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The Number One Educational Resource for the Game Industry

Session Name: Board Game Design Summit: Developing 'Artifacts of Play' For Your Tabletop Games
Speaker(s): Kathryn Hymes
Company Name(s): Thorny Games
Track / Format: Board Game Design Summit

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Overview: An "Artifact of Play" is something created during a game that outlives the session itself. Think the final map of a game of Pandemic Legacy or the mangled drawing outliving a session of Exquisite Corpse. These artifacts stay with the players long after the game session is over, and bring with them such opportunity to increase the long-term impact of a tabletop game.nnThe skunkworks of small-press and independent tabletop role-playing games has been experimenting with Artifacts of Play for years, and have used them to great effect in order to increase narrative resonance. From collaboratively created maps, and drawings, to the more abstract like collaboratively built secret languages that far outlive the game session in which they were produced. Let's dive into how Indie RPGs have been experimenting in this space, and how these can be adapted into board game design for more resonant and impactful experiences.

GDC 2020

Kathryn Hymes

Thorny Games

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Board Game Design Summit

Design