Caveat Academy course · Grades 6 to 9

Board Game Design: from first idea to finished prototype

Design a board game the way professionals do: take apart games from Senet to chess, work out why 7 is the most likely roll of two dice, balance a game whose first player wins too often, tame a runaway leader, build a paper prototype from index cards, run playtests, summarize the data and write a rulebook a stranger can follow. Six modules at your own pace, ending with a finished game of your own.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 23 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: What makes a game

    Analyze any game by its goal, players, components, rules, challenge and ending, identify its mechanics and connect them to the player experience and to games from history.

    • The parts of every game
    • Mechanics: the verbs of a game
    • Games through history
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: The math of chance

    Compute probabilities for one die, two dice and cards, use expected value to compare choices and decide where luck belongs in a design.

    • Probability with one die and two
    • Cards, expected value and fairness
    • Luck and skill
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Core loops, balance and feedback

    Design a core loop with interesting decisions, measure balance from playtest win rates and adjust feedback loops to prevent a runaway leader.

    • The core loop and interesting decisions
    • Balance and the first-player problem
    • Feedback loops
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Theme, components and prototypes

    Match a theme to mechanics, design readable components that do not rely on color alone and build a paper prototype.

    • Theme and story
    • Components and graphic design
    • Building a paper prototype
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Playtesting and rules

    Run a playtest, summarize playtest data and write a clear rulebook in the standard order.

    • Running a playtest
    • Feedback and data
    • Writing clear rules
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Finishing and sharing your game

    Iterate a design to a defined finish line, review it for accessibility and explain in general terms what copyright, trademarks and patents do and do not protect.

    • Iterating toward done
    • Games for everyone
    • Sharing your game and protecting your work
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Balance and the first-player problem

Worked example: is there a first-player advantage

  1. A designer plays 60 two-player test games.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished first course in game design and a game of your own: you can break any game into its goal, players, components, rules, challenge and ending, name its mechanics, compute dice and card probabilities and expected values, decide where luck belongs, design a core loop with interesting decisions, measure balance from win rates and fix first-player advantage and runaway leaders, match theme to mechanics, design readable components that work for players with color vision deficiency, build and solo-test a paper prototype, run playtests and summarize the data, write a rulebook in the standard order, iterate to a finish line and explain what copyright, trademarks and patents cover. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 6 to 9 who love playing games and want to make one, students who like art, writing or math and want a project that uses all three, and homeschool families looking for a creative course with real math inside. You need paper, index cards, a pencil, a couple of dice and family or friends willing to playtest.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 33, Works Not Protected by Copyright, which covers games and methods of play: copyright.gov
  2. The British Museum, the Royal Game of Ur and the clay tablet that records its rules: britishmuseum.org
  3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Senet game boxes from ancient Egypt: metmuseum.org
  4. Library of Congress, Lizzie Magie's 1904 patent for The Landlord's Game: loc.gov
  5. National Eye Institute, color blindness facts and how common it is: nei.nih.gov

Board Game Design is a self-paced enrichment course from Caveat Academic Services. It teaches the design process and the math of chance through board games; it does not replace a school art or math course and awards no credit. The lessons on copyright, trademarks and patents are general information, not legal advice. Use scissors with care and ask an adult before using a craft knife. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.