Game Studio · With Tek
How to make a board game
This course shows your kid how to make a board game the whole family can play at the table. In 5 short films, Tek covers picking the goal, drawing the board, adding special spaces, and writing the rules, then a family game night to test it. It takes about 5 minutes of films and an hour or so of making, all on paper.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 5 films, about 5 minutes, then about an hour of making and a game night
- Host
- Tek
- You need
- Paper, pencil, one die, or a paper spinner you make, small toys or paper tokens for pieces
- Status
- Coming soon. Kids vote in the app for the courses they want first.
The intro film
Tek's 45-second intro film is coming soon. Here's what Tek says in it.
Transcript
Hi, it's Tek. Do you like game night?
Today, you invent the game for the next one.
A board game is a path, some pieces, and a few rules.
First, you pick the goal. Is it a race? A treasure hunt? A chase?
Then you draw the board. A start, a finish, and lots of spaces between.
You add special spaces. Slide down here. Jump ahead there. Oops, go back three.
You write the rules. Short ones, so everyone gets them.
Then the big test. Your family plays it with you.
Find some paper and a pencil. Let's invent a game.
The 5 lessons
Lesson 1. Race, hunt, or chase?
Every board game needs one clear way to win.
- Pick a goal: first to the finish, most treasure, or catch the runner
- Pick a theme, like pirates, dragons, or space
- Say how someone wins, in one line
Where: Paper
Lesson 2. Draw the board
A winding path with a start and a finish.
- Draw a start and a finish
- Draw a winding path of about 30 spaces between them
- Decorate the edges with your theme
Where: Paper
Lesson 3. Special spaces
A few surprise spaces make every turn exciting.
- Pick five spaces to make special
- Draw a shortcut, a go back, and an extra turn
- Keep most spaces plain, so the surprises stand out
Where: Paper
Lesson 4. The rules card
Short rules that a new player gets in one read.
- Write how to start, how to move, and how to win
- Keep each rule to one line
- Make a piece for each player
Where: Paper
Lesson 5. Game night
Play it with family, then fix one rule.
- Read the rules out loud and play a full game
- Ask who had fun and where it felt slow
- Change one rule and play again
Where: Paper
What your kid makes
Your kid ends with a paper board game, rules card included, that the family has played at least once. The theme and the board's world can move to Game Studio next, where the same idea becomes a video game with five levels.
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
Is this mostly screen time?
No. Your kid watches about 5 minutes of films and does everything else on paper and at the table, with the family.
What age is this for?
Kids 6 to 13. Younger kids do well with a race game and three special spaces. Older kids often add cards, teams, or a second way to win.
What else does my kid need besides paper?
A pencil, one die, and something to use as pieces, like small toys or paper tokens. No die at home? Draw a circle split into six numbered parts and spin a pencil on a paperclip in the middle.