10.13 - you know that warm, fuzzy feeling?

Our first class of the week was more and more playtesting. I was grateful for the extra insight into how we could improve our game. Even more than that, though, there is something so special about watching someone play your game. And it's really not about them figuring out how it works or complimenting the mechanics; it is the togetherness. Calleja describes this as sociality. Sociality is simply the tendency for people or groups to form social bonds. Games, more specifically board games, do a great job of producing this form of community. The structure of board games creates an environment where “we are not just doing something together but coordinating our abilities” to reach certain goals (Calleja, 2022, p. 96). Game rules can take the anxiety out of the experience of being together in a world where that is not as common as it used to be.

Last week, I talked a lot about our game, now called Frequent Flyers, feeling like Uno! reincarnate (even though Uno definitely hasn’t gone anywhere). This feeling I was experiencing was because our game lacked any character. Funny enough, the answer was right there - we needed to add characters. The major thing that makes our game distinct from Uno! is the fact that you can choose your “traveler type.” Up until Wednesday, our travelers were just called child, with dog, family, and businessman. But now we have The Andersons! and so many other inviting and relatable characters. Designing with emotions is arguably “what attracts people to board games,” according to some game designers that Engelstein interviewed (Calleja, 2022, p. 100). This immediately elevated Frequent Flyers, making it even more of a warm social experience. 

Calleja, Gordon. Unboxed: Board Game Experience and Design, MIT Press, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ttu/detail.action?docID=30160844.