The Warrior In You Game Design

The Warrior in You Game Design is an innovative educational board game that combines elements of fantasy role-playing with psychological development tools, specifically designed to help students aged 10 and above develop healthy coping mechanisms for academic stress. This therapeutically-informed game design, which earned recognition with an Iron A' Design Award in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design category, creates a safe space for young individuals to explore and practice emotional resilience through gamified experiences. The game's architecture consists of a sophisticated A2-sized board featuring a palace backdrop, five hexagonal island boxes, and four warrior boards, complemented by well-being coins, elements, and character pawns. Its unique design methodology integrates play and talk therapy principles, allowing children to process life experiences through the metaphorical lens of warrior characters embarking on quests. The gameplay mechanics involve strategic decision-making, dice rolling, and challenge completion, where players navigate through a maze-like board collecting well-being coins and facing various obstacles. The design's theoretical foundation is rooted in behavioral psychology and child development research, specifically addressing the critical pre-teenage years when academic stressors begin to impact mental health. Through careful integration of psychological principles with engaging gameplay elements, the design successfully abstracts real-life challenges into manageable, fantasy-based scenarios that promote problem-solving, decision-making, and empathy development. The game's production utilizes a combination of sunboard and card paper materials, with detailed illustrations created through a hybrid process of traditional and digital techniques using Adobe Illustrator, ensuring both durability and visual appeal.

Author: Adam Dawson

Keywords: board game design, educational gaming, psychological development, stress management, children's therapy, interactive learning

SOURCES:
https://competition.adesignaward.com/140741

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