Phase 0: Introduce the Topic

• This is the introduction to the topic before the project begins. For example, if students are designing a board game about an Ancient Civilization, the teacher might spend a few lessons introducing several civilizations so students begin identifying which one they want to research further.

• Depending on the subject and unit, this front-loading may not be necessary. In some cases, students can build their understanding as they move through the design process.

Phase 1: What Makes a Great Board Game

Launch Activity – Driving Question and Project Launch

• Introduce the project, the driving question, and the role of board game designer. Discuss the final product expectations and challenge students to think about how games can teach others while still being fun to play.

Mini Lesson – Analyzing Board Game Mechanics

• Students explore a variety of board games, identifying different mechanics, objectives, player interactions, and design choices that make games enjoyable. Whenever possible, have students play these games with their project groups so they can begin discussing the types of games they might want to create. An analysis form can help guide students toward noticing specific game elements rather than simply playing for fun.

Mini Lesson – Identifying Effective Rulebooks

• Students compare several rulebooks, discussing what makes instructions easy to follow. Focus on organization, visuals, clarity, and how information is communicated to someone playing the game for the first time.

Phase 2: Research & Planning

Mini Lesson – Researching the Topic

• Students begin researching their chosen topic, identifying the key ideas they want players to learn. Encourage them to move beyond collecting facts and start thinking about what information is most important to include in the game.

Working Block – Brainstorming Game Ideas

• Teams generate several game ideas before committing to one. Encourage students to think about how the learning will naturally fit into the gameplay, rather than adding questions or facts afterward.

Working Block – Planning Game Mechanics

• Before building anything, students map out their game mechanics, objective, win conditions, player interactions, components, and overall flow. Spending extra time planning at this stage often saves significant time later in the project.

Working Block – Designing the Rulebook

• Students create a first draft of their rulebook alongside their game plan. Writing the rules early helps expose gaps in gameplay before construction begins.

Phase 3: Build & Internal Testing

Working Block – Building the Game

• Students begin creating the physical components of their board game, including the game board, cards, game pieces, rulebook, and other planned materials. As they build, encourage them to refer back to their planning documents and make adjustments whenever they discover a better solution.

Working Block – Internal Team Testing

• Rather than waiting until the game is finished, teams regularly play through their own game as they build. Students identify unclear rules, gameplay issues, missing components, and opportunities to improve both the learning and the player experience before sharing their game with others.

Phase 4: Peer Playtesting & Iteration

Mini Lesson – Giving Effective Feedback

• Discuss what meaningful feedback looks like and how designers use it to improve their work. Encourage students to give specific suggestions rather than simply saying what they liked or didn't like.

Working Block – Peer Playtesting

• Students rotate through other groups' games, playing them as intended while recording feedback on gameplay, clarity of instructions, learning, and overall player experience.

Working Block – Revising the Game

• Teams use the feedback they collected to improve their game mechanics, physical components, content, and rulebook. Encourage students to continue testing changes as they revise rather than waiting until everything is complete.

Phase 5: Final Production

Working Block – Final Construction & Polis

• Students complete the final version of their board game by refining artwork, rebuilding components where needed, and incorporating any remaining changes from peer feedback.

Working Block – Preparing for Exhibition

• Teams finalize their rulebook, organize all game components, and package everything so another group can easily set up and play the game independently.

Phase 6: Exhibition

Exhibition – Gameplay Showcase

• Students share their finished games with classmates or another authentic audience, giving others the opportunity to learn by playing.

Reflection – Individual and Group Reflection

• Students reflect on both the design process and their learning, considering what they would improve and how effectively their game taught the intended concepts.