Board Game – The Sacred Trails

Introduction & Goal

This project was born out of a desire to create an engaging and educational tool that bridges the gap between Indigenous knowledge and modern learning methods.

Product: An interactive board game designed for 2-4 players, combining collaborative and competitive mechanics to teach players about Indigenous culture and history.

Briefing: The client requested a game that could be used in schools and community centers to promote cultural awareness and understanding.

Challenge: The main challenge was to design a game that was both fun and educational, without oversimplifying or misrepresenting Indigenous culture.

Expectation: We aimed to create a game that would not only educate players but also foster empathy and respect for Indigenous traditions and knowledge. In addition, we expected all team members to have equal parts in the participation of creating the game.

Capyskill: My Capyskill was Hos.1.5 Level 10. My main goal based on my capyskill level was to develop a proactive mindset to consistently refine and enhance your work.

Instruction Cards

Process & Experience

We began by conducting extensive research on Indigenous cultures, consulting with educators to ensure authenticity and respect. The game mechanics were designed to encourage collaboration while maintaining a competitive edge.

Why this approach? We chose this approach to ensure the game was culturally sensitive and accurate. Collaboration with Indigenous communities was essential to avoid stereotypes and misrepresentation.

Unique Angle: Instead of focusing solely on historical facts, we incorporated storytelling and role-playing elements to make the experience more immersive and engaging.

Surprising Insight: During playtesting, we discovered that players were more engaged when the game included important facts from Indigenous culture, so we added a 'Story Card' feature to highlight real-life experiences.

Card Design
3D Player Pieces

The Outcome

The final product was a resounding success. Our peers reported a bigger interest and understanding of Indigenous culture, and educators praised the game for its ability to engage students in meaningful conversations. In addition, the design and composition aspect of our project was unified and exceeded our expectations.

Impact: We hope that we can work on further developing the game into something bigger.

What We Learned: This project taught us the importance of communication, team work and mutual aid. Without my team working as amazing as they did and fully showing up and doing their work none of this would have been possible.

Packaging
Game Board Design
Project Outcome

Credits & Your Role

  • Game Board: Jefferson
  • Card Design: Kamal
  • Card Content: Jason
  • 3D Player Pieces: Sophia
  • Game Instructions: Morgan
  • Website & Logo: Katerina
  • Packaging: Amandine
  • Printing, Coordination of board, and cards: Whole team