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 :_____________________________
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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.
Symbiosis Institute of Design
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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
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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
21
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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