Serious Tabletop Game Design and Development

We had a great chat with Dr. Devon Allcoat and Chris Evans from the University of Warwick on Twitch about their games design course. It is a terrific take on designing and publishing games and will be of interest to anyone interest or thinking of designing and publishing a game.

"The University of Warwick are teaching board game design in a module called “Serious Tabletop Game Design and Development”.

The module is available specifically to existing University of Warwick undergraduate students, but it is available to students from different courses and specialities.

During the pandemic the module has continued in a digital format, using existing online tools and software for game creation.

The module takes a holistic approach to board game design, looking at everything from mechanics, to narrative, to accessibility, to technology, and more.

A variety of theory is used to teach this: design thinking, motivational design, product design, game theory, systems thinking, pedagogy, psychology, and sales and marketing.

Taught by Dr Devon Allcoat and Chris Evans, as well as a number of experts across various specialties, students will complete a full board game design by the end of the module.

The students focus on creating a serious board game based on their main department and course, as the module looks at how games can be used for teaching and learning.

They learn about all the stages of making a game, from inception, through to design and manufacture. Practical advice and experience is shared from individuals and companies within the board game industry, through interviews with them, or guest speaker sessions.

For a special look at one of the interviews, which was conducted using student questions, see here.

Find out more about the module here and subscribe to hear more about their upcoming board game Entrepreneur (the game that makes a game) here".