Shifting from Board Game Designs to Apps

Board games are usually based around accumulating some sort of object that leads to winning the game. Board games are meant to be complex and long-winded. App games are meant to be played for short periods of time at the convenience of the player. The design must change in order to fit the player's needs. Here are a few tips to creating a successful format conversion.

What is the goal of your game?

Is your goal gaining the most points? Is your goal making your way to an end space? Does your game present questions that need to be answered? Whatever the goal is you must figure out the simplest way for that goal to be achieved.

What makes the game fun?

Why do people want to play this board game? Is the game based around bragging rights over your opponent? Is it the thrill of learning something new? Any board game needs instructions to be read, game pieces to be set and players to be available. An app game must have all of this constantly available.

No one will play an app game they can’t quickly understand. Your game must be simple. Make it fun in the same way but in make sure the thrill happens sooner.

Be willing to negotiate. Be willing to change.

Your board game will not be played identically to your app game. They are different formats and they must be treated as such. To ignore this is to fail.

Your board game is your brainchild and you are the parent. You care for your brainchild as if it was a real child. But sometimes you have to saw your child’s leg off and swap it with a robotic leg so he can play like all the other children in the playground. This is what good parenting is all about; severing unnecessary limbs and installing more efficient concepts so your brainchild can run better in the world of apps.

Just remember to keep the game leveled in its roots but keep it convenient for the player and you will achieve success.