SPIEL Essen is the world’s largest board game fair and serves as a key annual meetup for board game designers, illustrators, makers, and fans. Taking place each year in the northwestern German city of Essen over a total of four days in early October, it is the place for all people passionate about games. After months of prototyping, testing, and fine-tuning the game mechanics, SPIEL presented an ideal opportunity for the team to gather fresh insights and expand their project beyond the walls of the university.
From prototype to playtest
Since the initial grant award in March, we have put our energy and creativity into creating, testing, and refining game mechanics and workings, giving our colleagues ample opportunity to test the working prototype of the game. With that said, the next steps in the game creation process are visual design and illustration, both of which will need to be outsourced to people well-versed in the intricacies of designing visuals and illustrating cards. This is even more so the case in view of the decidedly local character of the game, which incorporates events, imagery, buildings, and people from Belval’s past as well as its present. We will be working in close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a high degree of visual fidelity and historical authenticity.
Connecting with designers and getting inspired at SPIEL
Heading to SPIEL for two days in early October, with several appointments lined up and a portfolio prepared, we dove into the infectious atmosphere of the fair. The sheer scale, diversity of games, and the enthusiasm of designers, creators, and players left a lasting impression on each of us. The meetings with designers and illustrators, game material producers, and fellow game designers on the institutional level, proved more than fruitful, and we are hopeful to follow these encounters up with further collaborations. Needless to say, the experience as a whole inspired us further for the finishing touches our game needs to go through before we, too, can present our playful showcase of Belval’s rich history.
More updates to follow soon. Stay tuned!
