Board Game Design

Game Design PALAK SANGHANI 201314001

Game Design

Table of Contents A. History of Games.......................................................................................... 3 1.

Key Examples............................................................................................. 3

Tafl................................................................................................................... 4 The Landlord’s Game ...................................................................................... 5 Vaikuntapaali ................................................................................................... 6 Nine Men’s Morris .......................................................................................... 7 The Mansion of Happiness .............................................................................. 8 Senet ............................................................................................................. 10 Mancala ......................................................................................................... 11 Chaupat ......................................................................................................... 12 The Royal Game of Ur ................................................................................... 13 Chaturanga .................................................................................................... 15 2.

Key Themes ............................................................................................. 16

Introduction .................................................................................................. 17 Chaturanga Board ......................................................................................... 18 Movement of Dice ........................................................................................... 19 Chaturanga Basic Rules ................................................................................. 20 Taking Opponents' Pieces and Promotions................................................... 22 Chaturanga Winning, Politics and Ransoms .................................................. 23 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 24 Literary Evidences ......................................................................................... 25 3.

Key Game Design Ideas ........................................................................... 26

Indian Chess .................................................................................................. 26 Rules of Play .................................................................................................. 27 Origin of Game .............................................................................................. 27 Synchronous and Diachronic Lineage of Game............................................. 29 Chess Moves and Boards .............................................................................. 32 1|Page

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Chess Variants ............................................................................................... 32 Current State of Game .................................................................................. 33 B. My Game ....................................................................................................... 36 1. 2.

Title of the Game..................................................................................... 36 Game Overview ....................................................................................... 36

Game Concept............................................................................................... 36 Genre............................................................................................................. 36 Target Audience ............................................................................................ 36 No. of Players ................................................................................................ 36 Playing Time .................................................................................................. 37 Game Flow Summary .................................................................................... 37 Look and Feel ................................................................................................ 37 3.

Models and Simulations .......................................................................... 38

Models .......................................................................................................... 38 Simulation ..................................................................................................... 38 4.

Game Design ........................................................................................... 39

Gameplay and Mechanics ............................................................................. 39 Objectives ........................................................................................................ 41 Story, Setting and Character ......................................................................... 41 Story and Narrative ......................................................................................... 41 Game Rules ................................................................................................... 43

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A. History of Games 1. Key Examples What is “Play”? It is to engage in any activity

for

enjoyment

and

recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. For eg. Watching a video

What is a Game? It is a form of competitive activity or sport played according to the rules. For eg. Snakes and Ladders.

Salen and Zimmerman defined play as a free movement within a rigid structure and game as a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome.

The history of games can be traced to the ancient times. Games are often an expression of the human nature and interactions. They let us know how people thought interacted and behaved in a particular period of time.

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For thousands of years, board games have been a source of entertainment for people across the world. Evidence of board games pre-dates the development of writing and in many cultures they have even come to have a religious significance. Which are the historically important and significant games?

Tafl

Tafl was a very popular game among the Vikings. One player aims to get his king from the centre of the board to the edges, while the other does everything he can to capture him. Tafl spread across Europe (just like Viking genes) and became the chess of its day; noblemen would boast of their skill on the board. Tafl was the inspiration for the game Thud, based on Terry Pratchett’s Discworldseries. There is still the occasional World Championship—but the fact that these take

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place on an island with a population of eighty-six makes me doubt how much of a “world” championship it really is. A bit more pillaging may be in order.

The Landlord’s Game

The Landlord’s Game was invented in 1903 by Maryland actress Lizzie Magie. The game board consisted of a square track, with a row of properties around the outside that players could buy. The game board had four railroads, two utilities, a jail, and a corner named “Labor Upon Mother Earth Produces Wages,” which earned players $100 each time they passed it.

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This should all sound quite familiar: the fact is, The Landlord’s Game was patented three decades before Charles Darrow “invented” Monopoly and sold it to Parker Brothers. The Landlord’s Game—later known as Prosperity—was intended to illustrate the social injustice created by land ownership and “rent poverty.” It also offered a solution to this injustice: players could opt to have rent from properties they owned paid into a communal pot, which would then be shared out, making things better for everyone. The great irony of the story is that when the idea was stolen by Darrow, the prosperity-for-all ideal was removed completely—and the game that went on to be played by more than one billion people ended up encouraging them to make their opponents bankrupt.

Vaikuntapaali

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The sixteenth century Indian game of Vaikuntapaali—also known as Leela—was atool for teaching morality and spirituality. It was the game that went on to be launched as Chutes and Ladders in America (and Snakes and Ladders elsewhere). In the original version, the climbing of a ladder was supposed to show players the value of good deeds in the search for enlightenment; the chutes—or snakes— were meant to show that vices such as theft and murder would bring spiritual harm to the sinner. The Victorians altered the moral teachings when they brought the game to England in the late nineteenth century. Although in the original one could achieve a state of eternal Nirvana, the British fondness for understatement meant that in the Western version, one simply achieved “success.” By the time Milton Bradley brought it to America in 1943, all anyone really wanted was a bit of distraction (something must have been weighing on people’s minds in the early 1940s), and so the game became what it remains today: a basic race to the finish.

Nine Men’s Morris

A precursor to Tick-Tack-Toe, Nine Men’s Morris is a game in which counters are placed on a grid with the aim of creating lines of three. Once all the pieces are down, they can be moved one space per move. Whenever a player forms a row of three, he can remove one of his opponent’s pieces from the board. The first player down to two pieces loses.

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The simplicity of the game board meant that people across the world could create their own without much hassle. Boards dating as far back as 1440 B.C. have been found carved into steps and rocks in Sri Lanka, Bronze Age Ireland, ancient Troy and the Southwestern United States—note to Mormons: this is not archaeological evidence in support of the Book of Mormon. Not content with scarring the landscape alone, it seems that fans through history carved the board into seats, walls, and even tombstones across England. For all the concern over World of Warcraft, we’ll know computer game addiction has become truly serious when people start vandalizing their nearest graveyard for a quick fix.

The Mansion of Happiness 8|Page

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When Parker Brothers republished The Mansion of Happiness: An Instructive Moral and Entertaining Amusement in 1894, they claimed that it had been the first board game published in the US—way back in 1843. The game was in fact probably the second game published in the US; but it is still noteworthy as a successor to the “race to the afterlife” theme common in many older religious games. The game designers had to use technicalities to get past the the then-sinister connotations of gambling (a six-sided die is Satanic, a six-sided spinner not so much). The board consisted of a basic roll-and-move track—saturated with more Puritanism than should rightfully fit on a piece of cardboard. Sabbath-breakers are sent to the whipping post (whips sold separately), and the vice of Idleness will 9|Page

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land you in Poverty. The game also includes what perhaps the worst rule is ever prescribed in the history of board games, with a player sometimes required to wait “till his turn comes to spin again, and not even think of happiness, much less partake of it.” Luckily, “do not partake of happiness” is a rule that didn’t really catch on.

Senet

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Senet is the oldest board game known to exist. Sets have been found in burial chambers from as far back as 3,500 B.C.—including four in Tutankhamen’s tomb. Game boards were three squares wide and ten squares long, and sets typically had five to seven pieces for each player. Though the original rules have been lost, there is general consensus that the aim is to race one’s pieces across the board, using thrown sticks as an equivalent for dice. Though it began as a secular form of entertainment, Senet soon took on a religious significance for the Egyptians. The squares were marked with various symbols representing the gods and other aspects of the afterlife. When you play modern board games, the best you can hope for is entertainment; but players completing Senet “ritually joined with the sun god while still alive and thus assured their survival of the ordeals of the netherworld even before dying.” Handy.

Mancala Mancala refers to a family of games with the same basic method of play. Known as count-and-capture games, there is some evidence to suggest that they may be the earliest games played—predating even Senet but further verification is needed. To play the game, all you need is a patch of soft ground and a handful of seeds or pebbles. Rows of holes are dug alongside one another, and players distribute counters one at a time in a path round the board. There are a number of goals; but the key to victory in every version is basically to count really fast. Mancala was little-known in Europe and America until relatively recently. A report from the Smithsonian Institute described it as the “national game of Africa.”

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Chaupat

The Indian game of Chaupat and the closely-related game Pachisi are the original cross-and-circle games, of which the best known example in the West is the much-simplified Ludo. Players aim to race their pieces around the board, with moves determined by a throw of cowry shells. An opponent’s pieces can be captured by landing on the same square, and two of a player’s pieces on the same square can merge into a “super-piece”. The Mogul Emperor Akbar I played the game on a giant board, using slave-girls instead of pieces. How two of these “pieces” merged into a “super-piece” is unclear—and a Google search for “slave girl pieces” returns results about, shall we say, other things.

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The Royal Game of Ur

The Royal Game of Ur is the oldest-known board game for which the original rules survive. The oldest sets, discovered in Iraq in the 1920s, date to around 2600 B.C. The Royal Game of Ur is a race game, much like Senet, in which one throws dice to move one’s pawns towards the goal. The game had been thought long-dead—superseded by backgammon 2000 years ago—until game enthusiast Irving Finkel (who had poetically discovered the game’s rules carved into an ancient stone tablet) stumbled upon a surprising photograph of a game board from modern India. A small amount of detective work later, Finkel met a retired schoolteacher who had played what was basically

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the same game as a youngster—making this the game that has been played for longer than any other in the history of the world.

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Chaturanga

Chaturanga is a game that deserves to be known, if only because of its enormous legacy: chess. Chaturanga is a board game which was developed in India during the 6th of century and chess is the current form of it. Chaturanga—which dates from as far back as the sixth century A.D.—is the common ancestor of all the modern versions of chess. The board and most pieces are the same, though the exact rules are sadly forgotten. But it seems that the creators of Chaturanga hit upon the formula that would go on to spread the game throughout the world: The pure battle of skill. The almost infinite complexity. The scope for beauty. And the resemblance too much of real life.

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2. Key Themes There are few games as widely known as chess. Chess became an extension of the Cold War in 1972; it has ousted all contenders in Europe for the title “Game of Kings”—and the western game is not alone. The Chinese have Xiangqi, the Japanese play Shogi, and there are equivalents in Korea, Thailand and India. Chess is sometimes used as an analogy for life itself, and in the popular mind it is a symbol of genius.

Chaturanga (or Shaturanga) starting position

Chaturanga midgame

Chess very probably evolved from Ludo-like Pachisi, it used to be a four-player game involving dice. Chaturanga was a family game involving luck and player politics. 16 | P a g e

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Be warned though! In ancient India the game became so popular and was played for such inordinate sums of money that at least one Maharajah had to prohibit it at the pain of death.

Introduction Chaturanga is an ancient Indian four player game of luck and skill. Unlike Chess, with which it is closely related, it depicts a wider conflict involving warfare as well as political conflict between many warring kingdoms. While Chess is a game of direct battle with no element of luck involved, Chaturanga is a much more lively game, much closer to what we would consider a modern "family game." Some historians see Chaturanga and Chess as games belonging to different periods in Indian history, reflecting the political situation of those times. While India was ruled by a single great king or emperor, 2-player Chess (or Shatranj) was more popular. On the other hand, while the land was ruled by various autonomous princes or in the throes of a civil war, Chaturanga more realistically simulated the "games of kings" since it readily supports the shifting alliances, the betrayals and sheer randomness of such times. A modern equivalent would be to compare Chess to the Cold War with two huge opponents fighting for world dominance. Chaturanga is closer to what we have now - many nations wheeling and dealing for a better place under the sun.

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Ashtapada Board

Chaturanga Board Chaturanga is traditionally played on an Ashtapada board which is an 8x8 board similar to the one used in Chess but with some special markings. Have no fear, it is perfectly possible to play Chaturanga on your ordinary Chess board and your game won't suffer because of it. It is interesting to note that it is exactly the use of Ashtapada board that is the basis of belief that Chaturanga is the first historical version of the game we now know as Chess. Ashtapada is an ancient four player racing game of India similar to Pachisi and it seems that some enterprising amateur game designer of 5th century AD India created a whole new game genre using an existing popular board design. Sadly, unlike Richard Garfield or Klaus Teuber, the ingenious Indian's name is lost to history.

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Chaturanga Starting Positions

Chaturanga Piece Movement

Movement of Dice Six-sided dice movement: 1, 2 – King/ Rajah or Pawn 3 - Ship 4 - Horse 5 - Elephant 6 - No unit may be moved with this dice. 19 | P a g e

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Four-sided dice movement: 1 - Ship 2 - Horse 3 - Elephant 4 - Rajah or Pawn

Chaturanga Basic Rules Chaturanga is primarily a four-player game although it may also be played by two or three players. It is very well suited for team play 2 vs 2 although it is usually played as a free-for-all. There are certain variant rules to the game concerning temporal alliances but they tend to materialize spontaneously through play, human nature being what it is. Each player plays the role of a Rajah, an ancient Indian king. The goal of the game is to become the Maharajah or the "great king" by subduing your opponents. This is done through a clever combination of politics and warfare using simple yet clever mechanics involving dice throwing and smart positional play. Each player's army consists of the following pieces closely resembling those used in Chess, both in form and function. The Rajah moves exactly like the king in Chess, one square in any direction either orthogonally or diagonally. The Elephant moves like the rook in Chess. He can move any number of unoccupied squares in any orthogonal direction (forward, backward, left or right) The Horse moves exactly like the knight in modern Chess. That is one square orthogonally and one square diagonally with the ability to jump over any pieces. 20 | P a g e

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The Ship is superficially equivalent to the bishop but it moves in a different way. It can move only 2 squares in any of the diagonal directions but it can jump over other pieces while doing so. The Pawns are the exact equivalent of Chess pawns. They can move one square orthogonally forward unless they are making a capture when they must move diagonally. While the pieces' movements closely resemble those of Chess, the choice of which piece you can move is one of Chaturanga's most original mechanics. In Chaturanga each player's turn begins with a roll of two dice. The numbers rolled determine which units may be moved during the players' turn. You can choose whether to move one piece, both pieces and no pieces at all during your turn. If you roll the same number on both dice you can even make a double move with the same piece. The game was originally played with elongated 6-sided dice giving four possible outcomes. 4-sided dice left over from your D&D game are a perfect replacement. However, if you don't have any d4s handy, you can superglue two or more ordinary six-sided dice and create a working d4. Just take care that numbers point in the same direction! If you don't want to bother, feel free to try it out with ordinary 6-sided dice. The game is perfectly playable this way although the element of luck is somewhat increased.

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Concourse of Shipping and possible ship positions

Taking Opponents' Pieces and Promotions In a free-for-all game you can take any other player's piece by simply moving into its square, exactly like in Chess. However, the ships have another way of taking opponents and that is by "concourse of shipping." If your ship enters the square bordered by three other ships you take them all. While this rarely happens, it is a very powerful move that can change the direction of the game. Pawns are promoted when they reach an opponent’s original "horse" or "elephant" squares where they transform into the corresponding piece. Note that this can happen only if you already lost the piece the pawn is being promoted to. If this is not the case, the pawn can wait until the piece he is to be promoted into is lost. At that moment the promotion happens automatically. When a Rajah is captured a special situation occurs. The capturer can now control the opponent’s pieces as though they were his own but the Rajah-less player can still fight back and attempt to ransom his Rajah! An important rule to note is that under no circumstances, regardless of the "political situation" on board, it is possible for a piece to take another piece of the same colour. 22 | P a g e

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Chaturanga Winning, Politics and Ransoms Chaturanga is a game of rare endgame complexity which, understandably, made it less than popular with classical-minded Victorians who were the first westerners to encounter it. Unlike Chess, Chaturanga allows the player to remain on board even after his Rajah is lost. The game ends when a player captures two of his enemies' Rajah Pieces. There are historical variants to this rule but their description would surpass the scope of this article. I'll mention and explain them in the follow up article. In a four player game when another player's Rajah is captured his army enters the state of mutiny and civil war. The capturing player now shares the control of the army with the original owner. He is free to move his opponent's pieces as if they were his own! However, he still can throw only two dice during his turn, as if he were in control of his original army only. If the red player has green player's Rajah captured he can now choose to move either red or green pieces with each throw of the dice. The player who lost his Rajah may still roll the dice and move his original armies when his turn comes. He can even attack the pieces held by his occupier, but he cannot attack pieces of his own colour. This way with a bit of skill and luck, even a player who lost his Rajah may still regain the full control of his armies. If a player without his Rajah manages to capture his capturer's own Rajah, the exchange of prisoners may take place if players agree to do so. Now both players regain full control of their armies and the Rajahs are placed at their original positions. If there is another piece seated at that position at that moment, it is immidiately executed and replaced by the returning vengeful Rajah.

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Krishna and Radha playing on an Ashtapada Board

Conclusion In recent times ancient board games somewhat lost in popularity. They are being increasingly replaced by modern board game designs which emphasize strong themes, simplicity of rules and are played by more than two players. Ancient games are often seen as very cerebral, even boring abstract exercises in intellect requiring massive commitment in order to be played well. However, there are many relatively unknown and almost forgotten ancient games which are much more suited for our hectic age than what you'd come to expect from a selection of "classical board games" which formed more than a hundred years ago. The mental space of Victorians was very different from our own and this reflects on the games they found universally appealing. The times are always-a-changing and there are periods in history when stronger-themed, more family-oriented games involving a bit of luck and politics were more appropriate for the spirit of the times, just like ours. Chaturanga is one of those games. 24 | P a g e

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Literary Evidences "Presenting myself as a Brahmana, Kanka by name, skilled in dice and fond of play, I shall become a courtier of that high-souled king. And moving upon chessboards beautiful pawns made of ivory, of blue and yellow and red and white hue, by throws of black and red dice. I shall entertain the king with his courtiers and friends." The Great Indian Epic of Mahabharata, 8th century BC "Let the king publish corporally, at discretion, both the gamester and the keeper of the gambling house, whether they play with inanimate objects such as dice, or chaturanga, or with living creatures as in the blood sports of cock and ram fighting." The Ninth Book of the Laws of Manu, 1st century BC

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3. Key Game Design Ideas Indian Chess Chess is a board game of strategic skill for two players, played on a checked board with 64 squares. Each player begins the game with sixteen pieces that are moved and used to capture opposing pieces according to precise rules. The object is to put the opponent's king under a direct attack from which escape is impossible.

Genre: Board Game Abstract Strategy Game Players: 2 Setup: Minute or less Playing Time: Ranging from 10 minutes to several hours. Skills Required: Strategy, Planning and Tactics Random Chance or Luck: None except for mistakes from the opponent.

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Rules of Play Despite the variations of the game, each piece has different powers and the victory depends on the fate of the “King”. Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each of the six piece types moves differently. Pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, with the objective to 'checkmate' the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by the voluntary resignation of the opponent, which typically occurs when too much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable. A game may also result in a draw in several ways, where neither player wins. The course of the game is divided into three phases: opening, middle-game, and end-game

Origin of Game Most of the scholars now agree that Chess was invented in India and then it travelled to Western Asia and Europe where the game evolved to what it is now. Chess is known as “Daba” in Bengali derived from the Persian word “Dav” meaning “turn to play or make move”. In South it’s called “Chaturanga” which is a Sanskrit word. The word Chaturanga appears in the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana to denote the war machinery of king but Chaturanga as a game is scarcely mentioned in Indian literature. Chaturanga roughly translates into the four military divisions: Infantry, Cavalry, Elephantry and Chariotry represented by the pieces that evolved into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. Chess is believed to have originated in Eastern India in the Gupta Empire where its early form in the 6th century, Chaturanga was played on an 8*8 square board. 27 | P a g e

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In Persia the name became "chatrang" which evolved to "Shatranj". The rules were further developed. Games upon the "Ashtapada" board of 8x8, with dice and with two or more players may have served as "proto-chess", but the two types of games already differ too strongly in their nature and philosophy to make the evolution of "Chaturanga" into "Shatranj" a simple question of direct parentage via the Persian "Chatrang". The game of Chaturanga basically portrays the Indian military strategy of the past era. Though unverified, according to a former theory, chess started as a dicechess, as some people used a dice to decide, which piece to move. The use of dice was late removed because it made chess a game of chance. Gambling was later removed, due to Hindu and Muslim religious objections. The earliest evidence of chess is found in the nearby Sassanid Persia around 600, where the game came to be known by the name chatrang. Chatrang is evoked in three epic romances written in Pahlavi (Middle Persian). Chatrang was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia where it was then named Shatranj, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names. In Spanish "Shatranj" was rendered to different names but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by versions of the Persian Shah ("king"), which was familiar as an exclamation and became the English words "check" and "chess". Murray theorized that Muslim traders came to European sea-ports with ornamental chess kings as curios before they brought the game of chess. The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the earliest being in the 9th century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout Europe. Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors in the 10th century,

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it was described in a famous 13th-century manuscript covering Shatranj, backgammon, and dice named the Libro de los Juegos. There are various theories regarding the origin of chess.

Synchronous and Diachronic Lineage of Game The structure, literary allusions and archaeological evidence enlightens the fact that the game must have originated in India. Literary Evidences: Persian sources mention that the game was sent to them by Indian Ruler. A German scholar says that chess was played on a board of 64 squares. Bhartirihari used the word “shara” to denote a board in a verse but it may be different game board in 4th century. In a folk song of 11th century by kanhupada used by Mahasidhhas the game of chess has been used as a metaphor. King Someshvara’s work “Manasollasa” is the first known reference to the game of chess. Chess has been played in India since the 6th century according to the Persian and Arabic literature. It is described in detail in Kitab al-Hind by al-Biruni where he writes about four handed chess played with pair of dice. Dice was later eradicated to not let chess remain a game of chance. This increased the pace of the game and satisfied the instinct for gambling. Archaeological Evidences: Although the literary evidence is scarce, the archaeological evidences allow us to go as far as the 1st century BC. Ivory chariot drawn by four horses was found at Mantai in Sri Lanka and a terracotta horse from Andhra Pradesh dating back to 2nd or 3rd century. A carved 29 | P a g e

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structure dating back to the 1st century was found from Jaggayyapeta representing theme of Universal King. A chess piece was even found in Kashmir representing the elephant dating back to the 5th-6th century. Elephant serves as vehicle for both the king and the ministers. Chess has been an evolving and dynamic game. The chariot has been replaced by the camel in the John Company set, ivory sets from West Bengal. Although camel seems to be late substitution literary evidence proves otherwise. After chess was passed to Persia in the 6th century and later to Europe it has made phenomenal development. Etymological Evidences: It is said that General Rall was busy with the game of chess that he tucked away the note brought to him announcing attack from George Washington at Trenton resulting on the loss of colonies. In the 1650s chess was regarded as tedious and time devouring. Migrating and Conquering Europeans transmitted the game to the new world. Benjamin Franklin was an obsessive chess player. He has written in 1780 in his “Dialogue between Franklin and the Goat” that chess keeps one engaged for hours and it is a perpetual recreation. Franklin published “Morals of Chess” in 1779. Thomas Jefferson said he was equivalent to Franklin in chess. He is the first American chess set collector.

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Duchamp used chess extensively in his art. He is said to have given up art to devote all his time to play chess. His art foreshadowed complex strategies he would use in his relationships. Satyajit Ray made an engaging film on chess “Shatranj ke khilarhi” based on a novel by Premchand demonstrating the engaging nature of chess where in two friends are so lost in their world of chess that they tend to neglect their wives, jobs and responsibilities. They were even unaware of the fact that British took over their city. Gerri’s Game, a short Pixar animated film displaying the delirious nature of chess without a single dialog. Chess was conceived as a game of war and modelled after the confrontation of armies on a battlefield. The four components of an Indian army are the infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephant brigade. The two opposing sides of this set are depicted as a Sikh army, whose soldiers have beards in addition to moustaches, and an Afghan army. During the middle Ages, chess was introduced to Europe, where it was transformed into a game of courtly intrigue. The prime minister was replaced by the queen, the elephant brigade by the bishop, the cavalry by the knight, and the chariot or camel brigade by the rook. In Indian chess, the camel is often substituted for the bishop and the elephant for the rook. This particular chess set, known as a “John Company” set, was crafted in New Delhi around 1850 for the British East India Company. Chess theory was greatly developed in the 20th century.

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Chess Moves and Boards Coming to the features and design of the chess board, it was primarily designed for an Ashtapada i.e. having eight feet. The other Indian boards employed were the 10X10 Dasapada and the 9X9 Saturankam. 

King: as now.



Queen: one square diagonally, only.



Bishop: As per the Indian version in former times - two squares sideways or front-and-back (no more or less), but could jump over a piece between.



Knight: as now.

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Rook: as now.

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Pawn: one square forwards (not two); captured as now. Promoted to queen only

Chess Variants Chess variants are forms of chess where the game is played using a different boards (e.g. hexagonal chess or 3D chess), different rules, or special fairy pieces. There are more than two thousand published variants, the most popular being xiangqi in China and shogi in Japan. Chess variants can include 1. Direct predecessors of chess (chaturanga and shatranj). 2. Traditional national or regional variants like xiangqi, shogi, janggi (Korea), and makruk (Thailand), which share common predecessors with Western chess. 3. Hexagonal variants, such as Gliński's hexagonal chess, popular in the 1930s. 4. Modern variants such as Chess960, where the starting position is selected randomly, rendering the use of prepared opening lines impracticable 32 | P a g e

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Current State of Game The game gained popularity during the Muslim reign.

Chess set acquired by Norton Simon became a representative of India’s cultural and intellectual prowess. Thomas Henry Huxley compares chessboard with the world where in the pieces form the different phenomenon of the universe whereas the rules of the games are compared with the laws of nature. The game is said to be so addictive that the children are discouraged from playing least it distracts them from studies. It is now one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide in homes, parks, clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. Chess was seen as a war game involving the martial art allowing stimulation of the reality. People have realized that it not only helps enhance mental prowess but allows one to relax also.

Chess can now even be played on computers/ mobiles or similar devices. The online games started appearing in the 90s. It is truly a global game and chess 33 | P a g e

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players have achieved celebrity status. Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky for World Championship in 1972. Contemporary chess is an organized sport with structured international and national leagues, tournaments, and congresses. Chess's international governing body is FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Most countries have a national chess organization as well (such as the US Chess Federation and English Chess Federation) which in turn is a member of FIDE. FIDE is a member of theInternational Olympic Committee, but the game of chess has never been part of the Olympic Games; chess does have its own Olympiad, held every two years as a team event. The current World Chess Champion is Magnus Carlsen of Norway. The reigning Women's World Champion is Hou Yifan from China. The world's highest rated female player, Judit Polgár, has never participated in the Women's World Chess Championship, instead preferring to compete with the leading men and maintaining a ranking among the top male players. Other competitions for individuals include the World Junior Chess Championship, the European Individual Chess Championship, and the National Chess Championships. Invitation-only tournaments regularly attract the world's strongest players. Examples include Spain's Linares event, Monte Carlo's Melody Ambertournament, the Dortmund Sparkassen meeting, Sofia's M-tel Masters, and Wijk aan Zee's Tata Steel tournament. Regular team chess events include the Chess Olympiad and the European Team Chess Championship. The World Chess Solving Championship and World Correspondence Chess Championships include both team and individual events.

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Besides these prestigious competitions, there are thousands of other chess tournaments, matches, and festivals held around the world every year catering to players of all levels. Chess is promoted as a "mind sport" by the Mind Sports Organisation, alongside other mental-skill games such as Contract Bridge, Go, and scrabble.

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B. My Game 1. Title of the Game An apt name for the game can be “Set the Sail”. The players set the sail as they go on a journey in their boat during the course of the game.

2. Game Overview Game Concept The game revolves around the coast of Gujarat. Each player is given a boat and embarks upon a journey in their boat. The players face hurdle, do fishing and trading along the way. This games aims at conveying the story of boat making, fishermen, and boat makers and thus study the culture of the communities involved in the process of boat making.

Genre Set the Sail is a multiplayer family board game. It is an edutainment kind of game providing rich combination of education with entertainment to the players.

Target Audience This game is targeted for kids belonging to the age group of 10-12 years. It will familiarize the children about the coastal culture of Gujarat.

No. of Players The game is intended for maximum 6 players to play together. 6 boats will be provided, one for each player. This game can be played with as less as 2 members also. The dice must be thrown in turns and each player must get a chance at the dice throw to let the game proceed. 36 | P a g e

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Playing Time There is no fixed playing time as such because player decides which way he wants to go so each time the game is played the amount of time required will vary.

Game Flow Summary It is a dice game basically so a player’s movement across the board is decided by the throw of dice. The path on which the player has to move is not entirely governed by the dice. At every junction the player gets the opportunity to decide their further course of action. The framing interface is such that players embarks the journey from the home port and proceeds towards another port. Along the way player can choose routes and face good fortunes as well as has to encounter misfortunes. The aim is to reach back the home port earlier than the fellow players and earning maximum money along the way by fish trading.

Look and Feel As the game is meant for the kids the look and feel of the game is colorful and bright. The central theme of the game revolves around coastal culture of Gujarat so Blue and Yellow are selected as a part of the primary pallet. The basic impression we get on viewing the board game is as we are embarking a journey in our boat with several hurdles along the way constructed in a way that they are eye catching. Visual style is kept simple and minimal. The instructions are written in minimum words using simple language so that it simple for the children to understand.

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3. Models and Simulations Models The game is built on the “Economic Model of fishermen”. Fishermen’s life is all about fishes and their trade. The foremost parameter is Quality and Quantity of Fish. Pollution and overfishing degrade the quality of fish and decrease the quantity of fish. Sometimes overfishing ruins several breeds of the fish. Fishing is stopped during the spawning season to let the fish reproduce in large numbers and as it is rainy season, government bans fishing to protect the fishermen from storms and turbulences at sea. These days illegal fishing is done and fishing through crawlers of large industries in resulting into silting of rivers and ocean coasts which is adversely affecting the fishing industry. Each fisherman has to own a proper license of the boat and a specific sized boat is only allowed in specific areas. All boats are not allowed to cross the borders. Different kinds of fish require different kind of nets so fishermen have to upgrade their nets. Due to turbulences at sea various casualties tend to happen. Boats men have to deal with that also. Boats are made of wood so have to be repaired on and off. They have to have a crew of people on the journey to deal with repairs and other things.

Simulation Several economic parameters are simulated to make the not so interesting life of fishermen into a fun game. The game mechanics are such that several parameters from the economic model of fishermen are incorporated. There market places where the players can sell the fish or buy fish stock. They become aware about the different local names of the fish and even learn to deal with trading. They understand when fishing is not done and why. They learn about the different rules associated with fishing and owning a boat. They have to deal with 38 | P a g e

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the repairs and maintenance of their boat. There are casualties. Players have to pay fine when they don’t have proper facilities in their boat like number plate, radio, GPS or when they enter the wrong water way or an restricted area such as ecosystem. Players suffer loss when pirates attack or when their goods are damaged. For better fishing they keep upgrading their nets and boats. The players have to pay money for fuel of the boat. In order to motivate the players there are perks like finding treasures, catching good fish and winning at boat races.

4. Game Design Gameplay and Mechanics Game Progression The game is set along the coastal line of Gujarat educating the children about the rich coastal culture of Gujarat. Children will be made aware of the fishes available along the coast and the other trade that takes place. The local names of fish are used to make the children familiar to the coastal environment and the setup of the game is such that the children feel as if they are really going on a boat journey and hurdles are also kept such that children understand the problems faced by the boat makers. The players will go on an expedition fishing along the way and selling cargo. The game progresses as per the throw of the dice and decision of the players to choose the route. The players may have to go back few steps or may get chance to move a few steps ahead. There are shortcuts also. The players reach market spots now and then during the game where they can buy a stock of fish or sell their fish as per stock and prices on the market card which comes out from the shuffled bunch of market cards.

Challenge Structure 39 | P a g e

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There are several dramatic elements in the game. The player has to compete with himself to collect more and exclusive fish. He also has to beat the other players at the same. He will even try to get the best boat. From the perspective of challenge the game tests the decision making skills and concentration of the player. The game involves education, learning, good amount of engagement from the player throughout the different levels of the game. The element of competition with oneself works as a bonus point.

The player will have drawbacks such as pirate attacks, boat breaks and it may require repairing, workers are not available, whale attack, unfavorable environmental conditions. At the same time the perks will be finding treasures, shortcuts, etc.

Puzzle Structure The game can offer an enriching experience from the point of view of learning as well as fun. This game can turn out to be a promising medium to lure people and spread the craft of wooden boat making and thus contribute to the heritage. From a broader perspective the time factor and totally different scoring pattern makes the game more interesting. It also tests an individual’s decision making power in a given span of time at a given point. In this an effort is made to ensure that a player’s skills are enhanced along with the motive of spreading about the coastal traditions, knowledge of fish, etc. forward

Learning Aspect There will be considerable amount of learning involved in the game since it is an educational game. The game can go a long way in making children aware about coastal culture. The better part is that spreading an important message with the help of a game makes it more effective as it makes the theme interesting. 40 | P a g e

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Objectives The objective is to make the player familiar with the coastal culture of Gujarat and sea trade and let him explore the different options. It will also make the player aware of the sea food and other traditions in general.

Mechanics Each player has to follow the basic rules of the game. At each point if the candidate has to pay some money to the bank for repairs or any other fine then only when the money is paid the candidate can proceed ahead. In case he doesn’t have money he can take a loan from the bank once which must be instantly repaid on after dealing with trading at the next market. The implicit rules consist of abiding by the dice throw and following the path, not cheating and taking the turns to throw the dice. This game is actually the stimulation of the economic model of the fisheries.

Story, Setting and Character Story and Narrative The game will be unique because it aims at entertaining the players while educating them. The game will be designed to be an edutainment game. The environment of the game will be such that players can experiment and learn about various strategies such as cooperation, competition etc. It is a multiplayer game. The story line has been selected in such a way that it can include adventure, competition, sense of purpose and safety. At the start of the game all the players will be given a boat and some amount of money to begin their journey. They can buy fish and other cargo and sell it at other ports. Points will be awarded based on the money players have earned at the end of the game by selling cargo and fish. The players would have the power 41 | P a g e

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to decide how much goods to buy and where to sell. This will add to their decision making capabilities. They can even choose to upgrade their boats so points will be awarded based on the quality of the boat at the end of the game. The person who finishes the game first will also get additional points. The constraint of time will introduce an element of competition. The objective is to make the player familiar with the coastal culture of Gujarat and sea trade and let him explore the different options. It will also make the player aware of the sea food and other traditions in general. The player will have perks like good catch of fish along the way. They will learn about the different types of fish and different issues that fishermen have to tackle. The involvement of money and race will add to the entertainment value of the game.

Game World The game is set along the coastal line of Gujarat educating the children about the rich coastal culture of Gujarat. Children will be made aware of the fishes available along the coast and the other trade that takes place. The players will go on an expedition fishing along the way and selling cargo. Physically the game will be made using colors which help the players to relate to the coast of Gujarat and thus children all over the world can learn about the general coastal culture and how fisheries work.

Characters Each player plays the role of a boat owner. The bank grants a loan and boat which allows the player to start his journey in the seas. At each point they face the same problems that fishermen and boat makers do. They get familiar with the names of fish and local culture. Each player is at the same level and plays the same role. 42 | P a g e

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They can sell fish, choose their path, do fishing, upgrade their boats and dice allows them move ahead. All the players will be boat owners giving each other fierce competition trying to earn more money and attempting to reach the home port as early as possible.

Levels Each player goes on a journey so the game is as such not divided into different levels but the path of the game is such that the player chooses paths at several junctions. Some players choose the short cut where probability of misfortunes is more whereas the longer path takes longer time to reach but there are certain benefits along the way to make the game fair. At a port the player upgrades his boat to a bigger boat or a ship according to the money he can pay. This decision decides the further course of action and what player will further encounter. There are many such crucial and critical decisions of when to buy and when to sell fish. Such decisions are important and make the game more interesting.

Game Rules Game Contents The game contains a hard cardboard foldable which serves as the game board. It has deck of cards which will serve as the market cards. The tiny 6 boats will serve as the tokens, each player gets token. There are two dices. One to be used during the game and other spare one 6 sided dice is provided in case the first one is lost. There is a bank in the game so there are 50 notes of 50rupees each, 100 notes of 100 rupees each.

Game Assembly To begin the game just lay down the board of the game. No other assembly is required. The deck of cards must be placed on the space provided on the board. 43 | P a g e

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Each player should be handed the money from the bank. One person plays the bank who handles the money transactions.

Game Setup Each player begins the game from the home where the tokens of each player must be placed initially and each player must be handed over 500 rupees from the bank so that they can make the payments and do trading along the way. Then the game begins.

Game Play Any player can start the game but it’s better to let the youngest player go first. It’s not required to get a 6 on the dice to begin the game. Any player can throw any number on the dice and the game will proceed. The players are supposed to follow the path, at several junctions they can choose the course. On a player’s turn the player throws the dice and moves the token as the number on the dice. Wherever the player lands if there are any instructions then those instructions must be followed. At times special conditions are encountered like player lands on another player, at such points both can let their tokens stand together. There are many special spaces where either the player will receive some benefit or will suffer, player has to follow the written instruction. The special market cards must be shuffled each time any player lands on the market space. A card must be given to that player. The card will show the market rates so the player can decide for himself whether he wants to buy fish or sell. These cards have local names of fish and their rates which help players in trading.

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Winning is determined on two parameters i.e. which player reaches the home port first after completing the entire journey and secondly on which player earns the maximum money during the entire game so there will be two winners. There can be a tie also. In such case game can be played again or both can be declared as winners. The aim of the game is to make maximum children happy to build up the interest in the game.

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References

 A history of chess, Murray  Philosophy looks at Chess, Benjamin  Art of Chess, Mason  Understanding your chess, James  Birth of Chess Queen, 

Yalom

 History of Games, MacGregor  What is a Game? Chicago Press  Genealogy of Chess, David  Perception and Memory in chess, Adriaan  Psychology of Boar Games, Fernand  Evolution of Chess, Jeremy  Encyclopedia of Chess Variants, David.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_chess  history.chess.free.fr/india.htm  ancientchess.com/  chess-evolution.com/  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaturanga  www.chessvariants.org/rindex.htm  History of chess, Duncan

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