Poor accessibility isn’t just when the text is in a green, curly font on a red background. It’s also when cards have to be turned the right way up to read their values. Or when the text is really small and has to be readable from a distance. When the icons look alike or don’t make sense. When your attention is naturally drawn to the wrong places. Or when it takes 30 minutes to sort the game components and the game itself is over in 5 minutes.
What makes a board game easy to learn, easy to play, and difficult to misunderstand?
And when do graphics, icons, and layout actually hinder the gaming experience?
This debate is important for those of you who design games for Fastaval, pitch to publishers, self-publish board games, or are just really passionate about other people making more of an effort.
We’re not going to discuss whether something is beautiful or ugly, but rather objective choices that determine whether a board game is easier or more difficult to play. We will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of language-neutral components, which are often used in the Nordic countries.
You are probably already thinking of some glaring examples from real life, and that’s great. If you send them to jeppe@norsker.com, they will be incorporated into the debate material so we can discuss them together. Nothing is sacred.
The examples will be reviewed during the presentation and used as a basis for joint analysis and discussion. Together, we will identify patterns and derive general principles that can be used directly in your own design. It will probably be a nice mix of Danish and English, but you will be able to grasp the main points regardless of your language skills.
Time: Saturday 12:00-14:00
Where: Otto’s stue
Number of participants: Unlimited
Language: Danish/English
Price: Free of charge
Requirements for participation: All welcome
