Groundwork
An exploration in accessibility and intergenerational play in tabletop gaming.
Groundwork is a competitive strategy game, intended for big families and casual tabletop gamers to play. From 24 weeks of research, concept develop, game design to branding and production this project was a personal exploration on accessibility in physical media and intergenerational play.
The game focuses on unlocking levels, building up housing and shops while collecting resources, money and folks by moving across a big game board.
The design system takes accessibility principles as the foundation, utilizing large, legible typography, colour-blind friendly palettes and distinguishable iconography. Building off those principles, the visual style leans into a playful and upbeat look to balance between appealing to younger and older audiences while welcoming players new to the tabletop gaming world.
Focusing on simplifying complexity, the game components are designed so players have the information they need, when they need it. Die-cut tokens, Braille player aids, player pieces with unique accessories, and double-sided card designs assist in reducing cognitive load while enhancing the tactile experience to accommodate for visual impairment.
Credits
Print Production
Loris Dotto, Rich Miziolek
Braille Printing and Translation
Centre 4 Arts
Overseeing Professor
Atanas Bozdarov
Play Testers
Denise Montalbo, Cornelio Montalbo, Dhara Lad, Janice Ma, Sandie Huynh
Play in progress
Growing photo album of friends and family playing Groundwork!
Takeaways
Question and redefine the system.
Inaccessibility in tabletop game design, and in many industries, are from conventions set before us. While this project isn’t the epitome of accessibility, it’s a learning experience that has inspired me to further consider accessibility as the foundation of my designs.
Best work is made collaboratively.
While this project was mine, it couldn’t have been made without the endless support of friends, family, peers, profs and technicians. Their feedback and expertise equipped me to execute my ambitious idea!
