Thesis Show - Board Games
Thesis Show - Board Games from Jonathan Walker
Thesis Show - Board Games

I made three board games for my BFA thesis project. They're so fun, I still play them.

People say that designing a game is one of the most difficult things you can do. There is so much involved from writing and illustration to rules and communication. But for me, these things come naturally.

I've been playing games my whole life and I'm super competitive. Being the middle of three boys helps. But since I've been absorbed in the language of games from a young age, I didn't have to go through much trial and error in this project. The strength of this project is my ability to concisely translate the language of games into the design of games.

This was a great project and I'm told I have a real talent for designing games. If I ever want to try an entrepreneurial route in my career, game design would be a great opening theatre for me.

[i]Bushido Awakening[/i] - detail
There were three games and three posters. Each poster talks about a different positive aspect of games and mentions how that applies to one of the specific board games.
Full show. The title was "I Win Again" and it was meant to sound a bit cocky. But there is a second meaning that I talk about in my thesis statement. Basically it's that when I play a game, I feel like I learn and play enough to win every time, even if I lose.
Checkwords - this strategic game of numbers and letters is sort of like a combination of Scrabble and Chess. I design the scoresheets as well. My fiancee Grace helped me make the ceramic tiles. I am currently undefeated over seven games.
Bushido: Awakening - A strategic game that is set in feudal Japan. You spend the first half of the game building an army and establishing your dominance over the other players. The latter half of the game is spent using that strength to defeat the great evil that arises from Mt. Fuji.
Faction - This card game is based off of a Chinese card game that I played with the international students in my dorm freshman year. It's a hell of a lot of fun. I've played this game with more than a few crowds of friends. This game is the most fun of the three.
Detail of the cards used in Faction
One of the accompanying posters. I used research to support the concept that games are nothing but a positive influence on an individual. This one talks about how games can make you smart. The other two were about how games are art and how they can help with your health and recovery.
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Thesis Show - Board Games

I made three board games for my BFA thesis project. They're so fun, I still play them.

People say that designing a game is one of the most difficult things you can do. There is so much involved from writing and illustration to rules and communication. But for me, these things come naturally.

I've been playing games my whole life and I'm super competitive. Being the middle of three boys helps. But since I've been absorbed in the language of games from a young age, I didn't have to go through much trial and error in this project. The strength of this project is my ability to concisely translate the language of games into the design of games.

This was a great project and I'm told I have a real talent for designing games. If I ever want to try an entrepreneurial route in my career, game design would be a great opening theatre for me.

Jonathan Walker
Graphic Designer & Project Manager Mill Creek, WA