1 Educational Board Game Design Strengths of Board Games ...

In Search of Elegance• Elegance = congruity between the formsof the game and structures within thecontent, such as...•Movement through space, time•Shortcuts•Obstacles•Patterns of elements•Prizes, trophies, treasuresExample Content+GameStructures• Content: Movement through space ortime•Getting a Masters degree•Stages of digestion•Evolution•The process of impeachment• Game: paths in a race gameExample Content+GameStructures• Content: Shortcuts•Marrying into money•Mutation•Scientific breakthrough•Finding the “smoking gun”Example Content+GameStructures• Content: Obstacles•Insufficient money or other resources•Not enough votes•Mountains or deserts to cross•Lack of data• Game: jumping along or between pathsin a race game• Game: blockage in paths in a racegame or the absence of a pathExample Content+GameStructures• Content: Patterns of Elements as Goal•Balanced meals•Balanced life•Electoral College votes• Game: acquisition of cards or tokens inparticular combinationsExample Content+GameStructures• Content: Elements with different levelsof power•Superintendent vs Principal vs. teacher•Large countries vs small•Microsoft vs just about anyone else• Game: use of game pieces that canmove more flexibly or that canovercome other pieces2