Over the course of seven weeks we have worked on a scimatics project called Tectonic Chances. The driving question of this project was “How are thematic and mathematical elements used in game design?” We were also focusing on gaining a greater understanding about tectonic plates and probability. We learned about this by creating a board game with a partner. I did mine with my friend Charlie. Our board game was called “Humans vs. Aliens.” I’ll explain our game in a bit.

When we started out we created a mind map that included questions, thoughts, and ideas we had about the topic. We then learned about tectonic plates and probability through textbook pages and workbooks. We also learned about board games in this stage. We then applied our knowledge through a written vocabulary choices document where we had to use terms that we had learned about tectonic plates and apply them to loose game concepts that we came up with. To demonstrate our knowledge we also did some online quizzes.

In the next stage we started working on our board games. We started this process by getting in our groups and creating our rules. Our rules went through many revisions to ensure that the game was ready to be created. Charlie and I had a hard hard time making both teams equal, as the game has two distinct teams. Once we finished our rules, we designed our cards, game board, and game pieces. Here are some photos of our completed game:

When everybody’s games were done, we played some of the other groups games and others played our game. This part was really fun. At the end of the project we revisited our mind map and made a second version of it.

When looking back, I think that I did pretty well on this project. Here is my self assessment:

To answer the driving question, I think that thematic and mathematical elements play into most games created. Thematic elements allow us to visualize and understand the elements that go on in the game. Mathematical elements are used to create depth to the game and make it replayable. This project has helped me create a deeper understanding of how these elements are used in game design.