Developing the Method: Board Game Hacking for Creativity and Inclusivity
As part of the pre-events for Malta’s "Science in the City" festival, a workshop was held on September 24th, 2024, showcasing the intersection of creativity, education, and social justice through an exercise of board game hacking. Co-organized by STRATEGIES consortium partners the University of Malta and the board game publisher Mighty Boards, the workshop explored the principles of game design while addressing the festival's 2024 theme: "JEDI"—justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Board Game hacking is a key pillar of Work Package 6: Hacking Games to Reimagine Consumption and builds on a research methodology developed by Chloé Germaine and Paul Wake in their project, Games Imagining the Future (funded by Game in Lab), and published in the Ecogames Volume (See: Chapter 23 - Game Hacking and Young Climate Action). In Work Package 6, Chloé and Paul are working with University of Malta researcher, Christian Paller, to further develop the method of board game hacking for use in game development education, specifically in promoting carbon literacy among Europe’s game developers. Workshops like Christian’s board game hacking session at “Science in the City” are helping us refine the method in different contexts and with varied audiences.
The workshop allowed attendees to dive into the fundamentals of board game design, giving them the tools to understand what makes a game both engaging and thought-provoking. Christian Paller provided a brief introduction to the theory behind board game experiences, highlighting examples of modern games that demonstrate innovative approaches. Then, David Chircop, game designer and CEO of Mighty Boards, shared practical insights and best practices on how to turn a concept into a playable prototype ready for testing. Once these basics were covered, participants were split into groups and tasked with a creative challenge: to "hack" the classic board game Monopoly. They were given a set of design guidelines based on board game mechanics and dynamics and asked to re-imagine the rules of the original game to better reflect the values of the JEDI theme.
Science in the City, 2024, Malta.
Through this collaborative activity, participants not only explored how board games can convey meaningful social themes through their game mechanics but also worked to transform these elements into something that highlights fairness, inclusivity, and diversity. The result was a series of imaginative prototypes that allowed people to consider how games, much like society, can be redesigned to promote various themes, inspiring a new way of thinking.
This workshop shows that board game hacking not only fosters creativity and critical thinking but also raised awareness of how board games can serve as tools for education and reflection on important societal values. It was a hands-on experience that connected entertainment with meaningful discourse on diversity, inclusion, and sustainability.
