The Selden Map Project

Summary: Take control of a trade port in the East China Sea during the Ming Dynasty and create the most powerful trade empire!

Year Completed: 2012
Game Genre: Educational Board Game
Position: Game Designer, Project Lead
Software Used:   Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel

Overview: The Selden Map Project was created as part of my thesis about fusing compelling gameplay mechanics with historical events to further engage students in history. 

The purpose of the Selden Map Game was to intertwine gameplay mechanics with historic facts inspired by a Chinese relic called "The Selden Map" kept at the Bodleian Library at Oxford.  The map is historically significant as it is the earliest known Chinese map depicting China trading with the outside world and also not being the center/entirety of the world.  As the map's purpose was to trace shipping routes in the region it made sense to focus gameplay on inter-player trade and to allow players to build up large fleets.  Historic facts were worked into many features of the game: player boats' stats were based off real world vessels, resources were themed to the region and time period, and event cards connected historic events with mechanical changes in the game. 

Leading a team from the Savannah College of Art and Design, I focused the majority of my energy on designing the core mechanics, economy systems, ship designs, and event systems for the game.  After completing the first prototype of the game I lead test groups every week for three months to improve the gameplay, instructions, and copy.  The game itself went through nearly half a dozen prototypes before reaching its completed state, leaving me with its most important lesson: Testing and iterative improvements based on that testing are the most important steps for a successful product.