Nature Survival

Process:

This table-top board game was created for my Engineering 101 class. I worked with a team of five and contributed as a designer for the board map and game mechanics, coded the CPX used for fortune events and aided in Qualtrics research and playtesting. We defined our project scope as: "To create a functional prototype of a survival-themed cooperative and interactive table-top board game that incorporates at least one- laser-cut component, at least one 3D-printed component, and one Circuit Playground Express." We wanted 'Nature Survival' to incorporate luck, teamwork, shorter game length, individual-based thinking, and player engagement.

Development:

Our development consisted of researching qualities we wanted our game to embody from other board games, determining whether our cards made players more knowledgeable about nature, and coding our CPX.

The CPX Code was meant to determine whether a player picks up a high-risk or low-risk card on their turn. When it is a player's turn, they press the circuit button. The circuit will randomly pick between either the integer 1 or 0, representing high or low risk. Then, the circuit will return either all green lights for low risk or all red lights for high risk.

After playtesting, our team learned how many cards, did-you-know facts, and sabotage tiles to create for our final prototype. 

Design:

Our team conceptualized three board game concepts: 'Nature Survival,' 'Dare to Do,' and 'Collect, Survive, Win.' From here, I designed a prototype board with space for cards and the CPX in mind. When designing gameplay mechanics, I was inspired by certain features from Mario Party, as this is one of my favorite board games. I wanted to include sabotage, advancement, and mini-games. Our prototype tested these features and found they were best suited for individuals against each other; the high/low-risk cards were mini-games, and by adhering to the shorter game length, the advancement feature was discarded.

My Takeaways:

This project taught me how to design from an engineering lens, making design choices based on the costs of goods and basing concept ideas around research. Overall, it taught me how to work with and design interactive card games and board game maps. Through play testing, I learned about player experience, and I learned about design by going through multiple iterations of our concepts and gameplay mechanics.