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 4 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 3 minutes of films and an hour or so of making, all on paper.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 4 films, about 3 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
- Out now in the app. Your kid watches the films in the Learn tab.
Meet Tek
Tek hosts the 4 short films your kid watches in the app.
The course in Tek's words
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. Jump ahead here. 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 4 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, and a die or a paper spinner to move.
- 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. Rules and game night
Short rules a new player gets in one read. Then play it with family and fix one rule.
- Write how to start, how to move, and how to win, one line each
- Make a piece for each player and play a full game
- Ask who had fun, then change one rule and play again
Where: At home
What your kid makes
Your kid ends with a paper board game, rules included, that the family has played at least once. The same world can become a video game in Game Studio later.
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
Is this mostly screen time?
No. Your kid watches about 3 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.