Seven Sands is a fun board game based on 'Life in the Desert' - the result of a two-week intensive game design course at IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. It features intricate mechanics and compelling storytelling, providing a unique and engaging player experience.
Timeline
3 weeks
Collaborators
Laksh Rajpal
Jishnu Diwakar
Me!
The Brief
To design an engaging and educational board game based on a middle school textbook chapter, aimed at children aged 8 and above, the game should facilitate learning through play by reinforcing key concepts and knowledge from the chosen chapter.
The Game
The name is derived from the 7*7 board (or mat in our case) that the game utilises. Players assume the role of nomads journeying across an isolated desert. Their goal is to collect resources by uncovering the game tiles and build a settlement. Players will encounter various challenges as they uncover resources, which may hinder their progress. Additionally players have the opportunity to trade resources and share settlement spaces.
Core Principles of the Game
Balance
Offers a fair playing field with equal opportunity and resource variety
Play-tests and Validation
We started by building a pilot version of the game printing desert elements and cutting them into square tiles. These were placed face down in a grid and players collected them by flipping them over (digging through the sand!). Player movements are decided by rolling a D4 (4-sided) die. We then improvised challenges and conditions, ensuring they were logical and strategic through multiple play-tests, until everything made sense for the game.
