The last two decades have seen an absolute explosion in both interest in and production of hobbyist board games, due in no small part to the role of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter. In this course, we will explore how the design of modern board games differs from the classic family games with which many of us grew up (Monopoly, Risk, etc.), as well as the role that technical writing performs in facilitating this unique form of play. In small design groups, students will create their own unique board game prototype, perform playtesting data collection and analysis as part of an iterative design process, and produce multimedia materials to pitch their game on a draft Kickstarter page.

Course Requirements:

This is a project-based course that requires students to produce work both independently and as part of a small design team of approximately 4 students. In the first unit, students will create an accessibility teardown (4-6 pages) of a modern board game to assess potential design flaws that make the game unintentionally inaccessible to players. In the second unit, students will be working in small design teams to produce a prototype for a new board game (physical components such as cards/board/3D-printed game pieces, printed rulebook, etc.: Varying length) and the multimedia materials needed for a successful Kickstarter page (promotional video, graphics describing funding tiers/add-ons, written copy to describe the project, etc). All projects include a preliminary design plan and a reflective post-mortem.

No mid-term, no final exam. 

Intended Audience:

This course is accessible to all undergraduate students at all levels, including both those minoring in Digital Studies as well as those who simply have an abiding interest in game design and digital marketing. We welcome all students, whether you spend entire weekends playing Twilight Imperium or haven’t touched a board game since that one time you played Uno with your family.

Class Format:

Fully in-person