Mystique - A Game of Sacred Art

A strategic and mindful game, inspired by the art of Sacred Geometry

Mystique - A Game of Sacred Art

Mystique is a highly competitive, strategic, and mindful game, inspired by the eternal art of Sacred Geometry. Players have to strategise and compete with one another to conjoin patterns in a combination of recurring elements.

Project Type: Individual

Role: Research, Concept, Visual Design, Prototype, Product Development, User Testing

Duration: 4 months

Tools: Illustrator, Laser Cut Machine, UV Printing

The Process

The process for this project was defined according to the project scope, needs and challenges.

Challenge

To create a board game with a compelling storyline which is highly competitive and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

Solution

We created a highly competitive and strategic board game which is inspired by the patterns of Sacred Geometry. A gripping and compelling storyline had been created to compliment the board game aesthetics.

Research

The inititial research started with understanding Traditonal Indian Board games and people woking on reviving it. Based on my Research, I also wrote a research essay on, the efforts revivalists are making to bring back traditional Indian Board Games.

As a part of my research, I attended boardgame conventions and boardgame meetups to get insights. During research I realised that revival was not the best option as it did not have much scope, so I pivoted towards creating my own boardgame.

Ideation

After playing a variety of board games, we started making small game prototypes and formulated rules for them. This process helped us get a step closer to the game we would finally design. After a lot of iteration and analysis, ‘The Idea’ struck, and we began creating a basic game flow to prototype. The game was a tile laying game based on patterns and matching the patterns where players connect the same patterned tiles to score points.

Usability Testing

We play-tested the paper prototype with 5 people to understand the ease and complexity in the game rules.

Common Findings:

Users would like to have simpler game rules that make it less complicated
Users find it difficult to pick up the tile pieces and also the pieces keep moving around on the board.
Users want the game to have an interesting back story
Users want the game to be more competitive
Users suggested to add more tiles to the game

Visual Design

The branding and packaging of the game have been inspired by Sacred Geometry and Islamic Patterns, revolving around a mystical theme. The colours, typography, and graphic elements do justice to the concept and keep the players intrigued. The game can also be treated as Art Therapy, as the vibrancy and intricacy of the aesthetically pleasing patterns have healing powers of their own that calm the players.

The Product

The game comes in a square box consisting of:
1. Mystical Board (Main Game Board)
2. Cosmic Board (Score Board)
3. Sacred Card
4. Score Markers
5. Mystical Tiles (UV Printed Patterned Tiles)
6. Rule Book

In terms of the product experience, the game pieces have been made of durable and high-quality material to provide a better experience. The tiles have been UV printed to give a glazed tile look and has been made bigger and thicker to ensure it is easy to hold and remove. Also, the hollow spaces on the main game board, ensure the tiles do not move from their place.

Mystique Box
Placing tiles on the Mystical Board
Moving the score marker on the Cosmic Board
Mystical Tiles
Game Components
Back side of the Mystique Box

Conclusion

The branding, packaging, and graphics garnered a lot of attention and was appreciated by players who played the game. The players also found the storyline and gameplay gripping, as they had never come across a game that could turn patterns into play.

Since this was the first board game we made, it was extremely challenging. But the experience has encouraged us to explore new subject areas and push ourselves.

User suggestions helped us understand how the game experience can be enhanced further by changing few game rules and adding additional elements to the game.