.

• Can read longer book.

• Like routines.

• Like to talk

• Learning more about the world,

from others.

• Recognise others emotions and can react appropriately • A more thorough sense of humor

• Activities that include brainteasers are

develops.

popular.

• Can debate and see several sides to a single issue.

9 to 12 years old:

deeply about. May take on the problem

Motor and physical development:

of others.

activities.

Introduced to geometry.

• Can think ahead several steps.

• May take on causes that they feel

• Have definite preferences for favourite

including myths and biographies.

• Continued development of math skills.

• Growing importance of friendship

• Small hand muscles are developing

• Can work on longer and more complex projects.

• Develop deep commitments with teachers.

world and what makes it work.

• Understand jokes and riddle.

• Can be daredevils; start to enjoy some Intellectual & cognitive developement:

• Developing more sophisticated concepts of addition and substraction.

• Can work cooperatively with other children, and can wait for turn.

• Can read books with chapters. Are able to pinpoint main idea

• Body changes may result in self- Social skills:

Intellectual & cognitive developement:

• May challenege belief they didnot question before.

• May become more emotional.

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Learning from the existing board games

Learning from the existing board

recognize difference in pictures or

games:

patterns, a valuable skill when learning many other things.

Scrabble : • It comes in different forms.

• Help your children discover new words Candyland :

and reinforce their spelling skills.

• Classic board game • Learn about taking turns, cause and effect, and especially colors.

Checkers & Chess :

• To determine a move, the children must

• Checkers and Chess are the ultimate

recognize basic colors in order to play.

strategy games.

• Utilize children’s’ critical thinking skills.

Chutes and Ladders : • Board game

• Imporves their ability to predict several moves in the future.

Clue & Guess-Who :

• Counting and taking turns.

• Learn about positive and negative consequences of their actions.

Sorry, Ludo :

• Classic board game of “Whos Done It?”

• Simple board games

• A game in which opponents ask yes and

• Will help reinforce counting and adding Memory Match Games :

skills.

their opponent has on a card.

• A group of cards

• Can learn about strategy as well:

• Printed pairs of pictures, words, numbers,

• Makes you think : Is it better to knock

colors, or anything else.

• Improve their memory skills, and to

no questions to deduce what character • Very good for helping your children

the opponent back to start, or advance

learn deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills.

further yourself?

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Observing children at play

• Narration • Demonstration • Interactivity • Conflict

• Choosing of friends and opponent

• Confusions

• Create new rules

• Cheating

• Simplify game rules if complicated

• Misunderstanding

• Parents assist them

• Introverts

• Spectators get invovled along

• Mostly play with their own age group

with the players.

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Conclusion

Playing board games is a fun way to

Indian market experience:

help your children learn.

• Less Hardware

From basic skills to more complex

• Low cost of hardware

subjects such as economics and strategy,

• Less language barrier

board games provide a fabulous way to

• Looks like a good birthday gift

get the hands-on experience with topics

- Big in size

that are vital to their learning and their

- Bold and impressve in graphics

entire lives.

Board game companies you will So in game...

find in market:

• Children are integral part of design

• Funskool

• Playtesting is required

• 4 M’s

• Children are emotionally involved

• Hasbro

• There is no brief (but by sketchy)

• Fisherprice

• There is no problem to study and solve

• Lego

except engage the player (if possible

• Mattle

educate them)

• Dr. Woods ...etc

• Hardware is incidental • What should be designed is the game play and not the harware.

Commercially speaking: • Should not have difficulty in learning • Should have watchability • Should have interpreability of players action • Ability to design variation • Could be played across all ages Vs. Age specific

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research The art of game design

• In the beginning, there is a designer • The designer usually works with a team • The designer creates an experience.

Story

(scenario)

Experience

• Ideas arises out of the scenario.

• The game begins with an idea

Character

World

Interest

• The game is made for player(s)

Spaces

Aesthetics

• The game consists of elements

Player’s mind

• The elements support a theme

Player

Other player

• Some elements are game mechanics • Game mechanics must be in balance • Game mechanics initiates thinking

Elements

(support puzzles) • Players play games through an interface

Mechanics

Playtesting

• The actual experience rises out of the game

Game

Theme

• The experience is in the player’s mind

Balance

Idea

• Experiences can be judged by their interest

Puzzles

Interface

Process

Iteration

• Stories and games take place in worlds • One kind of experience is the Story • Worlds contain characters • Worlds contain spaces

Team

Designer

•The look and feel of a world Is defined by its aesthetics • The game improves through iteration • Good games are created through playtesting

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research User survey

Online

Financial management

To understand people’s lives in cities

Gaming

Trading

Who are into gaming?

Snacks

Design

Range:

Hangout

History

7 years - 50 years

With family

Human psycology and behaviour

Work on pending issues

Physics

Watch TV

Journalism

Dinner

Genetics

Sleep

Political

Male

60%

System design Weekends: 6 am to 11 pm

Gender

Programing

Breakfast Hangout with family

40%

Reading

Subject disliked:

Lunch

New Languages

Online / Gaming

Geography

Sports

History

Shopping

Physics

Snacks

Sketching

TV / Movie

Maths

Schedule:

Partying

Science

Activities through out the day

Dinner

English grammar

Weekdays: 6 am to 11 pm

Sleep

Civics

Female

Exercise

Why? :

Breakfast

• Boring lengthy topics to learn

School

Favourite subject:

• Mugging up

Office

Maths

• Dates and Name

College

Science

Lunch

Physical Training

Tution

Economics

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research User survey 32%

Why do you play games?

22%

Relaxation

20%

To break between work To socialize with friends

Other reasons:

16%

• Its my passion

10%

To spend some time with family

• For mental health • Sensory activities

Others

• Challenging to win

Do you play indoor games?

60%

40%

(name them)

No Yes

Snakes and ladder

Taboo

Monopoly

Uno

Chess

Scotland yard

Carroms

Crossword

Ludo

Snooker

Scrabble

Picnic

Pictionary

Cube crasher

Cluedo

Burger board game

Life

Bingo

Jenga

Tic tac toe

Battleships

Square four

Guess who

Reversi

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research User survey

How many people play with you?

Players

Results

32%

20%

Reason: Difficult to gather people (of same age)

30%

13%

5%

How much time can you play?

• At the max people can play upto 1 hr on 10% 12% 32%

1 hr

15 mins 30 mins

2 hrs 3 hrs 4+ hrs

26%

13%

week ends. • More than 1 hr games are called vaccation games.

12%

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Have you faced problem in playing games?

What problems are faced?

No

31%

• Difficult in learning tactics.

• Everyone has different rules.

• Gets boring after you play • Certain times.

Yes

10%

• Too time consuming.

• Number of people.

• Certain squares have very heavy text • Small font size.

• Boring towards the end.

Do you know any traditional games?

Name them:

No

58%

Mikhail Mariam Pagida Saaripat

Yes

42%

User survey

Ganjifa Chousar Chess

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research User survey

How do you wish a game to be?

Repeat play elements:

• Its necessary for any parent to potray any

Subject:

• Good time and relaxment

form of knowledge interesting in front of

• Technology

• Entertaining

their child.

• Music game- nothing so far

• Deviate ones concentration

• Boardgames are not dead. They give

• Game of photography

• Element of surprise

information indirectly.

Skill:

• Co operation

• Life skiils

• To win and become a pro

• Soft skills • Applying logic to win

I interviewed some Parents and

• Cognitive

Schools :

Types:

The following were the key points that

• All age groups should be able to play

were noted after the user studies :

• Mind games

Parents say:

• Lot of action

• Children dont have much time to

• Roleplay situations

interact with us they are always occupied

• Aptitude testing

with some or the other extra ciruculum

• Strategy

activity.

• Suspence and mystry • Adventure Design:

• Games not only provide us with information but also enhance ones skill

• Children spend most of the time in the school during weekdays.

• Helps children bear the feeling of loss , take things positive, make them abitious,

• Somehow board games are little difficult

makes them take thier own decision and

• Nice pictures and graphics

to be interesting in children’s very fast

overcome all their problems.

• To select game type depending

lifestyle.

• Its not difficult in a school to form groups

on the mood • Prefessional environment • More interactive

• Its difficult to gather children at home to play a board game.

of their own age to play a game.

• Generally subjects like Geography and

• First preference- physical excercise.

• Can know others personality

History are difficult to remember as they are vast and varied.

• Easy to play

Teachers say:

• If it was a game of information /

• Not a linear end everytime

• Till the age of 12 parents can definitely

knowledge we wouldn’t mind inculcating

mould up a child.

as a part of activity.

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Board Game Design For Children

Basic Research Analysis

My survey helped me: • Define my target audience as the

tools and goals.

- the weaker player could win some bonus

• It should be a board or a card game

objectives of the game are determined

where players can form teams and play

by the people who would be playing

as a group.

the game.

• It targeted audience of age 6 & above

- interaction with the other players

under a condition.

analytical skills and one should start

move forward.

• This helps to determine the level of challenges in the game also the rules,

- Elements or incentives that can be transferred from one player to another

where one could use an advise and

subjects.

game falls same for all players.

• Game should have:

as normally at this age one develops gathering basic knowledge of all

points so the chance of loosing the

- where elders (teachers / parents) could pass on some knowledge to children

- more elements to keep the game

and help them to take deep interest

interesting.

in the subject.

- can change the play each time and can have different ends each time.

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Board Game Design For Children

The Project Project statement:

Design Statement:

Designing a Board Game for children.

• To design a co-operative / edutainment game.

Problem Statement: • Players should be able to form teams and play as a group.

• Its difficult to gather children to play a board game at home but its not difficult

• This leads to a healthy interaction among the players and learning takes place directly & indirectly over the subject of concern • This helps creating interest in the subject

to form groups of their own age to play

without reducing the level of

in a school.

enjoyment.

• The game shouldn’t have a linear play, should change and have different action every time you play.

• Should provide some information directly or indirectly.

Scope: • The game will have even better market if it was made as a part of the school syllabus • It will eventually reduce the load of

Design Brief:

learning / mugging up in certain

To design a game which would educate

subjects.

and enhance the skill of the children.

• Parents would never hesitate to buy a game which would make their children smarter and sharper.

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Board Game Design For Children

The Project Ideas and concepts

Idea 1:

Idea 2:

Concept 1:

• Game based on Colour Wheel

• Game based on Role playing / profession

• Game based on Geography and

• It is a co-operative / edutainment game.

• Target : 10 years and above

based

Economy

• It is a co-operative / edutainment game/

• It is a co-operative / edutainment game.

reflex action.

• Target : 6 years and above Scope:

Scope:

• The game will enhance the colour

• The game will improve the reflex action.

recognition.

• Skills developed are: memory,

• Skills developed are: concentration,

•Target : 10 years and above Scope:

relativity, application.

concentration, relativity.

• The game will improve the knowledge

Could be used in design or art classes

about the industries and cultivation in India.

• It will also help the child in locating and remebering places.

• Improve financial decisions and strategic movements.

• Skills developed are: memory,

concentration, trading, manegement skiils, co ordinating.

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Board Game Design For Children

The Project Ideas and concepts

Concept 2 • Game based on mathematics • It is a co-operative / edutainment game.

• Target : 8 years and above

Scope: • The game will enhance the mathematical skills.

• Skills developed are: memory,

concentration, mental calculation. could be used in classes like UCmas.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Concept

The aim of the concept:

and skills.

• To understand the complexity of

Why Geography?

learning Geography.

can relate to their day to day activities.

• Subject in which focus largely on the

• To provide the increased coverage

built of environment and how space is

related with geography as well as

created, viewed, and manged

illustrate the basic concept of the terms

by humans as well as the

used in it.

influence humans have on the

• To create an environment to explore while clarifying the theoretical

knowledge gained during school.

Indian geography: • Games have been an intimate part of Indian tradition and culture. Some of

space they occupy, the natural

the most famous and interesting games were developed and played here and became a part of the tradition

environment and how the climate,

• It focuses on designing a game based

vegetation and life, soil water and

on the minerals, crops and industry in all

land forms.

over India.

Introduction:

• But in the curriculum of Maharashtra

• The motivation to take up this project

• The present educatonal system gives

State Board (Standard VI) which is poorly

was to study a aspects of Indian trading,

designed is the least interesting subject

harvesting and civilization culture, a very

amonst the students.

significant part of which are the Indian

maximum importance to the

bookish way of learning.

• The interaction between the bookish knowledge, the reality in the

• This concept is an attempt to make

economy.

geography as playful as possible by

• This gave me a chance to understand

enviornment & the self forms the basis

moulding it in form of a game so that

important and different elements related

for creative experience.

students will play game while getting

• The ability of the child to question,

more and more knowledge.

to Indian Economy.

• My initial objective was to create

to find form and order, to rethink and

interest in the subject that encourages

restructure and find new relationships

Scope :

self involvement and motivation to

with knowledge at hand needs to be

• To design a game for school children of

learn more on the subject.

encouraged.

• Optimal reading occurs when it is fun

age 10 years and above so that learning

• The structural and strategical approach

becomes a hands on, enjoyable and self

of game designing was ideal to create

and the individual is challenged to the

taught experience.

awareness on the subject with a lot of

limits of ones abilities.

• The game is aimed as a means for kids

interest i.e. ways of trading, travel,

• This state occurs when the challenge is matched to the child’s knowledge

to work with and manipulate various

and manging money, planing the

materials and components which they

production or cultivation etc.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Age Group

Characteristic of age group: Children in the age group of 8 + years have been selected as the target user group for the project.

Following are the keywords obtained

concrete existence of things in the real world.

• The teenager finds the information pouring in the form of sources around

• Instead they can deduce conclusion

him like books, school and conversation

from the abstract statements.

with parents, friends, through

• They also reason in terms of verbally

television, internet.

from the characteristic of the age which

stated hypothesis and also to consider

gives a better insight of target group

the logical answers from several possible

Bruner’s theory of instruction:

• children bcome possesive of their own

solutions in a systematic manner.

• Bruners’s theories can be seen in the

• They can manipulate mathematical

school curriculum where a sinlge concept

concepts like angles. ratios. and

for example in geometry thought in

trignometric functions. The above

one grade is again repeated as a more

• ability to work in groups

mentioned characteristic of the

complex chapter in another grade .

• this age demand constructive outlets.

teenager of this age are important to

products • the kid is very particular about how he appears to others

decive the learning objectives for the Theories in learning:

game design.

Psychologists for learning have generated various theories.

Piaget’s theory of cognitive

• Piaget’s theory of learning

development:

Stages of cognitive learning:

• Children learn from actions rather

Piaget identified four stages in cognitive

than form passive observations;

development:

for examples, telling a child about

• sensor motor stage (0-20) yrs

the properties of materials is less

• preoperational stages (2 - 7 yrs)

effective than creating an environment

• concrete operational stage (7-12 yrs)

in which the child is free to explore,

• formal operational stages (+12 yrs)

touch, manipulate and experiment with

Since the project deals with the age group of 8 +, the characterisitic of the formal

materials.

• In any learning method the type of incrementality mentioned above has a

• The young mind at this stage

operational stages are mentioned.

is constantly forming and refining

• Young people, no longer depend on the

concepts.

very important place.

• The teacher should motivate them

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Age Group

by giving them an idea of what they will be able to achieve with their new knowledge.

• With a proper structured knowledge within a proper sequence of the children discover for themselves what is beyond it and how to do it- nothing more is rewardable and motivating than this intrinsic satisfaction.

• Here proper means that principle and concepts of a particular subject to be taught or to be understood, must be relative and related to the needs of the learners. .Interactions with students:

Who likes geography?

very important beacause when the

Yashodham High School (Mumbai) SSC

After interacting with the children and

teenager sees the positive result of his

Gokuldham High School (Mumbai) ICSE

asking them about their interest towards

Oberoi International School (Mumbai) ICSE

the subjects, I got the following result.

Interations with children of this age gave

• Number of students surveyed: 30

• The use of current/ past knowledge

the feedback on the Geography subject

• Dont like georaphy: 19 students

means that the teenager recalls and

which is more important for the learning,

• Like geography: 11 students

applies to an activity, the previous skills

according to them,

and knowledge he has learnt or come

• The books have a lot of textual

• The idea of innovation and reward is

actions, he is motivated to go to next level

across.

information.

Important points which concern the project

• Minimum illustrations.

from the above theories are refered and

• Lack of story / jokes.

adopted during the design process

• No puzzle or entertaining materials.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Geography

Survey on : Who likes geography?

Students answer and reasoning on why they don’t like the subject.

Geography

Students

dont get good marks

63.3%

36.7%

Dont like

Like

lots of text

teaches well

hard to remember

entertaining

boring

less of pictures

get good marks

no story and poems finding countries

information about a country

to show off

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Geography

Teachers views on teaching:

Languages

P.T

Science

Conclucion:

• The teachers interacted from:

Through my research, it is clear that this

Yashodham High School (Mumbai) SSC

subject stands far from entertainment,

Gokuldham High School (Mumbai) ICSE • Most of the teachers donot consider

games and experiment which are very Stories and poems

Games

Experiment

Geography classes important as the main subjects like Science and Maths.

important to get students to improve themselves in this subject.

Entertaining

Experience

To make geography more interesting, it should be presented in the form of

Geography

Teachers

Non enthusiastic No map and aid

A game

Instead of geography , most of the

A book of illustration

students like languages, Physical training

A story book

and Science. The reason behind it is that

An interactive way of learning etc.

languages are full of stories, Physical Enthusiastic

Like to teach

Dont give importance

Analysis:

Dont know how to teach No experiment

• Lack of interest to teach geography

training is related with games and

Market Survey

activites, whereas science is experimental.

Know your world:

According to this it is analysied that

In this game there are 100 pieces, joining

experiments, game and entertaining part

them you will get the entire world map

is missing in geography which makes it

ready.

the most boring subject.

Drawback: Its not playful. Not more than 2 players

Stories and poems

Games

Experiment

amongst the players

• Teachers believe that the students are not

In Cards:

interested in this subject • Proper kit or informative maps are not

Entertaining

Experience

scenario

One should have prior knowledge to ask questions to the opponent

there to explain • Teachers find it difficult to explain the

can play this game. No interaction

Content:

Geography

Jigsaw puzzle, Cards and Book

• Learning process is more resricted to class room

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Game’s Concept

Concept of my game:

Skills required :

Cards:

After the user studies I decided to make a

memory, concentration, trading,

Destination cards-

game on the topic from geography that

mangement skiils, co ordinating

would determine the navigation on the

is difficult to learn (according to teachers

board.

and students).

Games Mechanics

State cards-

The game designed will inculde :

• Strategy

would help in trading.

• Plotting different states

• Resource Management

Action cards-

• Learning resources like different crops

• Territory Control

would help in interacting and developing

cultivated in different parts of india,

• Diplomacy

interest in the game.

• Trading (economy factor)

• Legal Mischeif Currency:

• Travelling Based on which the basic game plan

Games Material.

would revolve. These elements could

Game material used for game mechanics

be used individually to create a game or

such as:

To trade between players.

clubbed together if required.

Random Outcome: Fun factor would be:

Dice are used in games

Its traveling to know places and its

• to generate a random out come;

speciality and trading them with each

• to determine a player’s move.

other with a hint of suspense.

The rest would be indirect gradual

Pieces and Tokens:

learning.

In contrast to the simple, stylized pieces and tokens are used in board games.

The Game Nature:

Their form may give an indication of their

Players: 2 – 4

culture.

Age range: 8+ Setup time: 5 – 10 minutes

Board to navigate:

Playing time: 30 mins - 1 hr

Where all the destinations will be marked

(yet to be play tested)

and pegs will be placed

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Information collection

Crops cultivated or speciality of the Cities in India Hyderabad

Raipur

Shimla

Thiruvananthapuram

- Rice

- Rice

- Apples

- Fish

- Red chillies

- Groundnut

- Ginger

- Coconut

- Tabacco

- Corn

- Saffron

- Coffee

- Mango

- Bamboo

- Corn

- Tea

Itanagar

Panaji

Srinagar

Bhopal

- Ginger

- Fish

- Saffron

- Soyabeans

- Rice

- Rice

- Apples

- Rice

- Wheat

- Pineapple

- Rice

- Wheat

- Sugarcane

- Coconut

- Cherry

- Onion

Guwahati

Gandhinagar

Ranchi

Mumbai

- Tea

- Groundnut

- Sugarcane

- Sugarcane

- Silk

- Cotton

- Wheat

- Cotton

- Jute

- Tabacco

- Rice

- Groundnut

- Turmeric

- Wheat

- Corn

- Mango

Patna

Chandigarh

Bangalore

Imphal

- Litchi

- Rice

- Coffee

- Pineapple

- Corn

- Rapeseed

- Silk

- Wheat

- Mango

- Mustard

- Coconut

- Bamboo

- Sugarcane

- Wheat

- Rice

- Rice

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Information collection Shillong

Chandigarh

Agartala

Nagpur

- Mustard

- Wheat

- Turmeric

- Orange

- Soyabean

- Sugarcane

- Pineapple

- Soyabean

- Rapeseed

- Rice

- Litchi

- Sugarcane

- Rice

- Cotton

- Potato

- Cotton

Aizawal

Jaipur

Lucknow

Delhi

- Mustard

- Wool

- Potato

- wheat

- Bamboo

- Cotton

- Groundnut

- Strawberry

- Soyabean

- Wheat

- Sugarcane

- Chillies

- Cotton

- Sugarcane

- Wheat

- Corn

Kohima

Gangtok

Dehradun

- Corn

- Potato

- Onion

- Bamboo

- Tea

- Sugarcane

- Potatoes

- Banana

- Rice

- Tabacco

- Bamboo

- Wheat

Bhubaneshwar

Chennai

Kolkata

- Fish

- Sugarcane

- Jute

- Rice

- Corn

- Rice

- Groundnut

- Rice

- Potato

- Corn

- Groundnut

- Tea

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

Dice and Pieces:

Distributing the special crops grown in the particular states Navigation control: Move “2 steps “ in any direction

Board Design Size: A2 (420 x 594 mm)

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

Tried to represent in the shape of India and connected all states to make network of routes.

North

East

West

South

Tried the same on the map of india

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

Tried to represent in different form where it would represent India and all the states are in order.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

Tried to replicate it in the form of monopoly and other ways. But didnt work out. As it didnot resemble the shape of India.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

Latitudinal representation of all the states keeping the direction sense in mind.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

Inspiration: London tube map

Resource: Highway map of India

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

Grid levels

Board Design

Primary grid

Secondary grid

Tertiary grid A grid has been created to form pathways

primary routes will follow the red grid.

for navigation. Three levels of grids has

Secondary routes will follow the yellow

been formed in order to indicated the

grid and the tertiary routes will follow the

level of intricacy in the map. The major

the green grid.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

Srinagar Baramula

Board Design

Leh

Capitals

Jammu

Amritsar

Chandigarh

Bathinda

North- south and

Shimla

Ludhiyana

Other cities

West - East Highways

Dehradun

Ambala

North- South Highway

Panipat Rampur

Delhi

Jaipur

Dibrugarh Lucknow

Agra

Gangtok

Gorakhpur

Jaisalmer

Tezpur

Kanpur

Kohima

Gwalior

Balotra

Shillong

Pumia

Chittaurgarh Patna

Silchar

Udaipur

Palanpur

Imphal

Parraka Bhopal

samkhiali

Dahod

Aizwal

Indore

Agartala

Jabalpur Ranchi

Gandhinagar

Kolkata

Rajkot

Porbhandar

Mocokchung

Nagaon Dimapur

Guwahati

Ajmer

Jodhpur

West - East Highway

Itanagar

Bareily

Bikaner

karaghpur Surat Somnath

Nagpur

Amravati

Dhule

Baleshwar

Raipur

Diu

Nashik

Srinagar Leh

Aurangabad

Silvassa

Bubaneshwar

Jammu

Ahmednagar Amritsar

Nirmal

Shimla

Ludhiyana

Jagdalpur

Pune

Bathinda

Ambala

Chandigarh

Dehradun

Panipat

Solapur Vishakapatnam

Hyderabad

Rampur

Delhi

Jaipur

Kurnool

Hubli

Lucknow

Agra

Gangtok

Gorakhpur

Tezpur Mocokchung

Jaisalmer

Vijayawada

Guwahati

Ajmer

Jodhpur

Kohima

Pumia

Shillong

Chittaurgarh Patna

Chitradurga

Silchar

Udaipur

Palanpur

samkhiali

Dahod

Aizwal

Indore

Agartala

Jabalpur

Gandhinagar

Ranchi

Kolkata

Rajkot

Porbhandar

Imphal

Parraka Bhopal

Nellore

Bangalore

karaghpur

Chennai

Pondicherry

Diu

Nagpur

Amravati

Dhule

Surat Somnath

Krishnagiri

Dimapur

Kanpur Gwalior

Balotra

Anantapur

Mangalore

Dibrugarh

Itanagar

Bareily

Bikaner

Rajahmundry Panaji

Nashik

Raipur

Baleshwar

Aurangabad

Silvassa

Bubaneshwar

Kozhikode Mumbai

Perambalur Coimbatore

Pune

Nirmal

Ahmednagar

Jagdalpur

Tiruchirapalli Solapur Vishakapatnam

Hyderabad

Kochin

Madurai

Ramanathapuram Rajahmundry Panaji

Kurnool

Hubli

Vijayawada

Thiruvananthapuram Anantapur Chitradurga

Kanniyakumari Mangalore

Nellore

Bangalore

Simplification

Chennai

Krishnagiri Pondicherry Kozhikode

Many major routes were missing.

Perambalur Coimbatore

Kochin

Very complex routes. More simpler.

Tiruchirapalli

Madurai Ramanathapuram

Thiruvananthapuram

Kanniyakumari

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

The other maps had many complex, unnecessary and intricate routes which was very tough for players to navigate. so only 3 major routes were taken into consideration.

Kargil Leh

Jammu Pathankot Amritsar Ludhiana

Tinsukia

Bareilly Bikaner

Dibrugarh

Agra

Jaisalmer

Gorakhpur Jodhpur

Kanpur

Gwalior

Allahabad

Varanasi

Jhansi

Silchar

Kota Udaipur

Bhuj

Rajkot

Ahmedabad

Golden Quadrilateral Highway

Indore

Jabalpur

Jamshedpur

vadodara

Haldia

Porbandar Baleshwar

Surat

Dhule

Nagpur

Amravati

North- South Highway

Bhillai Paradip

Aurangabad Nashik Ahmednagar Pune Solapur

West - East Highway

Vishakapatnam

Kakinada Vijayawada Guntakal

Mangaluru

Kozhikode

Tiruchirapalli Coimbatore Madurai Kochi

Tuticorin

Kanniyakumari

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

3 Highways routes on Grid

Board Design

Simplified the 3 routes and added one more route to cover all capitals

Symbiosis Institute of Design

37

Jammu Pathankot

Board Game Design For Children

Shimla

Project 1:

Ludhiyana

Design Explorations

Chandigarh Dehradun

Board Design

Simplified all the 4 routes and added Panipat

more details

NEW DELHI

Bareily Agra

Gangtok

Jaipur Lucknow

Gorakhpur

Guwahati

Gwalior Kota Mount Abu

Agartala Bhopal

Ahmedabad

Ranchi

Indore

Rajkot

Vadodara

Kolkata

Jamshedpur

Raipur

Dhule

Diu

Shillong

Patna

Udaipur

Gandhinagar

Porbandar

Jhansi

Baleshwar

Nagpur

Silvassa Nashik

Bhubaneshwar Mumbai Pune

Hyderabad Vishakapatnam

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

- More refining and heirarchy - Removal of not important cities

Changing Heirarchy - Typo - Route

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

After the navigation is formed. the next

Board Design

thought was to combine the two type of navigations so that the commodities are already displayed for the players to know and plan. This would help the players to memorize the commodies on multiple game plays.

Sectors

Navigation

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Board Design

The next stage was to plot the sectors and give a visual hierarchy to the pathways on the basis of number of lanes.

Refining

Icons

Symbiosis Institute of Design

41

Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

Card Design Size: 3 x 4 inches • Destination cards: 24 cards The destination card is the first card

Destination card

Destination card

picked by the player. It sets the objective or the goal of the game. Refering to the

Destination:

Destination: Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Gujarat

destination card the player plans his Gujarat

navigation on the board and the trading

OR

too.

Objective:

Objective:

To have Rs. 2000 by the end of the game.

To sell 5 sacks of Rice

• Action cards: 12 each An action card is picked randomly during navigation. It is either destructive or

Hazards

Assurance

You have landed near the sea coast

Keep this card with you

destructive actions and the assurance

to skip the next hazard

card has all the constructive actions.

Natural disaster: Tsunami Loss of Rs. 100

constructive. The hazards cards has all

Which increases or reduces the pace of the game.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

• State cards: 28 cards

Card Design

Maharashtra • Pricing of the crops Icon

Oranges: Rs 100

Icon

Bajra: Rs 100

On the basis of the speciality of crops grown in each state all the crops were categorized according to to the number of states they were grown in and a marginal

Icon

pricing was allotted to each category.

Mango: Rs 80

That would determine the cost price and Icon

14

Cotton: Rs 40

the selling price of the commodity.

Rice

13 12 11

This card give the ownership to the player

10

of certain teritory. It also gives the player the information of each crop grown in

9

that state.

8

Low on demand High on demand Sugarcane

No. of states producing each crop

7 6

Wheat, Bamboo

5

Cotton

4

Tea , Maize, Groundnut

3

Mango, Tabacco, Pineapple, Fish, Coconut, Rubber, Soyabeans, Potato

2

Silk, Jute, Turmeric, Litchi, Rapeseed, Mustard, Apples, Saffron, Bajra, Corn

1

Redchilles, Ginger, Olives, Coffee, Oranges, Wool, Banana, Oak, Onion.

Crops Produced

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

• Conclusion and Pricing: From the above statistical information:

- Category 5 - Turmeric, Mustard, Redchillies, Ginger

• It is clearly seens that the major crops of

- Category 6 - Apples, Saffron, Olives,

India are- Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane,

Coffee, Oranges, Wool, Banana, Oaks,

Cotton, Groundnut.

• We divide the crops or speciality into 6 category of prices.

- Category 1 - Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane, Cotton - Category 2 - Groundnut, Bamboo, Tea, Maize - Category 3 - Mango , Tabacco, Pineapple, Rubber, Soyabeans, Potato

Onion.

• The category will have a certain price range of: - Category 1 - Rs.30 - Rs.40 - Category 2 - Rs.40 - Rs 80 - Category 3 - Rs.80 - Rs.90 - Category 4 - Rs.90 - Rs.100 - Category 5 - Rs.100 - Rs.150 - Category 6 - Rs.150 - Rs.200

- Category 4 - Coconut, Fish, Silk, Jute, Rapeseed, Bajra, Corn.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

Currency Design

Currency Design

Size: 2 x 4 inches

Selection of font for the currency

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

• Line graphics • Motifs • Modernize the currency for the game

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations Currency Design

Layouts:

10

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

10

20

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

20

10

Rupees Twenty

Rupees Ten

10

10

10

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

10

20

10

10

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

10

Rupees Ten

20

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

10 10

20

10

Rupees Ten

10

10 10

10

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Design Explorations

Layouts: Refining

Currency Design

500

500

20 Reserve Bank of Agriculture

100 Reserve Bank of Agriculture

1000

20 20 100

Rupees Thousand

500

50 Rupees Five hundreds

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

50

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

Rupees Hundred

50

10 Rupees Fifty

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

10

Rupees Twenty

10

Rupees Ten

Reserve Bank of Agriculture

1000

100

1000

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Motives & Strategies for the game

My objectives for the game are to:

Objective:

Exit Criteria:

- Create interest in the subject of Indian

The objective of the game is to maintain

one can exit the game

balance in traveling as well as trading .The

• when one of the player is bankrupted.

- Provides information about crops

player has to collect and sell all resources

• at an initial stage of game they can set

cultivated in India through trading &

with out being bankrupted and reach the

a highest point who so ever reaches first.

- Encourages learning through

destinations under certain conditions.

• at any stage of the game one can judge

economy

interaction.

the winner by collecting certain number

It was focused on developing a board and

Game Play:

of commodities and cards.

a card game essentially for an age group

In this board game , the game play is

• Depending on the money the player has

of 8 & above as at this age, one develops

to score the maximum by trading the

or lost.

analytical skills and is eager to know basic

resources while traveling from one place

knowledge of all subjects,

to the other knowing the speciality of

making it a social / family game which

each state.

End parameters:

supports mental stimulation.

The game ends when the player reaches Possible outcome:

the final destination with all his objectives

Players Roles:

The game has

• In a game, players need to play a role.

system, in which there are countless

• In this game the player is a trader who

possible outcomes, determined by the

a very unpredictable

travels all round the country and

choices of the players and the interactions

trades in order to survive.

of the game elements. The outcome of

• Player plays a role of master mind who with his strategies tries to trade and

completed. Otherwise the game can also end by bankrupting the opponents.

an action is dependent on other players’ decisions.

navigates through all the hazards on the way to reach his final destination to achive his goal to be the winner.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Game play

Level 1

2-4 players

Game material: • Dice • Pieces or tokens- 4

Pick 6 location cards each

• Set of Location cards-28 • A navigation board

Choose a metropolitian city

Do not disclose the 6 location cards to your opponets

Roll the dice to start If the opponet guesses your location before Visit all 6 locations

you reach the destination, then that card will be changed

Return home

Winner of the game is the one

Loser: who loses all his money

who reaches back home first.

on the way or bankrupt.

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Game play

Level 2

Game material:

2-4 players

• Dice- optional • Pieces or tokens- 4 Pick 6 location cards

• Cards

+ 1 Destination card

- Destination cards

+ Rs. 500 each

- Set of Location cards-28 - Action cards • A navigation board

Choose a metropolitian city

• Currency

Do not disclose the 6 location cards to your opponents

Roll the dice to start

Every time you move from

Bank: Without

or Move as per the number denoted

one place to the other

trading pay route changing charges

Collect token as

Trade: purchase or sell

opponent: Collects

a record of purchase

resources

revenue from their opponent for the goods he is carrying

Survive all hazards

and not trading.

during navigation

Reach the destination with objective attained

Symbiosis Institute of Design

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Game play

Level 3

Game material:

2-4 players

• Dice- optional • Pieces or tokens- 4 Pick 6 location cards

The profession card has

+ 1 Profession card

an objective of forming

+ Rs. 500 each

an industry

• Cards - Profession cards - Set of Location cards-28 - Action cards • A navigation board

Choose a metropolitian city

• Currency

Do not disclose the 6 location cards to your opponents

Roll the dice to start

Every time you move from

Bank: Without

or Move as per the number denoted

one place to the other

trading pay route changing charges

Collect token as

Trade: purchase or sell

opponent: Collects

a record of purchase

resources

revenue from their opponent for the goods he is carrying

Survive all hazards

and not trading.

during navigation

Reach the destination with objective attained

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Function/ Game element mapping

After playtesting with designers and non designers (children) Fu n

c ti on Game s elements

Mental Stimulation

Information & Learning

Interest level

Involvement

Surprise

Challenges

Strategy of planning

Fun Factor

Structure Numbers Coins Destination card Deed card Hazard card Money

This map was based on the idea of the relation between the Game elements and functions of the game after a person has understood the rules and pattern of the game. So the map gives a very clear idea about each element in the game, how the elements combine together to make the game interesting and informative for the children to play.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Concept

The aim of the concept: • To understand the fun of

• Students not only become proficient

• With the rules and formulae for

in arithmetic by maintaining 100 %

computation, the student with practice,

accuracy in thir computations at high

can perform very fast and accurate

• To provide them a fun of fast calculation

speeds (faster than calculator), bust also

arithmetic functions.

• To create an environment to explore

proficient in other academic subjects

learning Maths- Mental Arithmetic.

while clarifying the theoretical

knowledge gained during school / classes.

Introduction:

• Abacus is a manual calculator which

too.

• So the game developed can be used as another element of calculation apart

calculations compared to the electronic

from abacus in the UCMAS class or could

calculator.

be generally played at home.

• The present educatonal system gives maximum importance to the

enables faster and more accurate

bookish way of learning

• Computation using manipulation of Why UCMAS?

the mental image of an abacus results in

• UC MAS is as an organization that has

very high speed in calculation with

• Parents have started sending children

earned a creditable position to conduct

to other classes in order to make their

programmes for large audiences - more

children more intelligent and smart.

• Taking advantage of the market some

than 3.5 lakh children have enrolled and benefitted.

• The student practicing mental arithmetic using the image of an

abacus develops extremely high levels

classes have emerged in market such as UC MAS and many more which helps

good accuracy.

• The importance of learning Abacus

of concentration and their practice in

children to calculate maths in 10 times

based Mental Arithmetic skills by young

answering to oral sums results in fine

faster than what they do usually.

children aged 4-12 years is being realized

quality listening.

• Fast calculation enhances their mental skills- concentration, visualization,

by parents in general and teachers and other academic experts in particular.

programme has been very carefully

listening- resulting in enhanced creative levels.

• Abacus based training enables children

• The speed and the accuracy levels

to feel comfortable in learning numbers

attained by the students in mental

which are abstract. The number phobia

arithmetic computation are direct result

• U C MAS Abacus Mental Arithmetic designed for stress-free learning. The progress in learning is smooth.

• So learning will take place in UCMAS

is extricated. .

and the application will be on the game.

of their ability to do mental artithmetic.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 1: Game’s Concept

Concept of my game:

Games Mechanics

After the user studies I decided to make

• Strategy

a game on the Mental Arithmetic which

• Mental skill

could be used in UCMAS as by product.

• Memory

The game I design will inculde :

• Legal mischeif

• Adittion, substration, multiplication, division of numbers

Games Material.

• Collecting and completing tasks.

Game material used for game mechanics

Based on which the basic game plan

such as:

would revolve. These elements could be used individually to create a game or

Board

clubbed together if required.

Where all the flip-flaps will be placed.

Fun factor would be:

Flip- flaps:

Immediate calculation of numbers before

Which will have the colour and the

the number of turns get over and to

numbers.

remember all the numbers and their locations which could be used for the

Task Cards:

next game. The rest would be indirect

Which will define the objective of the

gradual learning.

game. the task card will denote a sum of 3 numbers and a colour to be co-ordinated

The Game Nature:

in order to gain the task card.

Players: 2 – 6 Age range: 8+

Sand timer:

Setup time: 2 – 5 minutes

If necessary

Playing time: 10 minutes each task card Skills required : memory, concentration, mental calculation.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Game concept

This project was a learning project which was carried out at IDC , IIT - Bombay, Game design for children elective, under the guidance of Prof. Uday Athvankar.

Many branstroming sessions took place where none of the concept worked. Then I tried the otherway round by developing the hardware first.

Then still the game was not much

not interesting and had no meaning

interesting , so tried it with colours only.

to it. Then both were introduced to the

After introducing numbers and colours

board which made the game a little more

separately to the board the game was

interesting.

The hardware evolved from the chit based game where one has the curiosity to open the chit to know what is in it. This board was 6 x 6, so there were 36 chits with 4 flaps each. The machanism was tough to introduce any form of a game.

Then the harware was reduced to 3 x 3, there were 8 chits with 2 flaps each.

Numbers were introduced in the chits in order to form a game.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Logo Development

FLiP FLAP The logo’s were developed from the coloured squares used for the filp flaps.

The logo was actually the imitation of the

Final Logo

structure of flip flap.

The game was named “Flip - Flop” initially as suggested by the children who were playtested. But it sounded negative so it was refined to “Flip- Flap”.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Design Exploration

Background Graphic

Very simple background graphics were formed and basic colours were into consideration as this product would be used by a younger target audience. The colours used were red , blue, green and Final colour palette and graphic style

yellow

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Number representation and stickers Sticker size: 1.75 x 1.75 inches

9

8

7

6

All

the

possible

representation

of

numbers were formed as the board didnt have a single orientation and it had to be passed on to all the players . Due to this pass on system the board may rotate in many angles. So the numbers had to be placed according to that.

7

8

7

8

6

6

7

8

The numbers were facing both the sides which was legible from only both the sides.

9

7

6

8

6

9

9

Design Exploration

9

one of the number was placed diagonal and the other 2 numbers were placed in the top and bottom corners. Which was still not convincing.

Final: The numbers were denoted by dots which wouldn’t have any orientation. So it was easy to read it from any angle. And so it was finally chosen.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Design Exploration

Task Cards Card size: 2 x 3 inches Front :

Sum OF

Sum OF

Sum OF

Sum OF

13

14

15

16

Back: The task cards denotes the sum of 3 numbers on the flip- flap and the the a colour of which the sum has to be formed.

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Design Exploration

Instruction manual The Contents: • A Board and flip flaps.

• 4 set of straight flaps and 4 set of corner flaps.

Straight flaps

Corner flaps

• A set of 24 task cards.

• Each side of the flaps has colours Red, Blue, Yellow or Green along with numbers from 0 to 9.

• The task cards indicates a colour and a sum of three numbers to be formed.

The Setup:

Logo

• Place the corner flaps at the corners and the straight flaps in the middle of the corner flaps of the board. Shuffle the flaps.

• Shuffle the task cards and keep them inverted in a stack.

Placement of straight flaps

Placement of corner flaps

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Design Exploration Instructional manual

Instruction Illustrations Corner Flaps Task Cards

Straight Flaps

First pick up the task card then flip the

The components of the game

flaps

Open 3 numbers of same colour and which

One shouldn’t open and extra of the same

forms the sum of the number shown on the

colour.

task card

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Design Exploration Instructional manual

Final instructional manual Front

Back

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Hardware Development

Base board for the game

Base board

Flaps

Cut out board

2 acrylic sheet for base board was used of 3mm thickness. One board had the cut outs for the sockets and other was just a square base which was later stuck

6.5

.

x6

s

he

nc 5i

to each other to form one base board for the game.

3mm

6 mm

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Hardware Development

Flip Flaps Type 1: Flaps when opened flat

Flaps when folded

Type 2: Flaps when opened flat

Flaps when folded 5 mm styrene sheets to make flaps. A thin OHP sheet’s used as hinge between both the flaps. Each square flap were of 1.75 inches. The structure is a sandwich type., OHP sheet was sandwiched between two styrene sheet.

Making of the flap:

Folding of the flap:

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Made in India Contains : One unit Commodity : Toy Max. Retail Price : (Inclusive of all the Taxes) Date of manufacture : 24/1/2011 C 2011 Flip Flap (India) Ltd.

Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Packaging

Packaging template

Closed Box

2-6

+ 8 Age Players 2-6 8+ Players 2-6 Players Age 8+ Age

Opened Box

Made in India Contains : One unit Commodity : Toy Max. Retail Price : (Inclusive of all the Taxes) Date of manufacture : 24/1/2011 C 2011 Flip Flap (India) Ltd.

Players 2-6

Age 8+

Players 2-6

Age 8+

Age 8+

Players 2-6

Age 8+

Players 2-6

Assembly of Parts

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Game play

Set up the game

Game of 2 - 6 players

Player 1 picks one task

Succeds

Combination of 3 numbers of same

Fails

colour equal to the sum on the task card to be formed Task is transfered to the next player

Owns the task card

Fails

Succeds

The dumped card is stacked at the end of task cards

Has to flip 5 flaps

If all the player fail Objective: to own maximum task card

Task card is dumped

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: The Game The Packaging

The Game Set

The Elements

The game

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Board Game Design For Children

Project 2: Why successful?

This game actually worked out!

Drawback:

and why??

The initial round is totally luck based

• Its a 3 x 3 grid board game. Tough to

(depends on the number of players)

memorise but easy after certain number

till they get familiar. But gradually

of play.

memorization takes place by the

• This game is a fair game and had equal chances of wining.

children by taking turns and observing others moves.

• Game was formed by combination of numbers and colours.

• Four colours were introduced and 0-9 numbers were distributed in each colour.

• Task cards were formed on the basis of combination available on the board.

• There is uncertainity as the sum of a number is never formed by the same combinations.

• The players were very involved at every stage of the game.

• Involvement includes: counting, legal mischeif, concetration, discussion. conflicts etc.

• The game changes everytime you play as all the sets of flap could be shuffled.

• The difficulty level could be increased by increasing the size / grid of the board.

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Board Game Design For Children

Play testing

When the product was finally made, it

players and many more things. The games

was put for play testing. Where it was first

could be played better if the player has

tested with 4 players. Many interesting

already played before or he is clear with

things were being observed during

the concept of the game. The first timers

the game play. The game involves a lot

make very slow moves as compared to the

a discussing, assurity, leagal mischeif,

repeated players. It had good interaction

mind calculations, counting on fingures,

throught the game.

and forming of team, checking on other

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Board Game Design For Children

Conclusion Over the last few of months I’ve been nurturing an idea to hold a sort of casual attempt at a game design, and have learnt how to take a original game concept from the prototype to a full design docoment. I have created detailed flowcharts for every area of the game. This project has helped me to work in teams which not only helped me with better concept but also in terms of design and other documents.

Working in groups always evolves the game much better than working alone.

As a concept I have explored all

the subjects and feidld to understand the subject clearly and to understand the functions in and around it.

I have learnt a lot of new things

while designing a game. It has not only helped me design something graphically but

also

intems

of

understanding

materials and how to prototype the games. My users have helped me to undertsand children pschology in all terms which was essential for the project through out. It was an edutainment journey

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Board Game Design For Children

Bibliography Books:

• www.lumosity.com

• The Art of Game Design - A book of

• www.daviswiki.org

lenses • www.encyclopedia.thefreedictionary • Game Design Workshop - A Playcentric

.com

Approach to Creating Innovative Games • http://gamedesignconcepts.wordpress.

• Libraries Got Game - Aligned Learning

com

through Modern Board Games • www.google.com • Rules of Play - Game Design

Fundamentals Other sources: Webpages:

• IDC, IIT-Bombay library Seniors Game Design reports.

• www.wikipedia.org • Magazines • www.boardgamegeek.com • Newspapers • www.gamasutra.com • Game stores / Crossword/ Landmark • www.boardgamestation.com • www.fun.familyeducation.com • www.wired.com/geekdad

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Board Game Design For Children

CD / DVD Contents

Checklist of contents

o All open source files e.g. process documentation,

scanned

images

of rough sketches and renderings, digital images, etc.

Place for CD / DVD with Jacket

o PDF version of the report

Stick jacket with double sided tape

o Design Sticker for the cd/dvd with l

title of the project

l

project image,

l

Year

Batch

l l

Academic year on the cd.

o Final Photographic shoot of the final product, perspective view, front view, top view, side view.

o A Vinyl printable version of your product as a exhibit display in 4x3 feet size, soft copy, and final vinly mounted submission on approval of the layout.

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