Board Game: Structure and Engagement

Introduction

After working with my team in creating our own unique board game, its important to understand its structure and key elements within it that give first time users a more in depth description of what to expect.

Formal Elements

Objective: 
-When discussing the board game that my team and I are in the process of working on, the main objective is to reach the maximum number of points in order to win. A great comparison to this is the game mode "domination" in basically all of the Call of Duty Games. Furthermore, the goal is for teams to reach the maximum points being 200 in order to win. The only difference with the board game my team and I are creating is that there are no teams, and each player is playing on their own.

Procedures:
-Like most other board games, the method of play in my team's board game is to roll a pair of dice and move how ever many spaces you can. Same thing can apply to how most games start. In order to decide who goes first, each player must roll the dice, and whoever gets the highest number gets to go first. However, what makes the board game with my team more unique is that certain procedures can lead you to earning more points which can lead you to victory. Furthermore, since some spaces reward you with points, a players luck with their dice rolls can almost promise them a victory.

Elements of Engagement:

Character:
-One fairly unique element of the board game with my team is that the players get to choose different characters with different identities. For example, since the game is graveyard themed, there are different characters such as a zombie, gravedigger, skeleton, etc. This can be compared to the game "Life" which has the same concept of choosing different characters with varied identities. In addition, this makes the overall experience of the game more entertaining rather than just a simple method of picking a piece of different colors.

Challenge:
-While it may seem like my team and I's board game is mostly based on luck, there is actually a challenging aspect within it since some actions require strategical play. In addition, my team and I have been discussing about rewarding players with either weapons or other abilities if they reach a certain number of points, but this can hurt them in the long run if not used properly. This adds a risk factor in the game which can turn out to be more fun of an experience. This can be compared to games like Mario party where certain spaces grant players with abilities like mushrooms that allow them to move extra spaces. However, just like our board game, if not used carefully it can only do more harm than good to players.

Conclusion:

In terms of points of game design, I think that my team's board game mostly applies to my personal favorites which is "fun" and "win/loss." What makes the game tie into the fun aspect for me is that not only does it somewhat revolve around luck but it also requires some strategical play which is what makes a game's experience that much more enjoyable. Furthermore, because it mostly revolves around luck, that also means that just about anyone can play the game, and nobody has an advantage over anyone else. In terms of the win/loss aspect, I think our board game can also reflect off of this since the objective is to reach a point cap in order to win. This is a positive process because the game can encourage competitiveness among players which I think is an important trait to have.