ETERNAL MASTERS
Board Game.
For my final-year university elective, I embarked on an intriguing project focused on designing and creating a toy within the He-Man and She-Ra intellectual property, tailored for a 7+ audience while integrating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). In response, I conceptualized and constructed a board game, strategically leveraging the STEAM framework to engage and educate the targeted age group.
Game Identity.
The game's identity design drew inspiration from revisiting the original animated films and TV episodes of the 80s and 90s. I was enamoured by the vivid psychedelic colour palettes, animation styles, and the rich universe's locations and items, providing a compelling foundation for the game's development. Completing this project within a tight 12-week timeline was a substantial undertaking. It encompassed idea development, game creation, design, prototyping, testing, refining, and ultimately preparing for submission by arranging file printing and delivery. Juggling this amidst two other concurrent projects was challenging, but it provided an ideal opportunity to experiment with innovative techniques within a real-world context, resulting in a successful completion. Check it out below.
Game Components.
Game Cards.
Feel free to use the images below if you're interested in creating the game yourself. You'll find a rulebook PDF at the bottom, and the Grayskull castle is an SVG file suitable for laser cutting and assembly using 3mm material. However, please note that selling the game is strictly prohibited under any circumstance.
Buildable Components.
While my files were being professionally printed, I dedicated my time to crafting the game's constructable pieces—the player figurines and the centerpiece, Castle Grayskull. Creating the player pieces was relatively straightforward, building upon existing vector character images of He-Man and She-Ra from the box art and tweaking them for Teela and Man-at-Arms. However, developing Castle Grayskull presented a significant challenge. It began with 3D modeling the castle's silhouette, integrating an open-source human skull. Adding meticulously textured 2D planes to intersect with the 3D shape and create interlocking grooves was an intricate process. This involved refining outlines for laser cutting, numerous tests, and occasional restarts due to overlooked details. Ultimately, overcoming these challenges led to the emergence of the final design. A key takeaway: optimizing narrow grooves for laser cutting is crucial to prevent snapping during removal—an oversight I encountered and learned from firsthand.
Game Boards.
The game board portrays the south-western quadrant of Eternia, albeit with a few relocations such as the Mystic Mountains and Evergreen Forest for aesthetic reasons. Designed with expansion in mind, core game elements like movement, items, and abilities can be easily incorporated for future expansions. Created as an image in Blender, the map's representation is satisfactory, though I acknowledge room for improvement, particularly in refining elements like water, roads, and overall scale. The player boards serve as an intuitive interface for newcomers, offering guidance on values and organization, enhancing the gaming experience.
Game Box.
Rule Book.
Game Notes.
Eternal Masters is a fast-paced, maths-based, fun-filled board game for the whole family. You will take on quests as some of the Masters of the Universe, competing with one another to collect the most and best lore-accurate artifacts, weapons, animals, and vehicles.
Board games often revolve around STEAM concepts, utilizing mathematics, probability, art, and general knowledge. This motivated my decision to create a board game for this project. One early goal was to integrate progressive math challenges into gameplay seamlessly. Collectible cards, each with unique abilities and values, serve as the game's focal point. These values, when totaled, determine the 'current ability' of players, crucial for quest completion. Starting with simpler quests, success relies on a player's 'current ability,' calculated against the enemies’ strength on cards. As the game progresses, players strategically add cards to enhance their abilities. Currency serves as a limited yet vital resource, obtained through various means, used for acquiring better items. Stores offer chance-based items, requiring prudent spending to optimize chances of success.
