Thematic Reframing Practicum

I haven't done a practicum post for this blog in a loooong time. Here, practicum means an in depth look a a published game or games in order to see how thematic theory plays out in practice. This post will be specifically looking at how narrative framing could have been shifted to make certain games more thematic. In other words, how can I make the game more thematic while not changing a single mechanism. I want to be clear that these suggestions are not to necessarily make a game better, as more theme does not always make a game a better product.

Let's start with an easy one. King of Tokyo is a game of monsters battling for dominance in Tokyo. In King of Tokyo, the only thing I would change to make the game feel more thematic is to make the victory points represent devastation, and thus the title of king of Tokyo would go to the monster who has created the most devastation. Specifically, the numbers on the dice could represent buildings or bystanders, which would provide thematic incentive for players to pursue a VP victory. I enjoy this bit of theming but it does add a layer of information between the player and the victory points that might not be desirable for a gateway game. 

Fistful of Meeples is a mancala worker placement game set in an old west town. Fistful of Meeples is delightfully thematic in every way except for the players role. The most fitting role would be corrupt land developers or business investors who take bribes from both the criminals and the law. This makes the monetary transactions make thematic sense, but adds a much darker layer to the theme. The alternative, no  specified role, leads the game to feel somewhat like multi-player Sims. I really wish there was a middle ground between players-are-corrupt-baddies and players-are-gods, because of how good the theming is otherwise. (Well, I would change one other thing, but that doesn't affect the total amount of theme.)

Now let's look at a more difficult game. I own the AEG version of Love Letter. Love Letter makes no thematic sense. The princess shouldn't be able to carry letters to herself. The narrative of gameplay does not line up with the theme at all. Players are trying to suss out and eliminate other players. There is no mechanical sense of 'delivering something'. Instead, players receive tokens of affection if they are successful. The setting of a masquerade could fit with the mechanism of secret roles. Spies infiltrating the castle might work as a theme. Here's one attempt to reframe the theme: the princess is planning a coup. She must get messages out to various supporters. The player who gets the most of her messages out of the castle will become her chief advisor. Or another possibility: the player who can best navigate cutthroat court politics will receive the princesses hand in marriage as measured by the tokens of affection they receive from her. That one sticks the closest to the current theme but disposes of the 'delivering letters' aspect. It also accounts for the player elimination and the competitive nature of the game world. If you reframe the tokens of affection to love notes you might not even need to change the name of the game (maybe make it Love Letters). 

Reframing a theme can create greater narrative investment in a game by increasing the thematic logic of the mechanics. Increasing thematic logic makes rules easier to learn and to remember. It also strengthens the thematic hook, because players don't have to rely on your description of the theme but can describe the game using their own thematic language. Finding themes or thematic elements that better frame mechanics allows designers to better signal what kind of game experience is to be had through play. 

ShippBoard Games is a board game design blog that updates most Mondays.