I’ve started designing board games as a hobby following the first wave of the pandemic. I strongly believe that a class in board game design will be an excellent addition to any curriculum. The process of creating a board game perfectly aligns with the design thinking process. It involves -

1.  Looking. Exposure to the rapidly expanding and highly innovative world of board games and its benefits over digital games (*spoiler alert* - social interaction).

2.  Asking questions. Before starting the design process, the creators must define their game by asking many questions. A few examples - What is the target audience? What is the experience the game wishes to convey? How many players can the game support? How is the game played? What does a game turn look like? What are the victory conditions? Do the players play against each other or cooperate?

3.  Understand. What similar games have already been developed? Which mechanics \ themes \ platforms \ technologies already exist and work best for the game? A lot of research is required in order to create a successful game. Online resources are plentiful, and the community is big and very supportive.

4.  Navigate - After researching, the designers brainstorm to come up with some truly creative ideas. The process itself often yields unexpected positive results which can launch a different game, and sometimes a completely new product!

5.  Create - Making a prototype is a key element of any board game. It can be a pen-and-paper handout, a 3D printed model, a digital product on designated platforms, a mobile app, or any combination of the above.

6.  Highlight - “Playtesting” is a staple in the design process. Just because you think your game is great, it doesn’t mean others will feel the same. Creators must repeat this step many times, noting what works and fixing what doesn’t.

7.  LAUNCH - For the more “entrepreneurially oriented”, publishing a game is a unique challenge. Should you sell your game to distributers and let them deal with all the logistics, in exchange for a significantly reduced profit margin? If not, who will do the accounting \ legal \ art \ content writing etc.? How do you create an online buzz before the game is released? Should you fund your game on a crowdfunding platform - such as Kickstarter - and which one best suits your need? How many copies will you print? Will you print the game in physical proximity to your target audience - such as the US or Europe - and pay a premium, or print it cheap in China and risk lower quality?

 

This is only a fraction of the scope of the full product cycle of creating a board game. As someone who has spent most of his professional life in the startup stratosphere, I believe it is an extremely entrepreneurial endeavor which teaches modern work skills to all who undertake it. I fully intend to incorporate this experience in my students’ curriculum to help prepare them to the modern work environment, instill them with the joy of creation and (perhaps most important) play lots of games in the process 😊

good qualities and use it where they are.

The article mentions that More than a dozen teachers have become millionaires on Teachers Pay Teachers.                                                                                                                                            

Which is A new marketplace for teachers to   find, share, and create new digital materials for the classroom.

We can create our own "teachers pay teachers " in Israel.