This is a project I work on for fun: Gaming the Cultural Moment
This long term project aims to depict the complexities American farmers face to maintain profitability amidst the backdrop of geopolitical & climate crises.
This self-directed semester-long project was part of a course requiring the development of my own project brief clarifying project goals & factors involved in achieving them. It gave me the opportunity to explore a specific design problem in my areas of interest & develop it comprehensively as a thesis throughout the semester. I became interested in designing a board game that reflected geopolitical narratives around farming & could inform people about these issues. In this game, farming instincts will be put to the test as players try to yield more soybeans bushels than their competition amidst life-altering circumstances.
In the midst of my deep research process and design exploration, unfortunately, COVID-19 hit the tail end of my senior year and I wasn’t able to fully realize this project as I intended. It quickly turned into a passion project that I hope to one day develop into a fully realized physical board game.
Below you will see the phases I tackle to bring this game to life. I have since developed game mechanics, design deliverables, & a constantly growing rule book. Designing a board game can’t be done in 1 day or even 1 whole semester, so through trial and error in gameplay, this will be something I work on for a while. Track my progress here:
Phase 1: Formulation
Conduct intensive research identifying an area of exploration, define the parameters of the game, & develop a bibliography cataloguing the knowledge investigated.
(A small selection of research materials)
Phase 2: Conceptualization
Develop mind maps to outline conceptual, individual, and group player dynamics. Test out game mechanics, which are the specific actions that are implemented in the game.
(Initial planning: paper post-it notes)
(Edited planning: digital post-it notes)
Phase 3: Design Exploration
Visualize my topic spatially by exploring a draft of content elements such as forms, structures, images, & typography.
(Wireframing)
Phase 4: Design Development
Finalize design direction and refine all content elements. Clarify how players will be engaged in the mechanic & visual content of the game.
(Initial draft)
Phase 5: Production
Produce prototype after prototype to gain feedback through play-testing with others and record any observations and critiques. This phase will repeat over and over and over again until the game runs smoothly.
Reminder: Generate FUN!
This can get lost in the development of a project about a serious topic, so I must keep in mind how I can encourage discourse about the struggles of farming while generating an enjoyable experience to play with others.