More Ways to Create Resonance

This is a follow up to this post about resonance in board games. In that post I used Tokaido as a benchmark; in this one I am using Everdell. What I like about these games is the variety of ways they create resonance. 

One thing that I want to clarify is that familiarity creates resonance. In my first post on resonance, I discussed universal human experiences like relationships as ways to create resonance. However, universal experiences are a subset of familiarity when it comes to why certain things resonate. Familiarity is the major creator of resonance. IPs resonate more with players when elements of the game closely resemble the original property. When considered in this way, resonance is not just an emotional impact but a reminder of that which is familiar. (Of course, familiarity is integral to emotional impact. Hence my appeal to universal human experiences.)

A quick note: familiarity does not exclusively mean mundane. Etherfields evokes the familiarity of fears and dreams (by all reports) while weaving a fantastical world unlike anything seen in the hobby before. While mundane experiences certainly resonate, so can fantastic ones. 

Evocative actions resonate by helping to integrate the theme with the mechanics. "Placing a piece" is not as evocative as "building a house." "Exploring" is better than "moving." Words for actions should never obfuscate mechanics but should still provide opportunity to create resonance. 

Beyond action names, the writing in a game (and in the rulebook!) is an opportunity to evoke the intended experience of the game. Bad rulebooks are beginning to be seen as inexcusable, but I would extend that to bad writing in general. Bad flavor text creates fractures in the game experience where good flavor text could be creating resonance. I know publishing budgets are tight, but what we're talking about here is ten dollars per 100 words. [NB: I'm available to write your flavor text/rules fluff/KS world-building lore. Hire me.] Quality standards are increasing as the hobby develops, and I predict that "bad writing" will replace "bad art" as a common production complaint, especially since art standards have already risen so much. 

Artwork can leverage familiarity beyond just creating mood and atmosphere. For instance, most people who discuss Everdell will bring up Wind in the Willows or Redwall. The art style and theme combine in a way that resonates because it is familiar. In this case, the art evokes childhood properties which creates expectations as to what the world of Everdell should be like. Of course, that means the art should match the experience of the game. (Unless you are Leder Games, who are masterful at mismatching art with gameplay to create a better overall experience.)

Speaking of expectations, I want to return to relationships for a moment. I have written before about how powerful including relationships between characters in board games can be. However, relationships can be considered more abstractly to be how elements of the world interact with each other thematically. We are used to seeing how pieces interact mechanically, but that does not automatically create a relationship thematically. Everdell's cards are a web of relationships: between townsfolk and buildings, buildings and resources, cards and events. Very few games approach their world by saying, "Of course the post office needs a post master." Everdell does this with every card. The expectation of the game is that buildings exist to house inhabitants. How many city-building games feel inhabited? Not many in my experience. 

Tactility creates resonance by reminding players of the real version of what they are touching. The best example of this is the squishy plastic berries in Everdell. Why do the berries squish? Because berries should be squishy. Does this affect the game mechanically? No, but it affects the game experientially. Again, familiarity can create emotional impact. I am irrationally attached to those berries. Just because my attachment is irrational doesn't mean the inclusion of the berries in the game is. Giving players reasons to love your game is a good investment when it is effective. 

Lastly, I want to briefly touch on meaning. We are in an era where board games are beginning to explore serious themes. Ideas and emotions present in a game's theme can give a game a deeper meaning. It's harder to make players cry than it is to make them laugh. Deeper meaning can increase immersion (transportation) and also increase player investment—how important the game is to them. This is something I want to explore more in future posts, but for now I wanted to draw attention to this avenue for resonance. 

I had started making notes for this post to explore what makes games evocative. I'm not sure that 'evocative' is any different than 'resonant.' Players react to what they understand. When we evoke the familiar, it resonates in the player.