Using board games in video game design: A university experience

Abstract

This research raises the possibility of using modern non-digital games in the university training context specialized in game design. The main objective is to analyze the potential of non-digital games to improve understanding of the mechanical, dynamic, and narrative elements. This academic experience uses a selection of modern board games in a first year subject in a university degree program focused on game design during two academic courses. In each course a group of students learned the content of game design using traditional methods while the other used a selection of modern board games. The main results show a marked improvement in analytical strategies for students to increase their ability to detect and reveal the mechanics and dynamics of games rather than subsuming all within a monolithic and exclusive vision of a narrative cut.