Tabletop games combine narrative, rules, and visual design. Player actions generate events, while the cards, board, tokens, and other components help guide the unfolding story. It is crucial for the designer to consider how the game looks, what choices are presented to the participants, and how clearly the rules are explained.

In this course, students will learn about the structure of board games and fundamental game mechanics, develop their own concept, and test it using a simple paper prototype. They will then develop a visual style, master Adobe Illustrator tools to design the game components, and prepare the layouts for printing. Special attention will be paid to testing—observing players, discussing difficulties, and refining the rules and design.

The outcome of the course will be a playable, printed prototype of a board game, complete with components and instructions. At the final presentation, participants will showcase their projects and host gameplay sessions for their classmates.

This course is perfect for:

Course Prerequisites

Before beginning the course, students should be able to: ◆ possess basic computer skills: create folders, open, and save files; ◆ read short instructions and follow a sequence of actions; ◆ have experience participating in at least one board game to discuss familiar gameplay situations.

Proficiency in drawing or prior knowledge of Adobe Illustrator is not required.

For the sessions, you will need a computer with Adobe Illustrator, access to a printer, paper, cardboard, scissors, glue, and a ruler.

Throughout this course, students will learn to:

During the course, students will complete the following assignments:

1. Tabletop Game as a System
Types of board games. Objective, rules, player actions, and components. Competition versus cooperation. The role of chance and choice. The relationship between the game’s design and its content and usability.
Composition: mini-lecture, play tests, collaborative analysis.
Assessment element: tabletop game study.2. Concept and Audience of Your Own Game
Sources of ideas: interests, everyday situations, fictional worlds. Who is the game for, and under what circumstances will it be played? Number of participants, game duration, and available materials. Selecting a feasible project scale.
Composition: mini-lecture, ideation workshop, discussion.
Assessment element: concept outline for the author’s game.3. Game Mechanics and Turn Structure
Actions available to the player and their consequences. Movement, set collection, trading, resource management, and other simple mechanics. Turn order, limitations, win/loss conditions, and game termination. The interplay between choice and chance.
Composition: lecture with examples, practical exercises, consultations.
Assessment element: game mechanic diagram.4. Quick Paper Prototype
Testing an idea using paper, cardboard, and household items. Using symbols instead of detailed artwork. Minimal components required for a trial game. The ability to quickly alter values, actions, and rules.
Composition: demonstration, practical workshop.
Assessment element: paper prototype project.5. Initial Testing and Mechanic Refinement
Organizing a playtest. Observing player decisions, turn lengths, and emerging difficulties. Identifying situations where participants are idle or the outcome becomes predictable. Testing individual changes.
Composition: play lab, discussion, consultations.
Assessment element: results study

6. Visual Language of Board Games
Connecting the visual design to the game’s theme and mood. Color, typography, form, and graphical iconography. Distinguishing between card and object types. Selecting visual references and developing an original solution. Readability of text and symbols.
Content: mini-lecture, example analysis, design workshop.
Assessment: Presentation of the visual concept.7. Adobe Illustrator: Tools for Game Graphics
Program workspace, artboards, layers, and file saving. Creating and transforming basic shapes. Fills, strokes, alignment, and grouping. Combining shapes and working with paths. Creating icons and simple graphic elements for the game.
Content: demonstrations, hands-on computer exercises, one-on-one consultations.
Assessment: Exercise creating a set of vector symbols.8. Adobe Illustrator: Card and Component Mockups
Component sizing and structure. Working with text, images, and repeating elements. Placement of titles, values, and hints. Creating templates and card variations. Reviewing the design at actual size.
Content: computer workshops, mid-term review, consultations.
Assessment: Graphic mockup project.9. Rulebook and Game Explanation
Instruction structure: set contents, setup, objective, turn order, and game conclusion. Sequencing the explanation of new concepts. Simple phrasing, examples, and diagrams. Consistency of terminology between the rules and the components.
Content: example review, editorial workshop, peer review.
Assessment: Instruction manual project.

10. Print Preparation and Game Assembly
Verification of dimensions, safety margins, bleeds, and image quality. PDF preparation and test printing. Combining front and back sides of cards when necessary. Cutting, mounting on a base, assembling the board, and checking completeness.
Composition: demonstration, computer work, printing, and assembly workshop.
Outcome: printed kit design.11. Testing the Finished Set
Participants test the game independently by reading the instructions. Observation of component readability, information retrieval, and rule comprehension. Distinguishing between mechanical and design issues. Refining and rechecking modified elements.
Composition: play lab, discussion, practical refinement.
Outcome: game experience study and corrected prototype.12. Presentation and Gameplay Demonstration
Brief presentation of the concept, mechanics, and design. Explanation of major project revisions. Demonstration rounds, discussion of results, and potential future development directions.
Composition: presentations, gameplay demonstration, final discussion.
Outcome: final project presentation.

Printed prototype of a self-designed board game, including: a set of necessary components: cards, game board, tokens, or other elements; a clear instruction manual; graphic layouts in Adobe Illustrator and print-ready files; a brief presentation of the concept and testing results.

The recommended scope—a game for two to four players with a play time of 15 minutes or more and a small variety of component types. The specific composition of the set will be determined by the game mechanics.

The curriculum is structured around a single project that progresses through idea development, paper prototyping, testing, graphic design, and final printing. The following are utilized: → Lectures and example analysis—to study game mechanics and board game design principles; → Workshops—for developing paper prototypes, creating mockups in Adobe Illustrator, and assembling game sets; → Gameplay testing—to validate rules, the clarity of iconography, and component usability; → Individual consultations—to address mechanics and design challenges in original game creation; → Mid-project reviews and refinement—to improve projects based on feedback; → Final presentation and playtesting—for discussing outcomes and the future development of the games.