"Assist Please: Sources for Game Theory (Kids)" Topic

I'm thinking about talking to my wife's after school group about games and in particular board games. The idea is that they will all get to make their own board game. I want to give them some pointers of what makes a game fun. I have some thoughts, of course:

1. Fun!
2. Simplicity
3. Speed (faster games mean losing is even less of an issue since you can get another game started and done before too long)

The age group is 8 to 10 so whatever info I get has to be distilled down to their level.

The idea came while watching them play freeze tag. Simple game most of us have played. But the poor guy who was it, although he had most of them froze, couldn't get it done because they had a "base" to hide on and the two left would split around and it was impossible to get both. Frustrating for sure. The next guy who was it was the smallest and youngest and he had no hope.

I thought that "zombie tag" would have been better and more fun as the cascade effect of the growing zombie horde would counter even the oldest and fastest eventually. The game gets over quickly and a new begins. Plus the activity is always frenetic, not lapsing into stalemate where the IT gets between the BASE and the FROZEN. I didn't interfere, but this idea sprouted.

Also, watching them play their adventure or hero games, Lego Battles, etc. they make rules so complicated a Nap gamer would blush.

"I'm stone man, with super invulnerability."
"I have freeze ray, that will stop you."
"My stone skin is invulnerable to freeze."
"Oh yeah, well I exfoliate your skin with a freeze-thaw process that renders rock to dust!"

OK, I made the last part up (!). But you get the idea. I know all kids do this, but I just wanted to get them thinking, make their own game based on their favourite topic and then all try each others games.

So, thanks for reading this much.

There's a learning curve to what makes a game "fast" and "fun". We play Duck Duck Goose until we realize that tight group of close friends seem to be the only ones playing. We play Tic-Tac-Toe until we begin to realize all games can lead to a draw. We play Risk until we realize it's vital to hold Australia and wear down the rest of the world.

There are some spectacular games out there that build on the simple-fast-and-fun model, like "Ticket To Ride" (although that might work better with older kids). Other existing games might lure them in to see what really works, instead of compelling them to get it right.

But to create a game …? That's a challenge. I'd think the theme would be far more important in this age group than the mechanics. Boys might be compelled to create a Star Wars game based on the glam of seeing the plastic Storm Troopers out there now. Some quite successful games use mechanics barely more sophisticated than flipping a coin, but you can use a d10 and lump in a list of modifiers.

"But to create a game …? That's a challenge. I'd think the theme would be far more important in this age group than the mechanics."

Well, that's what I'm shooting for. Each kid will get to make a board game with pieces, a random-number generator, some cards to create options (like Chance, Community Chest) etc. But they get to pick their theme.

It's meant to be a project over several weeks.

JJ,

Thanks yes along those lines. I wanted to start them out with some light theory instead of throwing the idea at them and cutting them loose.

like: "What do you think makes a fun game?" or "How would you make sudden changes in a game?" A little education, a little art and a lot of fun.

They're only 8-10 so nothing deep here!