Happy to see you again!
Limitations
Limiting oneself to a specific theme, game length, and target demographic for a board game serves as a strategic foundation that fosters creativity and practicality. A well-defined theme provides a narrative framework, enhancing player immersion and creating a cohesive gaming experience. While setting a clear game length, establishes expectations for players and ensures a balanced and engaging flow. Moreover, defining a target demographic allows for a tailored approach, ensuring that the game's features and complexity align with the preferences and expectations of the intended audience. These “limitations” are guiding parameters, for more focused creativity and a clearer design process. But only time will tell. So let's kick off with a theme!
Theme
I started with a rapid ideation session to brainstorm ideas and unclog daily dullness. It's a powerful method for quickly exploring various possibilities and pushing the boundaries of my imagination. It is important to not judge your ideas just yet, let them freely flow, since the purpose of this exercise was to focus on the quantity of ideas and not the quality of the ideas.
Through this process, I managed to curate a list of 20 distinct and captivating ideas of themes for the board game, each with the potential for exciting adventures and experiences. Feel free to reuse the themes for your game projects!
Selecting a theme proved to be a challenging task. As this game holds a personal significance for me and revolves around the process of learning game development, a key aspect is that I derive enjoyment from its creation. In this pursuit, I realized that certain themes on the storyboard lack the element of “inspiration” for me. Consequently, I decided to eliminate 15 out of the 20 ideas based on my instinctive gut feeling.
To make the final selection and to offer a glimpse into the potential adventures awaiting players, I crafted concise short stories for each remaining scenario. These narratives serve as sparks, illuminating the diverse possibilities within each theme. Whether navigating the intricate mechanisms of a Steampunk World, embarking on epic quests in a Mystical Fantasy Realm, unraveling corporate intrigues in a Cyberpunk Dystopia, confronting the ethical challenges of a Robotic Rebellion, or undertaking heroic feats in an Epic Viking saga, they will be paving the way for me to envision players roles and quests within these captivating game scenarios.
I found myself choosing "Epic Norse Mythology" as the game theme was deeply rooted in a resonance with my cultural heritage. Drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of Viking lore and ancient Norse myths, I felt a personal connection that fueled the creative process. The clash of mighty warriors on epic quests, the pursuit of legendary relics, and the exploration of the intricate relationships between gods and mortals promised a dynamic and hypnotic gaming experience.
Target Audience
Defining a target audience provides a clear roadmap for game development, guiding design choices to align with the preferences and expectations of a specific player demographic. It ensures that the gaming experience is finely tuned to meet the needs and interests of the intended audience. To play with my friends, all of whom enjoy different levels of complexity of games, the primary target audience is therefore a more casual group of players, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility in its design. The game “should” be designed to be a versatile experience that seamlessly accommodates both new and experienced players within the same session. Its design should ensure that the gameplay is engaging enough to capture the interest of my more seasoned friends while remaining approachable for those newer to the board gaming world. By tending to an environment where different skill levels can enjoy the game together, the aim is to create a social and enjoyable experience that transcends expertise, making it an ideal choice for gatherings and game nights among friends with varied gaming backgrounds.
Game length
Based on a more casual audience, I've set my sights on an optimal session duration that aligns to provide a quick and engaging diversion between more substantial and lengthy board games. Recognizing the value of variety in a gaming session, the aim is to create a shorter game that seamlessly fits into the gaming repertoire and meet player expectations. What is a short game then?! A short game might be relative for anyone but I see a short game ranging between 20-40 min. Later, playtesting will later prove what the “optimal session” should be.
Decisions made:
Theme: Epic Norse Mythology
Game length: Shorter game (~30-40min)
Target audience: Casual players
"What level of complexity do you prefer in board games?"
The more complex the better!
I prefer easy and quick games!
I usually never play boardgames
Thanks for stopping by! Next time I'll do some research about the vikings to get a basic understanding of who they were, how they lived, and who they worshiped.
See you then!
Cheers
/C
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