Assist Me In Designing a Board Game - Part 5

Watch the video above for the visuals and full details. Summary is below.

Hey, it's Matthew.

So, I'm back. We're now at part five. If you need to catch up on Parts 1,2,3, or 4,find them here.

In this update, I’m sharing the progress I’ve made on my game design project, which focuses on teaching personal finance and life management skills in an engaging and educational way. Over time, I’ve worked to simplify the game’s components and mechanics while maintaining depth and interactivity.

One of the key changes I’ve made is reducing the number of components. Initially, I had multiple card types and stands for different aspects of the game, like job categories, education, and the economy. Through iteration, I realized that many of these were unnecessary or overly complex. For instance, instead of separate components for economic indicators like growth and inflation, I’ve combined them into a single card that reflects overall economic conditions, keeping the gameplay streamlined and less cluttered.

I’ve also simplified the handling of job categories and income. Players can choose from broader job categories rather than specific roles, allowing more flexibility and reducing the number of required components. Similarly, other elements like housing, nutrition, and commute options have been condensed. By default, all players start with a basic setup, such as walking or using public transit for their commute, and only require additional cards if they make choices like purchasing a car.

Health plays a critical role in the game as a “super metric.” Health points can be reassigned to improve lifestyle, relationships, or wealth, depending on how players choose to manage their resources. This integration emphasizes the importance of balancing health with other life goals.

The game board itself has been designed to reflect life’s phases—youth, education, career, family, and retirement. Players move through these phases together, taking individual actions based on their stats and decisions, such as choosing jobs or making investments. Event cards add a layer of unpredictability, presenting choices that reflect real-life trade-offs, like earning extra income at the cost of lifestyle or relationships.

Each player manages minimal components, including a character card (which can represent themselves or a fictional persona), some tokens, and cards related to their decisions, like automobile ownership or life partners. These elements are designed to fit neatly into the gameplay without overwhelming the player.

Looking ahead, I’m focused on refining and testing the current setup. I’m creating sample cards and walking through gameplay scenarios to ensure the mechanics flow smoothly. More to come!

Share Your Thoughts In the Comments

Am I on track?

Am I missing something?

Do you have any suggestions?

Should I keep posting about this game?

PS: Please only share ideas if you are willing to allow me or anyone following this discussion to use them for free without any obligation. If you contribute an idea that has a significant influence on the design of my game, I will be pleased to gift you a copy of the game.