Game Design

PALAK SANGHANI
201314001

Game Design

Table of Contents
A.
History of Games.......................................................................................... 3
1.

Key Examples............................................................................................. 3

Tafl................................................................................................................... 4
The Landlords Game ...................................................................................... 5
Vaikuntapaali ................................................................................................... 6
Nine Mens Morris .......................................................................................... 7
The Mansion of Happiness .............................................................................. 8
Senet ............................................................................................................. 10
Mancala ......................................................................................................... 11
Chaupat ......................................................................................................... 12
The Royal Game of Ur ................................................................................... 13
Chaturanga .................................................................................................... 15
2.

Key Themes ............................................................................................. 16

Introduction .................................................................................................. 17
Chaturanga Board ......................................................................................... 18
Movement of Dice ........................................................................................... 19
Chaturanga Basic Rules ................................................................................. 20
Taking Opponents' Pieces and Promotions................................................... 22
Chaturanga Winning, Politics and Ransoms .................................................. 23
Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 24
Literary Evidences ......................................................................................... 25
3.

Key Game Design Ideas ........................................................................... 26

Indian Chess .................................................................................................. 26

Rules of Play .................................................................................................. 27
Origin of Game .............................................................................................. 27
Synchronous and Diachronic Lineage of Game............................................. 29
Chess Moves and Boards .............................................................................. 32
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Chess Variants ............................................................................................... 32

Current State of Game .................................................................................. 33
B. My Game ....................................................................................................... 36
1.
2.

Title of the Game..................................................................................... 36

Game Overview ....................................................................................... 36

Game Concept............................................................................................... 36
Genre............................................................................................................. 36
Target Audience ............................................................................................ 36
No. of Players ................................................................................................ 36
Playing Time .................................................................................................. 37
Game Flow Summary .................................................................................... 37
Look and Feel ................................................................................................ 37
3.

Models and Simulations .......................................................................... 38

Models .......................................................................................................... 38
Simulation ..................................................................................................... 38
4.

Game Design ........................................................................................... 39

Gameplay and Mechanics ............................................................................. 39

Objectives ........................................................................................................ 41
Story, Setting and Character ......................................................................... 41
Story and Narrative ......................................................................................... 41
Game Rules ................................................................................................... 43

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A. History of Games
1. Key Examples
What is Play? It is to engage in any
activity

for

enjoyment

and

recreation rather than a serious or

practical purpose.
For eg. Watching a video

What is a Game? It is a form of

competitive activity or sport played
according to the rules. For eg.
Snakes and Ladders.

Salen and Zimmerman defined play

as a free movement within a rigid
structure and game as a system in
which players engage in an artificial
conflict, defined by rules, that
results in a quantifiable outcome.

The history of games can be traced to the ancient times. Games are often an
expression of the human nature and interactions. They let us know how people
thought interacted and behaved in a particular period of time.

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For thousands of years, board games have been a source of entertainment for
people across the world. Evidence of board games pre-dates the development of
writing and in many cultures they have even come to have a religious significance.
Which are the historically important and significant games?

Tafl

Tafl was a very popular game among the Vikings. One player aims to get his king
from the centre of the board to the edges, while the other does everything he
can to capture him. Tafl spread across Europe (just like Viking genes) and became
the chess of its day; noblemen would boast of their skill on the board. Tafl was
the inspiration for the game Thud, based on Terry Pratchetts Discworldseries.
There is still the occasional World Championshipbut the fact that these take

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place on an island with a population of eighty-six makes me doubt how much of

a world championship it really is. A bit more pillaging may be in order.

The Landlords Game

The Landlords Game was invented in 1903 by Maryland actress Lizzie Magie. The
game board consisted of a square track, with a row of properties around the
outside that players could buy. The game board had four railroads, two utilities,
a jail, and a corner named Labor Upon Mother Earth Produces Wages, which
earned players $100 each time they passed it.

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This should all sound quite familiar: the fact is, The Landlords Game was
patented three decades before Charles Darrow invented Monopoly and sold it
to Parker Brothers.
The Landlords Gamelater known as Prosperitywas intended to illustrate the
social injustice created by land ownership and rent poverty. It also offered a
solution to this injustice: players could opt to have rent from properties they
owned paid into a communal pot, which would then be shared out, making things
better for everyone.
The great irony of the story is that when the idea was stolen by Darrow, the
prosperity-for-all ideal was removed completelyand the game that went on to
be played by more than one billion people ended up encouraging them to make
their opponents bankrupt.

Vaikuntapaali

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The sixteenth century Indian game of Vaikuntapaalialso known as Leelawas

atool for teaching morality and spirituality. It was the game that went on to be
launched as Chutes and Ladders in America (and Snakes and Ladders elsewhere).
In the original version, the climbing of a ladder was supposed to show players the
value of good deeds in the search for enlightenment; the chutesor snakes
were meant to show that vices such as theft and murder would bring spiritual
harm to the sinner.
The Victorians altered the moral teachings when they brought the game to
England in the late nineteenth century. Although in the original one could achieve
a state of eternal Nirvana, the British fondness for understatement meant that in
the Western version, one simply achieved success. By the time Milton Bradley
brought it to America in 1943, all anyone really wanted was a bit of distraction
(something must have been weighing on peoples minds in the early 1940s), and
so the game became what it remains today: a basic race to the finish.

Nine Mens Morris

A precursor to Tick-Tack-Toe, Nine Mens Morris is a game in which counters are

placed on a grid with the aim of creating lines of three. Once all the pieces are
down, they can be moved one space per move. Whenever a player forms a row
of three, he can remove one of his opponents pieces from the board. The first
player down to two pieces loses.

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The simplicity of the game board meant that people across the world could create
their own without much hassle. Boards dating as far back as 1440 B.C. have been
found carved into steps and rocks in Sri Lanka, Bronze Age Ireland, ancient Troy
and the Southwestern United Statesnote to Mormons: this is not
archaeological evidence in support of the Book of Mormon. Not content with
scarring the landscape alone, it seems that fans through history carved the board
into seats, walls, and even tombstones across England. For all the concern
over World of Warcraft, well know computer game addiction has become truly
serious when people start vandalizing their nearest graveyard for a quick fix.

The Mansion of Happiness

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When Parker Brothers republished The Mansion of Happiness: An Instructive

Moral and Entertaining Amusement in 1894, they claimed that it had been the
first board game published in the USway back in 1843. The game was in fact
probably the second game published in the US; but it is still noteworthy as a
successor to the race to the afterlife theme common in many older religious
games.
The game designers had to use technicalities to get past the the then-sinister
connotations of gambling (a six-sided die is Satanic, a six-sided spinner not so
much). The board consisted of a basic roll-and-move tracksaturated with more
Puritanism than should rightfully fit on a piece of cardboard. Sabbath-breakers
are sent to the whipping post (whips sold separately), and the vice of Idleness will
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land you in Poverty. The game also includes what perhaps the worst rule is ever
prescribed in the history of board games, with a player sometimes required to
wait till his turn comes to spin again, and not even think of happiness, much less
partake of it. Luckily, do not partake of happiness is a rule that didnt really
catch on.

Senet

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Senet is the oldest board game known to exist. Sets have been found in burial
chambers from as far back as 3,500 B.C.including four in Tutankhamens tomb.
Game boards were three squares wide and ten squares long, and sets typically
had five to seven pieces for each player. Though the original rules have been lost,
there is general consensus that the aim is to race ones pieces across the board,
using thrown sticks as an equivalent for dice.
Though it began as a secular form of entertainment, Senet soon took on a
religious significance for the Egyptians. The squares were marked with various
symbols representing the gods and other aspects of the afterlife. When you play
modern board games, the best you can hope for is entertainment; but players
completing Senet ritually joined with the sun god while still alive and thus
assured their survival of the ordeals of the netherworld even before dying.
Handy.

Mancala
Mancala refers to a family of games with the same basic method of play. Known
as count-and-capture games, there is some evidence to suggest that they may be
the earliest games playedpredating even Senet but further verification is
needed. To play the game, all you need is a patch of soft ground and a handful of
seeds or pebbles. Rows of holes are dug alongside one another, and players
distribute counters one at a time in a path round the board. There are a number
of goals; but the key to victory in every version is basically to count really fast.
Mancala was little-known in Europe and America until relatively recently. A report
from the Smithsonian Institute described it as the national game of Africa.

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Chaupat

The Indian game of Chaupat and the closely-related game Pachisi are the original
cross-and-circle games, of which the best known example in the West is the
much-simplified Ludo. Players aim to race their pieces around the board, with
moves determined by a throw of cowry shells. An opponents pieces can be
captured by landing on the same square, and two of a players pieces on the same
square can merge into a super-piece.
The Mogul Emperor Akbar I played the game on a giant board, using slave-girls
instead of pieces. How two of these pieces merged into a super-piece is
unclearand a Google search for slave girl pieces returns results about, shall
we say, other things.

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The Royal Game of Ur

The Royal Game of Ur is the oldest-known board game for which the original rules
survive. The oldest sets, discovered in Iraq in the 1920s, date to around 2600
B.C. The Royal Game of Ur is a race game, much like Senet, in which one throws
dice to move ones pawns towards the goal.
The game had been thought long-deadsuperseded by backgammon 2000 years
agountil game enthusiast Irving Finkel (who had poetically discovered the
games rules carved into an ancient stone tablet) stumbled upon a surprising
photograph of a game board from modern India. A small amount of detective
work later, Finkel met a retired schoolteacher who had played what was basically

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the same game as a youngstermaking this the game that has been played for
longer than any other in the history of the world.

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Chaturanga

Chaturanga is a game that deserves to be known, if only because of its enormous

legacy: chess. Chaturanga is a board game which was developed in India during
the 6th of century and chess is the current form of it. Chaturangawhich dates
from as far back as the sixth century A.D.is the common ancestor of all the
modern versions of chess. The board and most pieces are the same, though the
exact rules are sadly forgotten. But it seems that the creators of Chaturanga hit
upon the formula that would go on to spread the game throughout the world:
The pure battle of skill. The almost infinite complexity. The scope for beauty. And
the resemblance too much of real life.

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2. Key Themes
There are few games as widely known as chess. Chess became an extension of
the Cold War in 1972; it has ousted all contenders in Europe for the title Game
of Kingsand the western game is not alone. The Chinese have Xiangqi, the
Japanese play Shogi, and there are equivalents in Korea, Thailand and India. Chess
is sometimes used as an analogy for life itself, and in the popular mind it is a
symbol of genius.

Chaturanga (or Shaturanga) starting position

Chaturanga midgame

Chess very probably evolved from Ludo-like Pachisi, it used to be a four-player

game involving dice. Chaturanga was a family game involving luck and player
politics.
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Be warned though! In ancient India the game became so popular and was played
for such inordinate sums of money that at least one Maharajah had to prohibit it
at the pain of death.

Introduction
Chaturanga is an ancient Indian four player game of luck and skill. Unlike Chess,
with which it is closely related, it depicts a wider conflict involving warfare as well
as political conflict between many warring kingdoms. While Chess is a game of
direct battle with no element of luck involved, Chaturanga is a much more lively
game, much closer to what we would consider a modern "family game."
Some historians see Chaturanga and Chess as games belonging to different
periods in Indian history, reflecting the political situation of those times. While
India was ruled by a single great king or emperor, 2-player Chess (or Shatranj)
was more popular. On the other hand, while the land was ruled by various
autonomous princes or in the throes of a civil war, Chaturanga more realistically
simulated the "games of kings" since it readily supports the shifting alliances, the
betrayals and sheer randomness of such times. A modern equivalent would be to
compare Chess to the Cold War with two huge opponents fighting for world
dominance. Chaturanga is closer to what we have now - many nations wheeling
and dealing for a better place under the sun.

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Ashtapada Board

Chaturanga Board
Chaturanga is traditionally played on an Ashtapada board which is an 8x8 board
similar to the one used in Chess but with some special markings. Have no fear, it
is perfectly possible to play Chaturanga on your ordinary Chess board and your
game won't suffer because of it.
It is interesting to note that it is exactly the use of Ashtapada board that is the
basis of belief that Chaturanga is the first historical version of the game we now
know as Chess. Ashtapada is an ancient four player racing game of India similar
to Pachisi and it seems that some enterprising amateur game designer of 5th
century AD India created a whole new game genre using an existing popular
board design. Sadly, unlike Richard Garfield or Klaus Teuber, the ingenious
Indian's name is lost to history.

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Chaturanga Starting Positions

Chaturanga Piece Movement

Movement of Dice
Six-sided dice movement:
1, 2 King/ Rajah or Pawn
3 - Ship
4 - Horse
5 - Elephant
6 - No unit may be moved with this dice.
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Four-sided dice movement:

1 - Ship
2 - Horse
3 - Elephant
4 - Rajah or Pawn

Chaturanga Basic Rules

Chaturanga is primarily a four-player game although it may also be played by two
or three players. It is very well suited for team play 2 vs 2 although it is usually
played as a free-for-all. There are certain variant rules to the game concerning
temporal alliances but they tend to materialize spontaneously through play,
human nature being what it is.
Each player plays the role of a Rajah, an ancient Indian king. The goal of the game
is to become the Maharajah or the "great king" by subduing your opponents. This
is done through a clever combination of politics and warfare using simple yet
clever mechanics involving dice throwing and smart positional play.
Each player's army consists of the following pieces closely resembling those used
in Chess, both in form and function.
The Rajah moves exactly like the king in Chess, one square in any direction either
orthogonally or diagonally.
The Elephant moves like the rook in Chess. He can move any number of
unoccupied squares in any orthogonal direction (forward, backward, left or right)
The Horse moves exactly like the knight in modern Chess. That is one square
orthogonally and one square diagonally with the ability to jump over any pieces.
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The Ship is superficially equivalent to the bishop but it moves in a different way.
It can move only 2 squares in any of the diagonal directions but it can jump over
other pieces while doing so.
The Pawns are the exact equivalent of Chess pawns. They can move one square
orthogonally forward unless they are making a capture when they must move
diagonally.
While the pieces' movements closely resemble those of Chess, the choice of
which piece you can move is one of Chaturanga's most original mechanics.
In Chaturanga each player's turn begins with a roll of two dice. The numbers
rolled determine which units may be moved during the players' turn. You can
choose whether to move one piece, both pieces and no pieces at all during your
turn. If you roll the same number on both dice you can even make a double move
with the same piece.
The game was originally played with elongated 6-sided dice giving four possible
outcomes. 4-sided dice left over from your D&D game are a perfect replacement.
However, if you don't have any d4s handy, you can superglue two or more
ordinary six-sided dice and create a working d4. Just take care that numbers point
in the same direction! If you don't want to bother, feel free to try it out with
ordinary 6-sided dice. The game is perfectly playable this way although the
element of luck is somewhat increased.

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Concourse of Shipping and possible ship positions

Taking Opponents' Pieces and Promotions

In a free-for-all game you can take any other player's piece by simply moving into
its square, exactly like in Chess. However, the ships have another way of taking
opponents and that is by "concourse of shipping." If your ship enters the square
bordered by three other ships you take them all. While this rarely happens, it is a
very powerful move that can change the direction of the game.
Pawns are promoted when they reach an opponents original "horse" or
"elephant" squares where they transform into the corresponding piece. Note
that this can happen only if you already lost the piece the pawn is being promoted
to. If this is not the case, the pawn can wait until the piece he is to be promoted
into is lost. At that moment the promotion happens automatically.
When a Rajah is captured a special situation occurs. The capturer can now control
the opponents pieces as though they were his own but the Rajah-less player can
still fight back and attempt to ransom his Rajah!
An important rule to note is that under no circumstances, regardless of the
"political situation" on board, it is possible for a piece to take another piece of
the same colour.
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Chaturanga Winning, Politics and Ransoms

Chaturanga is a game of rare endgame complexity which, understandably, made
it less than popular with classical-minded Victorians who were the first
westerners to encounter it.
Unlike Chess, Chaturanga allows the player to remain on board even after his
Rajah is lost. The game ends when a player captures two of his enemies' Rajah
Pieces. There are historical variants to this rule but their description would
surpass the scope of this article. I'll mention and explain them in the follow up
article.
In a four player game when another player's Rajah is captured his army enters
the state of mutiny and civil war. The capturing player now shares the control of
the army with the original owner. He is free to move his opponent's pieces as if
they were his own! However, he still can throw only two dice during his turn, as
if he were in control of his original army only. If the red player has green player's
Rajah captured he can now choose to move either red or green pieces with each
throw of the dice.
The player who lost his Rajah may still roll the dice and move his original armies
when his turn comes. He can even attack the pieces held by his occupier, but he
cannot attack pieces of his own colour. This way with a bit of skill and luck, even
a player who lost his Rajah may still regain the full control of his armies.
If a player without his Rajah manages to capture his capturer's own Rajah, the
exchange of prisoners may take place if players agree to do so. Now both players
regain full control of their armies and the Rajahs are placed at their original
positions. If there is another piece seated at that position at that moment, it is
immidiately executed and replaced by the returning vengeful Rajah.

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Krishna and Radha playing on an Ashtapada Board

Conclusion
In recent times ancient board games somewhat lost in popularity. They are being
increasingly replaced by modern board game designs which emphasize strong
themes, simplicity of rules and are played by more than two players. Ancient
games are often seen as very cerebral, even boring abstract exercises in intellect
requiring massive commitment in order to be played well.
However, there are many relatively unknown and almost forgotten ancient
games which are much more suited for our hectic age than what you'd come to
expect from a selection of "classical board games" which formed more than a
hundred years ago. The mental space of Victorians was very different from our
own and this reflects on the games they found universally appealing. The times
are always-a-changing and there are periods in history when stronger-themed,
more family-oriented games involving a bit of luck and politics were more
appropriate for the spirit of the times, just like ours. Chaturanga is one of those
games.
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Literary Evidences
"Presenting myself as a Brahmana, Kanka by name, skilled in dice and fond of
play, I shall become a courtier of that high-souled king. And moving upon chessboards beautiful pawns made of ivory, of blue and yellow and red and white hue,
by throws of black and red dice. I shall entertain the king with his courtiers and
friends."
The Great Indian Epic of Mahabharata, 8th century BC
"Let the king publish corporally, at discretion, both the gamester and the keeper
of the gambling house, whether they play with inanimate objects such as dice, or
chaturanga, or with living creatures as in the blood sports of cock and ram
fighting."
The Ninth Book of the Laws of Manu, 1st century BC

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3. Key Game Design Ideas

Indian Chess
Chess is a board game of strategic skill for two players, played on a checked board
with 64 squares. Each player begins the game with sixteen pieces that are moved
and used to capture opposing pieces according to precise rules. The object is to
put the opponent's king under a direct attack from which escape is impossible.

Genre: Board Game

Abstract Strategy Game
Players: 2
Setup: Minute or less
Playing Time: Ranging from 10 minutes to several hours.
Skills Required: Strategy, Planning and Tactics
Random Chance or Luck: None except for mistakes from the opponent.

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Rules of Play
Despite the variations of the game, each piece has different powers and the
victory depends on the fate of the King.
Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks,
two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each of the six piece types moves
differently. Pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, with the
objective to 'checkmate' the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable
threat of capture. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by the
voluntary resignation of the opponent, which typically occurs when too
much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable. A game may also
result in a draw in several ways, where neither player wins. The course of the
game is divided into three phases: opening, middle-game, and end-game

Origin of Game
Most of the scholars now agree that Chess was invented in India and then it
travelled to Western Asia and Europe where the game evolved to what it is now.
Chess is known as Daba in Bengali derived from the Persian word Dav
meaning turn to play or make move. In South its called Chaturanga which is
a Sanskrit word.
The word Chaturanga appears in the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana to
denote the war machinery of king but Chaturanga as a game is scarcely
mentioned in Indian literature. Chaturanga roughly translates into the four
military divisions: Infantry, Cavalry, Elephantry and Chariotry represented by the
pieces that evolved into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively.
Chess is believed to have originated in Eastern India in the Gupta Empire where
its early form in the 6th century, Chaturanga was played on an 8*8 square board.
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In Persia the name became "chatrang" which evolved to "Shatranj". The rules
were further developed.
Games upon the "Ashtapada" board of 8x8, with dice and with two or more
players may have served as "proto-chess", but the two types of games already
differ too strongly in their nature and philosophy to make the evolution of
"Chaturanga" into "Shatranj" a simple question of direct parentage via the
Persian "Chatrang".
The game of Chaturanga basically portrays the Indian military strategy of the past
era. Though unverified, according to a former theory, chess started as a dicechess, as some people used a dice to decide, which piece to move. The use of
dice was late removed because it made chess a game of chance. Gambling was
later removed, due to Hindu and Muslim religious objections.
The earliest evidence of chess is found in the nearby Sassanid Persia around 600,
where the game came to be known by the name chatrang. Chatrang is evoked in
three epic romances written in Pahlavi (Middle Persian). Chatrang was taken up
by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia where it was then
named Shatranj, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names. In Spanish
"Shatranj" was rendered to different names but in the rest of Europe it was
replaced by versions of the Persian Shah ("king"), which was familiar as an
exclamation and became the English words "check" and "chess". Murray
theorized that Muslim traders came to European sea-ports with ornamental
chess kings as curios before they brought the game of chess.
The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the
earliest being in the 9th century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout
Europe. Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors in the 10th century,

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it was described in a famous 13th-century manuscript covering Shatranj,

backgammon, and dice named the Libro de los Juegos.
There are various theories regarding the origin of chess.

Synchronous and Diachronic Lineage of Game

The structure, literary allusions and archaeological evidence enlightens the fact
that the game must have originated in India.
Literary Evidences:
Persian sources mention that the game was sent to them by Indian Ruler. A
German scholar says that chess was played on a board of 64 squares. Bhartirihari
used the word shara to denote a board in a verse but it may be different game
board in 4th century. In a folk song of 11th century by kanhupada used by
Mahasidhhas the game of chess has been used as a metaphor.
King Someshvaras work Manasollasa is the first known reference to the game
of chess. Chess has been played in India since the 6th century according to the
Persian and Arabic literature.
It is described in detail in Kitab al-Hind by al-Biruni where he writes about four
handed chess played with pair of dice. Dice was later eradicated to not let chess
remain a game of chance. This increased the pace of the game and satisfied the
instinct for gambling.
Archaeological Evidences:
Although the literary evidence is scarce, the archaeological evidences allow us to
go as far as the 1st century BC.
Ivory chariot drawn by four horses was found at Mantai in Sri Lanka and a
terracotta horse from Andhra Pradesh dating back to 2nd or 3rd century. A carved
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structure dating back to the 1st century was found from Jaggayyapeta
representing theme of Universal King.
A chess piece was even found in Kashmir representing the elephant dating back
to the 5th-6th century. Elephant serves as vehicle for both the king and the
ministers.
Chess has been an evolving and dynamic game. The chariot has been replaced by
the camel in the John Company set, ivory sets from West Bengal. Although camel
seems to be late substitution literary evidence proves otherwise.
After chess was passed to Persia in the 6th century and later to Europe it has made
phenomenal development.
Etymological Evidences:
It is said that General Rall was busy with the game of chess that he tucked away
the note brought to him announcing attack from George Washington at Trenton
resulting on the loss of colonies.
In the 1650s chess was regarded as tedious and time devouring. Migrating and
Conquering Europeans transmitted the game to the new world.
Benjamin Franklin was an obsessive chess player. He has written in 1780 in his
Dialogue between Franklin and the Goat that chess keeps one engaged for
hours and it is a perpetual recreation. Franklin published Morals of Chess in
1779.
Thomas Jefferson said he was equivalent to Franklin in chess. He is the first
American chess set collector.

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Duchamp used chess extensively in his art. He is said to have given up art to
devote all his time to play chess. His art foreshadowed complex strategies he
would use in his relationships.
Satyajit Ray made an engaging film on chess Shatranj ke khilarhi based on a
novel by Premchand demonstrating the engaging nature of chess where in two
friends are so lost in their world of chess that they tend to neglect their wives,
jobs and responsibilities. They were even unaware of the fact that British took
over their city.
Gerris Game, a short Pixar animated film displaying the delirious nature of chess
without a single dialog.
Chess was conceived as a game of war and modelled after the confrontation of
armies on a battlefield. The four components of an Indian army are the infantry,
cavalry, chariots and elephant brigade. The two opposing sides of this set are
depicted as a Sikh army, whose soldiers have beards in addition to moustaches,
and an Afghan army. During the middle Ages, chess was introduced to Europe,
where it was transformed into a game of courtly intrigue. The prime minister was
replaced by the queen, the elephant brigade by the bishop, the cavalry by the
knight, and the chariot or camel brigade by the rook. In Indian chess, the camel
is often substituted for the bishop and the elephant for the rook. This particular
chess set, known as a John Company set, was crafted in New Delhi around 1850
for the British East India Company.
Chess theory was greatly developed in the 20th century.

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Chess Moves and Boards

Coming to the features and design of the chess board, it was primarily designed
for an Ashtapada i.e. having eight feet. The other Indian boards employed were
the 10X10 Dasapada and the 9X9 Saturankam.

King: as now.

Queen: one square diagonally, only.

Bishop: As per the Indian version in former times - two squares sideways
or front-and-back (no more or less), but could jump over a piece between.

Knight: as now.

Rook: as now.

Pawn: one square forwards (not two); captured as now. Promoted to

queen only

Chess Variants
Chess variants are forms of chess where the game is played using a different
boards (e.g. hexagonal chess or 3D chess), different rules, or special fairy pieces.
There are more than two thousand published variants, the most popular
being xiangqi in China and shogi in Japan. Chess variants can include
1. Direct predecessors of chess (chaturanga and shatranj).
2. Traditional national or regional variants like xiangqi, shogi, janggi (Korea),
and makruk (Thailand), which share common predecessors with Western
chess.
3. Hexagonal variants, such as Gliski's hexagonal chess, popular in the
1930s.
4. Modern variants such as Chess960, where the starting position is selected
randomly, rendering the use of prepared opening lines impracticable
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Current State of Game

The game gained popularity during the Muslim reign.

Chess set acquired by Norton Simon became a representative of Indias cultural

and intellectual prowess.
Thomas Henry Huxley compares chessboard with the world where in the pieces
form the different phenomenon of the universe whereas the rules of the games
are compared with the laws of nature.
The game is said to be so addictive that the children are discouraged from playing
least it distracts them from studies.
It is now one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people
worldwide in homes, parks, clubs, online, by correspondence, and
in tournaments.
Chess was seen as a war game involving the martial art allowing stimulation of
the reality. People have realized that it not only helps enhance mental prowess
but allows one to relax also.

Chess can now even be played on computers/ mobiles or similar devices. The
online games started appearing in the 90s. It is truly a global game and chess
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players have achieved celebrity status. Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky for
World Championship in 1972.
Contemporary chess is an organized sport with structured international and
national leagues, tournaments, and congresses. Chess's international governing
body is FIDE (Fdration Internationale des checs). Most countries have a
national chess organization as well (such as the US Chess Federation and English
Chess Federation) which in turn is a member of FIDE. FIDE is a member of
theInternational Olympic Committee, but the game of chess has never been part
of the Olympic Games; chess does have its own Olympiad, held every two years
as a team event.
The current World Chess Champion is Magnus Carlsen of Norway. The reigning
Women's World Champion is Hou Yifan from China. The world's highest rated
female player, Judit Polgr, has never participated in the Women's World Chess
Championship, instead preferring to compete with the leading men and
maintaining a ranking among the top male players.
Other competitions for individuals include the World Junior Chess Championship,
the European Individual Chess Championship, and the National Chess
Championships. Invitation-only tournaments regularly attract the world's
strongest players. Examples include Spain's Linares event, Monte Carlo's Melody
Ambertournament, the Dortmund Sparkassen meeting, Sofia's M-tel Masters,
and Wijk aan Zee's Tata Steel tournament.
Regular team chess events include the Chess Olympiad and the European Team
Chess Championship. The World Chess Solving Championship and World
Correspondence Chess Championships include both team and individual events.

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Besides these prestigious competitions, there are thousands of other chess

tournaments, matches, and festivals held around the world every year catering
to players of all levels. Chess is promoted as a "mind sport" by the Mind Sports
Organisation, alongside other mental-skill games such as Contract Bridge, Go,
and scrabble.

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B. My Game
1. Title of the Game
An apt name for the game can be Set the Sail. The players set the sail as they
go on a journey in their boat during the course of the game.

2. Game Overview
Game Concept
The game revolves around the coast of Gujarat. Each player is given a boat and
embarks upon a journey in their boat. The players face hurdle, do fishing and
trading along the way. This games aims at conveying the story of boat making,
fishermen, and boat makers and thus study the culture of the communities
involved in the process of boat making.

Genre
Set the Sail is a multiplayer family board game. It is an edutainment kind of game
providing rich combination of education with entertainment to the players.

Target Audience
This game is targeted for kids belonging to the age group of 10-12 years. It will
familiarize the children about the coastal culture of Gujarat.

No. of Players
The game is intended for maximum 6 players to play together. 6 boats will be
provided, one for each player. This game can be played with as less as 2 members
also. The dice must be thrown in turns and each player must get a chance at the
dice throw to let the game proceed.
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Playing Time
There is no fixed playing time as such because player decides which way he wants
to go so each time the game is played the amount of time required will vary.

Game Flow Summary

It is a dice game basically so a players movement across the board is decided by
the throw of dice. The path on which the player has to move is not entirely
governed by the dice. At every junction the player gets the opportunity to decide
their further course of action. The framing interface is such that players embarks
the journey from the home port and proceeds towards another port. Along the
way player can choose routes and face good fortunes as well as has to encounter
misfortunes. The aim is to reach back the home port earlier than the fellow
players and earning maximum money along the way by fish trading.

Look and Feel

As the game is meant for the kids the look and feel of the game is colorful and
bright. The central theme of the game revolves around coastal culture of Gujarat
so Blue and Yellow are selected as a part of the primary pallet. The basic
impression we get on viewing the board game is as we are embarking a journey
in our boat with several hurdles along the way constructed in a way that they are
eye catching. Visual style is kept simple and minimal. The instructions are written
in minimum words using simple language so that it simple for the children to
understand.

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3. Models and Simulations

Models
The game is built on the Economic Model of fishermen. Fishermens life is all
about fishes and their trade. The foremost parameter is Quality and Quantity of
Fish. Pollution and overfishing degrade the quality of fish and decrease the
quantity of fish. Sometimes overfishing ruins several breeds of the fish. Fishing is
stopped during the spawning season to let the fish reproduce in large numbers
and as it is rainy season, government bans fishing to protect the fishermen from
storms and turbulences at sea. These days illegal fishing is done and fishing
through crawlers of large industries in resulting into silting of rivers and ocean
coasts which is adversely affecting the fishing industry. Each fisherman has to
own a proper license of the boat and a specific sized boat is only allowed in
specific areas. All boats are not allowed to cross the borders. Different kinds of
fish require different kind of nets so fishermen have to upgrade their nets. Due
to turbulences at sea various casualties tend to happen. Boats men have to deal
with that also. Boats are made of wood so have to be repaired on and off. They
have to have a crew of people on the journey to deal with repairs and other
things.

Simulation
Several economic parameters are simulated to make the not so interesting life of
fishermen into a fun game. The game mechanics are such that several
parameters from the economic model of fishermen are incorporated. There
market places where the players can sell the fish or buy fish stock. They become
aware about the different local names of the fish and even learn to deal with
trading. They understand when fishing is not done and why. They learn about the
different rules associated with fishing and owning a boat. They have to deal with
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the repairs and maintenance of their boat. There are casualties. Players have to
pay fine when they dont have proper facilities in their boat like number plate,
radio, GPS or when they enter the wrong water way or an restricted area such as
ecosystem. Players suffer loss when pirates attack or when their goods are
damaged. For better fishing they keep upgrading their nets and boats. The
players have to pay money for fuel of the boat. In order to motivate the players
there are perks like finding treasures, catching good fish and winning at boat
races.

4. Game Design
Gameplay and Mechanics
Game Progression
The game is set along the coastal line of Gujarat educating the children about the
rich coastal culture of Gujarat. Children will be made aware of the fishes available
along the coast and the other trade that takes place. The local names of fish are
used to make the children familiar to the coastal environment and the setup of
the game is such that the children feel as if they are really going on a boat journey
and hurdles are also kept such that children understand the problems faced by
the boat makers. The players will go on an expedition fishing along the way and
selling cargo. The game progresses as per the throw of the dice and decision of
the players to choose the route. The players may have to go back few steps or
may get chance to move a few steps ahead. There are shortcuts also. The players
reach market spots now and then during the game where they can buy a stock of
fish or sell their fish as per stock and prices on the market card which comes out
from the shuffled bunch of market cards.

Challenge Structure
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There are several dramatic elements in the game. The player has to compete with
himself to collect more and exclusive fish. He also has to beat the other players
at the same. He will even try to get the best boat. From the perspective of
challenge the game tests the decision making skills and concentration of the
player. The game involves education, learning, good amount of engagement from
the player throughout the different levels of the game. The element of
competition with oneself works as a bonus point.

The player will have drawbacks such as pirate attacks, boat breaks and it may
require repairing, workers are not available, whale attack, unfavorable
environmental conditions. At the same time the perks will be finding treasures,
shortcuts, etc.

Puzzle Structure
The game can offer an enriching experience from the point of view of learning as
well as fun. This game can turn out to be a promising medium to lure people and
spread the craft of wooden boat making and thus contribute to the heritage.
From a broader perspective the time factor and totally different scoring pattern
makes the game more interesting. It also tests an individuals decision making
power in a given span of time at a given point. In this an effort is made to ensure
that a players skills are enhanced along with the motive of spreading about the
coastal traditions, knowledge of fish, etc. forward

Learning Aspect
There will be considerable amount of learning involved in the game since it is an
educational game. The game can go a long way in making children aware about
coastal culture. The better part is that spreading an important message with the
help of a game makes it more effective as it makes the theme interesting.
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Objectives
The objective is to make the player familiar with the coastal culture of Gujarat
and sea trade and let him explore the different options. It will also make the
player aware of the sea food and other traditions in general.

Mechanics
Each player has to follow the basic rules of the game. At each point if the
candidate has to pay some money to the bank for repairs or any other fine then
only when the money is paid the candidate can proceed ahead. In case he doesnt
have money he can take a loan from the bank once which must be instantly
repaid on after dealing with trading at the next market. The implicit rules consist
of abiding by the dice throw and following the path, not cheating and taking the
turns to throw the dice. This game is actually the stimulation of the economic
model of the fisheries.

Story, Setting and Character

Story and Narrative
The game will be unique because it aims at entertaining the players while
educating them. The game will be designed to be an edutainment game. The
environment of the game will be such that players can experiment and learn
about various strategies such as cooperation, competition etc. It is a multiplayer
game. The story line has been selected in such a way that it can include
adventure, competition, sense of purpose and safety.
At the start of the game all the players will be given a boat and some amount of
money to begin their journey. They can buy fish and other cargo and sell it at
other ports. Points will be awarded based on the money players have earned at
the end of the game by selling cargo and fish. The players would have the power
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to decide how much goods to buy and where to sell. This will add to their decision
making capabilities. They can even choose to upgrade their boats so points will
be awarded based on the quality of the boat at the end of the game. The person
who finishes the game first will also get additional points. The constraint of time
will introduce an element of competition.
The objective is to make the player familiar with the coastal culture of Gujarat
and sea trade and let him explore the different options. It will also make the
player aware of the sea food and other traditions in general.
The player will have perks like good catch of fish along the way. They will learn
about the different types of fish and different issues that fishermen have to
tackle. The involvement of money and race will add to the entertainment value
of the game.

Game World
The game is set along the coastal line of Gujarat educating the children about the
rich coastal culture of Gujarat. Children will be made aware of the fishes available
along the coast and the other trade that takes place. The players will go on an
expedition fishing along the way and selling cargo. Physically the game will be
made using colors which help the players to relate to the coast of Gujarat and
thus children all over the world can learn about the general coastal culture and
how fisheries work.

Characters
Each player plays the role of a boat owner. The bank grants a loan and boat which
allows the player to start his journey in the seas. At each point they face the same
problems that fishermen and boat makers do. They get familiar with the names
of fish and local culture. Each player is at the same level and plays the same role.
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They can sell fish, choose their path, do fishing, upgrade their boats and dice
allows them move ahead. All the players will be boat owners giving each other
fierce competition trying to earn more money and attempting to reach the home
port as early as possible.

Levels
Each player goes on a journey so the game is as such not divided into different
levels but the path of the game is such that the player chooses paths at several
junctions. Some players choose the short cut where probability of misfortunes is
more whereas the longer path takes longer time to reach but there are certain
benefits along the way to make the game fair. At a port the player upgrades his
boat to a bigger boat or a ship according to the money he can pay. This decision
decides the further course of action and what player will further encounter.
There are many such crucial and critical decisions of when to buy and when to
sell fish. Such decisions are important and make the game more interesting.

Game Rules
Game Contents
The game contains a hard cardboard foldable which serves as the game board. It
has deck of cards which will serve as the market cards. The tiny 6 boats will serve
as the tokens, each player gets token. There are two dices. One to be used during
the game and other spare one 6 sided dice is provided in case the first one is lost.
There is a bank in the game so there are 50 notes of 50rupees each, 100 notes of
100 rupees each.

Game Assembly
To begin the game just lay down the board of the game. No other assembly is
required. The deck of cards must be placed on the space provided on the board.
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Each player should be handed the money from the bank. One person plays the
bank who handles the money transactions.

Game Setup
Each player begins the game from the home where the tokens of each player
must be placed initially and each player must be handed over 500 rupees from
the bank so that they can make the payments and do trading along the way. Then
the game begins.

Game Play
Any player can start the game but its better to let the youngest player go first.
Its not required to get a 6 on the dice to begin the game. Any player can throw
any number on the dice and the game will proceed. The players are supposed to
follow the path, at several junctions they can choose the course.
On a players turn the player throws the dice and moves the token as the number
on the dice. Wherever the player lands if there are any instructions then those
instructions must be followed.
At times special conditions are encountered like player lands on another player,
at such points both can let their tokens stand together.
There are many special spaces where either the player will receive some benefit
or will suffer, player has to follow the written instruction.
The special market cards must be shuffled each time any player lands on the
market space. A card must be given to that player. The card will show the market
rates so the player can decide for himself whether he wants to buy fish or sell.
These cards have local names of fish and their rates which help players in trading.

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Winning is determined on two parameters i.e. which player reaches the home
port first after completing the entire journey and secondly on which player earns
the maximum money during the entire game so there will be two winners. There
can be a tie also. In such case game can be played again or both can be declared
as winners. The aim of the game is to make maximum children happy to build up
the interest in the game.

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References

A history of chess, Murray

Philosophy looks at Chess, Benjamin
Art of Chess, Mason
Understanding your chess, James
Birth of Chess Queen,

Yalom

History of Games, MacGregor

What is a Game? Chicago Press
Genealogy of Chess, David
Perception and Memory in chess, Adriaan
Psychology of Boar Games, Fernand
Evolution of Chess, Jeremy
Encyclopedia of Chess Variants, David.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_chess
history.chess.free.fr/india.htm
ancientchess.com/
chess-evolution.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaturanga
www.chessvariants.org/rindex.htm
History of chess, Duncan

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