Thematic tabletop board game

Game Plot

The gameplay depicts the beginning of the decline of the Slavic era. The plot consists of a combination of historical elements and those drawn from mythology. Referring to the early days of Christianity in Polish lands, it presents the phase of the destruction of pagan worship sites. A common practice aimed at supplanting the old faith in favor of the new was to build new churches on the sites of old rituals. For the Slavs, sacred places were elements of nature associated with the gods. These included groves on hilltops. Festivals and rituals took place there. The game is meant to depict an example of a sacred forest of coniferous trees. This is the "temple" of Veles, which justifies the use of coniferous trees. They are a symbol of this god as the patron of wealth and fertility, associated with Christmas trees that bear cones. However, Veles is also the ruler of the land of the dead, Nawi. According to Slavic belief, a soul that lived unworthily is not allowed into the afterlife and returns to its body as a demon. Beings that attack anyone who stands in their way, inhabiting the forests. It is precisely into these Slavic demons that players are to embody on one side of the barricade, as a sort of army of Veles guarding his territory. On the other side, we have representatives of the new world, who want to build a temple in our forest, using trees as building material.

General structure

The board consists of an outer part (a cylindrical structure on three legs with a cover) and an inner part (a rotating system). The game takes place on a perforated cover filled with hexagonal fields featuring trees. The rotating system includes a frame with spans and a mechanism for rotating the tower and spans. The board has been designed for production using plastic injection methods (high initial costs), with the possibility of adaptation to cheaper thermoforming at the expense of details. The prototype also includes wood-based elements (the cover, veneer), which increase the cost but enhance the medieval atmosphere of the game. The solutions used, although more expensive, enhance the value of the gameplay.

Individual elements

The tower consists of three segments that can be stacked on top of each other. Each segment has a rim at its base that locks onto the lower edge of the segment below when lifted. The division into parts allows the tower to be stored between the cover and the internal system.

The rotation of the system during gameplay causes the screw to extend upwards, lifting the first segment of the tower and pulling the others along.

The cover contains thirty-six hexagonal holes and additional cutouts at the edges, allowing it to be securely seated on the body. By lifting the cover, it is possible to quickly set the trees in the starting position ("resetting" the game).

The transparent hexagons in the cover contain holes for the trees. When a tree is inserted, half of its trunk springs and tightens in the hole, while the teeth prevent it from being pushed out.

The spans, mounted between the crossbars of the frame, pass through the rotation axis via holes in the rings. The outer axes have wheels rolling along the lower rim of the body, while the inner ones have gears mounted on two discs.

The frame is placed inside the body, with its upper ring located between the cover and the shield. The crossbars divide the frame and create through holes for the axes of the spans.

The body is in the form of an open cylinder with a rim at the base, stabilizing the moving elements during rotation.

The gears are arranged on two levels, allowing the spans to rotate 180° with a 60° rotation of the frame. Due to the diameter of the wheels, it was necessary to arrange them alternately on the two discs, with eight wheels on each.

Game rules

PORTFOLIO

Dominika Rudnicka

Master's diploma