Designing a CO-OP board game targeted for girls : project: Magical Kingdoms

Designing a CO-OP board game targeted for girls : project: Magical Kingdoms

Designing a CO-OP board game targeted for girls : project: Magical Kingdoms

By Venla Kähkönen

Abstract

“This thesis studies the various aspects of tabletop game creation which should be taken into consideration when designing for children. It highlights some of the phases that occurred during the creation of an early viable product prototype, including game and visual design. The main goal was to create a compelling board game targeted mainly at girls aged 8-12. The game, a project referred to as the Magical Kingdoms, became an intuitive adventure and role-play-focused CO-OP experience set in a fantasy universe. The research used in the thesis was conducted by analysing the current tabletop game market, reading published material as well as various online studies and articles. The most utilised tools when creating the 2D visuals and icons of the product were Adobe Photoshop (2020) and Adobe Illustrator (2020). Other meaningful subtasks regarding the project include world-building, character and UX design, choosing and iterating on the gameplay mechanics, creative writing, and hands-on playtesting. Additionally, the thesis took under examination how the current board game scene represents women. These findings affect crucially some of the game’s themes shifting towards inclusivity and empowerment. One of the design goals became to inspire girls to get more involved in the tabletop game industry by creating a title aimed directly at this demographic.”

Reference

Kähkönen, V. (2022). Designing a co-op board game targeted for girls : Project: Magical kingdoms. Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/751219