The brief for the first project was given today. Our group assigned roles as a first action and exchanged email addresses/phone numbers. Those confident in what they wanted to do in the project picked their role. I opted to take part in researching various aspects of board games history and popularity, as there were a few in the group who wanted to do art primarily.
The research I'm most keen to do would detail the following:
- General history/overview of board games.
- A look into the most popular board games today, and examination into what may have caused that popularity through analysis of their common themes/traits.
Additionally, I am prepared to contribute to the conceptual/game idea areas of the project. From my own experience, I believe a board game is best when it encourages player alliances, rivalries and general interaction. Board games that allow the sabotage of other players as a means to win are generally very popular. Strategy games are also often better received than random chance games, as a win through a person's own careful planning and set up is more satisfying than a roll of the dice.
After moving into my research, I found that the most well known and long lasting games reflected this idea. Below are a few of them:
- Monopoly
- Trivial Pursuit
- Scrabble
- Cluedo
- Chess
- Cranium
- The Game of Life
Many of these games emphasize the use of strategy and skill based play to win. The exception to this observation is 'The Game of Life', which uses many luck based cards and has been criticized due to many 'decisions' made in game having very little impact on the outcome in comparison to the aforementioned life cards.
Generally speaking, games based purely on luck are marketed more toward children. Examples of this would include Snakes/Chutes and Ladders, or Candyland. However, luck-based games are frowned upon due to their not being mentally engaging and giving no lasting satisfaction in a win. Even so, in all games there is a degree of randomness in order to keep players interested in coming back again. If there was no variation in each play of a board game at all, there would be no reason to play more than once. Even in games with no real luck involvement such as chess, the variation comes in the moveset and playstyle utilized by an opponent.
Some of the financial success of a number of the board games above can be attributed to their ability to serve as a template for spin-off games and variations on their formula. While Monopoly and Cluedo are games in their own right, they are also highly adaptable and their base ruleset can be applied to different themes – allowing them to appeal to different audiences and fans of popular cultures. For example, both Cluedo and Monopoly have game versions adapted and more suited to a younger audience; they are simplified but still the same game.
Below are a few of the categories board games fit under. However, there are many board games that belong in one or more categories so this shouldn't be considered an absolute list.
- Abstract strategy games.
These are games that rely very little on luck and look more toward skill and strategy. Examples of these games would be chess or reversi.
- Dexterity games.
These are games wherein physical skill (balancing, steady hands) is required to play. An example of this would be Jenga. - Eurogames.
These games are generally tabletop based with simple rules and indirect player interaction. Eurogames also emphasize strategy and put little stock into luck or conflict. Eurogames are generally also more economic than militant in nature. Eurogames are a good middle of the road, sitting in the middle of the scale between strategy games like chess and party games such as Pictionary. An example of a eurogame would be The Settlers of Catan.
Family games are much like Eurogames, though often with more player interaction. - Roll and move games.
Games in which a player rolls the dice to move a token around the board. Many games are roll and move games while also falling into other categories. - Race games.
These are games in which the objective is the be the first to move all of your pieces to the end of a track. Race games are the earliest and most widely used kind of game. An example of a race game would be backgammon. - Trivia/Quiz games.
Self explanatory, an example being Trivial Pursuit. - Word games.
These are games based on wordplay, such as Scrabble or Boggle. - Wargames.
These games are board games that simulate a battle/war. Players generally control an army and utilize heavy strategy to win. An example of a war game would be Risk.
Depending on the category of the board game and how much luck is involved, a board game can run from any time between 10/20 minutes to several hours. However, at most a game will only keep the attention of an average player for an hour or two. War games and abstract strategy games appear to have the longest average running time, while more luck based games finish faster.
Taking into consideration all that has been said above, a good set of criteria for a simple game could be the following:
- A game with a balance of both luck and strategy. An entirely strategy based game like chess will likely be too big a task to attempt in three weeks. Abstract strategy games, while satisfying due to the elimination of random chance, are also intensely complex with entire books devoted to moves, counter-moves and overall game play. On the flip side, an entirely luck based game is unsatisfying and often childish to play, even for children. Luck based games also often end overly quickly.
- A game that is adaptable. A base template that can be used to fit other franchises and themes has more of a resell value than a game that cannot. Additionally, an adaptable game can be tailored to suit multiple audiences rather than being limited to a single crowd.
I will suggest these to the group when we meet tomorrow. Then, we can begin to brainstorm some specific ideas and start the process of design.
Visited URLs/research material:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_game#Categories
- http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/big-game-hunter-the-search-for-the-next-monopoly-1813587.html?action=Gallery
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