ABSTRACT
This paper describes the development of "Lights Out," a tabletop board game based on motorsport racing. The game requires players to manage a racing team's operations and compete in a season of racing by presenting random scenarios related to standard race events and anomalies. The game's NFC component enables players to scan physical "trading cards" using an NFC-enabled device to access information on drivers, team history, budget, attribute cards, and team resources, which adds depth to the gameplay and increases engagement.
The paper discusses the design process, including ideation, game mechanics and rules, playtesting, material selection, and marketing strategies. The author uses an iterative design process and lean design methodology to create an immersive gameplay experience that captures the essence of motorsport.
"Lights Out" offers a unique multimedia experience for both fans and newcomers to motorsport, given the increasing popularity of board games and motorsport.
INTRODUCTION
“Lights Out” is a motorsport-centric strategic tabletop board game in which the players compete with each other to succeed in a season of racing. Players take on the role of the “Team Principal”, a role which is responsible for the overall management and operation of a racing team. Players will be presented with randomised scenarios related to occurrences in a standard race and on occasion anomalies. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
“Lights Out” exists as a departure from the traditional independent board game. It offers a highly competitive and immersive resource management experience, where players can manage the performance of drivers, staff, and finance in a thrilling season of motorsport. No other board game in the niche market covers these areas, making “Lights Out” the perfect choice for anyone seeking a unique and challenging experience.
The NFC component of “Lights Out” allows players to use any NFC-enabled device to scan physical “trading cards” to access information on their chosen drivers, team history, budget, attribute cards and team resources available. Additionally, players can scan their competitors’ cards to gain insights and make informed strategic decisions in the game. This feature adds a new layer of context and depth to the gameplay, increasing its immersion and engagement.
There is a noticeable gap in the niche market of motorsport-related board games. “Lights Out” intends to be an innovative multi-media experience capitalising off the resurgence of board games in tandem with the rapidly growing motorsport viewership recorded internationally.
“The 2022 season also became the first in U.S. television history to average 1 million or more viewers per race. For 2021, F1 reported a global TV audience of 1.55 billion.” (Brown, 2023)
“The global board game market has an estimated value between $11 billion and $13.4 billion and is projected to grow by about 7 to 11 per cent within the next 5 years” (Peiser, 2022)
“Lights Out” questions the player whether a die-hard fan or a newcomer to motorsport; “You’re in charge, how will you win?”’.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As the game designer and creator, it is essential to develop a distinctive and captivating game concept that attracts and sustains players’ engagement throughout the game. The process involves ideating fresh ideas that are innovative and appealing to the target market while enhancing the initial concept to increase excitement and interest.
Game mechanics and rules play a crucial role in board game design, particularly in reflecting the game’s motorsport theme, fostering player immersion in the game’s world. Properly designed mechanics and rules create a cohesive experience that increases the gameplay depth, attracting and retaining players’ interests. A unique game experience is a vital factor in sustaining repeat plays and word-of-mouth promotion.
Playtesting is critical in improving the overall game experience by identifying and addressing any issues that may detract from the game’s enjoyment in solo and group playthroughs. This step helps to refine the game design, making it more enjoyable and immersive for players.
Selecting high-quality materials and working with established manufacturers enhances the overall game experience. Components such as the board, cards, and game pieces must be visually appealing, tactile, and functional, designed to immerse the player into the game’s world. The components should reflect the player’s team of choice, resembling open-seat vehicles, further immersing the player in the game world.
Marketing and generating promotional materials are crucial to ensure that the game reaches its target audience and generates interest and awareness. Creating a compelling message and utilising appropriate channels to increase the game’s chances of success. Creating a demo expansion pack beyond the final-year project will provide proof of concept for the game’s potential.
METHODOLOGY & METHODS
As the sole designer of “Lights Out”, I was tasked with creating a gameplay experience that was both challenging and engaging while capturing the essence of motorsport. This required a methodical and strategic approach to the design process to ensure that the final product would meet these expectations. After evaluating several design methodologies, I concluded that the Iterative Design Process and Lean Design were the most suitable for creating “Lights Out”.
The iterative design process [Fig One] involves creating a basic version of the game, testing it, and refining it based on feedback and observations made from playtesting. This methodology was particularly suitable for board game design because it allowed for the game’s mechanics and components to be improved continuously.
The iterative design process is a design methodology that involves creating a prototype or a basic version of a product, testing it, analysing the feedback and observations made during testing, and refining the product based on the feedback to create an improved version. This process is repeated until the final product meets the desired standards.
According to Harvard Business Review, "The iterative approach is the heart of the design thinking process. It’s a hands-on approach that relies on prototyping and testing in order to learn and refine as you go" (Brown, 2008).
For “Lights Out”, the iterative design process allowed me to test the basic version of the game and observe the players’ interactions. The observations made during playtesting allowed for changes to be made to the game’s rules, mechanics, or components to enhance the gameplay experience. This process was repeated until I was satisfied with the final product and ready for publication. The iterative design process facilitated the continual refinement of the game’s core mechanics, resulting in a game that was both challenging and engaging.
Additionally, the lean design methodology emphasises speed, flexibility, and playtester feedback to create products that meet customer needs as efficiently as possible. The methodology places a strong emphasis on customer discovery to understand the needs, wants, and behaviours of target customers.
The lean design methodology is a design approach that emphasises speed, flexibility, and customer feedback to create products that meet customer needs efficiently. It involves testing the product with customers to identify their needs and preferences, and then rapidly iterating and improving the product based on this feedback.
According to Harvard Business Review, "Lean thinking defines value as providing benefit to the customer; anything else is waste. In order to create value, design teams need to focus on understanding customer needs and then experimenting with different approaches to meet those needs as quickly and efficiently as possible" (Liedtka & Ogilvie, 2011).
For “Lights Out”, the lean design methodology enabled me to focus on creating a product that met the players' needs and expectations as quickly and efficiently as possible. Lean design's emphasis on playtester feedback enabled me to gain valuable insights into the game's mechanics and adjust them accordingly to create a more enjoyable game. The methodology's emphasis on customer discovery also ensured that the final product was tailored to the needs and wants of the target audience, resulting in a more engaging and satisfying gameplay experience.
Throughout the design process, the iterative design process and lean design methodologies complemented each other. The iterative design process allowed me to continuously improve the game mechanics based on playtesting feedback, while the lean design methodology enabled me to identify and prioritise the target audience's needs to create a more engaging gameplay experience. These methodologies allowed me to refine the game's mechanics, ensure that the game was fun, balanced, and enjoyable to play and create a product that met the target audience's needs and expectations.
The iterative design process and lean design methodologies were the most effective for the development of “Lights Out”. These methodologies allowed me to refine the game’s mechanics, ensure that the game was fun, balanced, and enjoyable to play and create a product that met the target audience’s needs and expectations. The success of “Lights Out” can be attributed to the careful consideration of the design methodologies during the development process. The iterative design process and lean design methodologies represent an effective framework for designing games that are both challenging and engaging while meeting the needs of the target audience.
DISCUSSION
As a final-year Creative Digital Media student, being able to create a board game like "Lights Out" all on my own is a source of pride for me. Developing a board game from scratch required a lot of time, effort, and dedication. It required me to apply a range of skills and knowledge in game design, graphic design, and project management. As the sole designer of "Lights Out", I was responsible for every aspect of the game's design and production, from conceptualization to playtesting and distribution. The experience taught me valuable lessons about the design process, project management, and creative problem-solving.
The creation of the board game involved developing the game mechanics, designing the board, components, and app screens, and creating 10 fictional teams, 20 fictional drivers, and physical trading cards. In retrospect, there are a few things I would have done differently to make the process smoother and more efficient.
One of the key lessons learned during the production phase was the importance of playtesting. As the sole designer of the game, I had a clear idea of how the game should be played and what the rules were. However, during playtesting, it became apparent that some of the rules were confusing or unclear. Additionally, some of the mechanics did not work as intended. Playtesting allowed for these issues to be identified and addressed, resulting in a game that was more polished and enjoyable to play.
The NFC technology used in the game required specific hardware and software to function correctly. It was essential to ensure that the game's components, such as the board and the cards, were compatible with the NFC technology used. Through testing, I learned that some hardware and software were not compatible, which resulted in the game not functioning as expected. I realized that compatibility testing should be conducted early in the development process to avoid any delays and complications later on.
Another lesson I learned was the importance of simplicity in design. While it can be tempting to create a complex and intricate board game with many different elements, it is essential to strike a balance between complexity and simplicity. The game should be easy to understand and play, with clear rules and instructions that are easy to follow. This required careful consideration of the game's mechanics and a focus on streamlining the game to create a more enjoyable and engaging experience for players.
One of the things that I learned during the board design process is the importance of considering the size and shape of the board. The board for "Lights Out" is designed to be a square shape, the size of the board can affect the number of players who can play the game and the overall complexity of the game.
I would also aim to simplify the design even further, to make the game more accessible and easier to play for a wider range of players. This would involve reducing the number of elements on the board and cards and streamlining the game mechanics to create a more intuitive and enjoyable experience.
In the initial version of the game, some mechanics were overpowered, while others were underpowered. This resulted in an imbalanced gameplay experience that was not enjoyable for all players. Through iteration and playtesting, the game mechanics were balanced, resulting in a more enjoyable and fair gameplay experience.
Despite the lessons learned during the production phase, there were several aspects of the process that could have been improved or done differently. One area for improvement was the initial design phase. While the initial prototype was functional, it lacked some of the key mechanics that made the final version of the game challenging and engaging. In future design processes, more time could be devoted to the initial design phase to ensure that the game has a strong foundation before playtesting begins.
In conclusion, "Lights Out" is a thrilling board game that combines the excitement of motorsport with the strategy of a board game. With unique components like NFC-enabled trading cards and a mobile app, it delivers a cutting-edge gameplay experience that will keep players engaged for hours.
APPENDICES
Fig One
Lights Out Iterative Process Illustrated
REFERENCES
Brown, M. (2023) “Inside The Numbers That Show Formula 1’s Popularity And Financial Growth,” Forbes, 29 March. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2023/03/29/inside-the-numbers-that-show-formula-1s-popularity-and-financial-growth/?sh=1cb88f9b4df6.
Brown, T. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6), 84-92.
Liedtka, J., & Ogilvie, T. (2011). Designing for growth: A design thinking tool kit for managers. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Peiser, J. (2022) “We’re in a golden age of board games. It might be here to stay.,” The Washington Post, 24 December. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/24/board-game-popularity/.