Create Your Own Board Game

Lesson Goal

Design and play a custom dice board game. We’ll choose a theme, plan rules, build a board, and then play-test!

Design a dice board game
Write a clear directions/rules sheet
Make a playable prototype (board + pieces)
Play the game together when finished

Warm-up: What’s your favorite board game and why?

Open notes for this warm-up

Step 1 – Choose a Theme 🎭

Choose one or more worlds for your game. Collect words/images that match your theme (characters, places, objects, events).

Add custom theme: You can select multiple themes below, too.

Theme Library (click the orange area to expand categories)

Old West — Cowboys, sheriff, outlaws

C: Cowboy, Sheriff, Outlaw, Saloon owner

P: Desert town, Saloon, Ranch, Gold mine

O: Lasso, Revolver, Cactus, Horseshoe

X: Train robbery, Cattle rustlers, Shootout at dawn

Espionage — spies, gadgets, secret missions

C: Spy, Double agent, Hacker, Handler

P: Safehouse, Embassy, Secret bunker

O: Briefcase, Disguise kit, Hidden camera

X: Identity exposed, Mission compromised

Mobsters — crime families, speakeasies, turf wars

C: Gangster, Boss, Hitman, Informant

P: Speakeasy, Docks, Warehouse

O: Tommy gun, Cigars, Stolen cash

X: Betrayal, Turf war, Undercover cop

Superheroes — heroes, villains, rescues

C: Superhero, Sidekick, Villain

P: Secret lair, City rooftop, Headquarters

O: Cape, Utility belt, Kryptonite

X: Power loss, Civilian in danger

Martial Arts — dojos, rival clans, tournaments

C: Sensei, Ninja, Fighter, Rival

P: Dojo, Temple, Tournament arena

O: Nunchucks, Headband, Scroll

X: Dishonor, Stolen technique, Surprise challenger

Pirates — treasure maps, ships, sea monsters

C: Pirate captain, First mate, Parrot

P: Ship deck, Treasure island, Cave

O: Treasure map, Cutlass, Rum barrel

X: Mutiny, Sea monster, Lost compass

Racing — tracks, pits, turbo boosts

C: Racer, Mechanic, Rival driver

P: Pit stop, Racetrack, Garage

O: Helmet, Tires, Turbo booster

X: Engine failure, Flat tire, False start

Fantasy — General — magic, forests, dungeons

C: Wizard, Elf, Orc, Sorcerer

P: Forest, Dungeon, Magic tower

O: Staff, Potion, Spellbook

X: Cursed artifact, Evil uprising

Trains — stations, tunnels, dining cars

C: Conductor, Passenger, Engineer

P: Train station, Dining car, Tunnel

O: Ticket, Steam whistle, Luggage

X: Derailment, Bandits, Missed stop

Sports — fields, stadiums, trophies

C: Athlete, Referee, Coach

P: Stadium, Locker room, Field

O: Whistle, Ball, Trophy

X: Foul, Injury, Tie game

Financial — banks, trading, fortunes

C: Investor, Banker, Thief

P: Bank vault, Trading floor

O: Stocks, Gold bars, Calculator

X: Market crash, Insider trading

Detectives — clues, suspects, mysteries

C: Detective, Suspect, Witness

P: Crime scene, Office, Alleyway

O: Magnifying glass, Clue board, Tape recorder

X: Misdirection, Disappearing suspect

Aviation — airports, cockpits, hangars

C: Pilot, Co-pilot, Air traffic controller

P: Cockpit, Airport, Hangar

O: Jet engine, Headset, Map

X: Turbulence, Fuel leak, Bad landing

Sci-Fi — General — labs, tech, mutations

C: Cyborg, Scientist, Clone

P: Research lab, Underground base

O: Time machine, Hologram, Serum

X: Tech malfunction, Rogue AI

Empire Building — cities, markets, forts

C: Ruler, Architect, Worker

P: Capital city, Marketplace, Fortress

O: Throne, Blueprints, Banner

X: Rebellion, Plague, Natural disaster

Surreal / Silly / Absurd — nonsense worlds & goofy rules

C: Talking banana, Dancing robot, Time-traveling dog

P: Upside-down world, Flying circus

O: Rubber chicken, Giant pencil, Marshmallow crown

X: Logic fails, Backward day, Speak in rhymes

Castles / Medieval — knights, dragons, moats

C: Knight, Squire, Princess, Dragon

P: Castle tower, Throne room, Moat

O: Sword, Crown, Shield

X: Siege, Betrayal, Dragon attack

Sci-Fi — Space Combat — fleets, aliens, battles

C: Space marine, Alien commander, Droid

P: Starship, Asteroid base, Battle station

O: Laser cannon, Warp drive, Plasma shield

X: Hull breach, Alien ambush

Movies — sets, stars, blockbusters

C: Director, Actor, Crew

P: Movie set, Backlot, Premiere

O: Camera, Script, Popcorn

X: Plot twist, Box office flop

Books — libraries, quests, lore

C: Librarian, Author, Adventurer

P: Library, Bookshop, Fantasy realm

O: Quill, Magic tome, Bookmark

X: Lost manuscript, Cursed page

Television — studios, shows, live broadcasts

C: TV host, Contestant, Crew

P: Studio set, Control room, Stage

O: Remote, Communicator, Script

X: Cancelled show, Transmission glitch

Geography / Exploration — maps, climates, expeditions

C: Explorer, Cartographer, Local guide

P: Volcano, Rainforest, Glacier

O: Compass, Flag, Map

X: Lost, Natural hazard, No translator

Animals / Wildlife — jungles, zoos, reefs

C: Zookeeper, Animal whisperer, Wild animal

P: Jungle, Zoo, Ocean reef

O: Binoculars, Collar, Nest

X: Animal escape, Missing food

Horror — ghosts, curses, midnight dares

C: Vampire, Ghost, Haunted doll

P: Abandoned house, Graveyard, Foggy forest

O: Ouija board, Flashlight, Mirror

X: Curse, Disappearance, Nightfall trap

Caveman / Prehistory — stone tools, beasts, fire

C: Caveman, Tribe leader, Mammoth

P: Cave, Volcano, Riverbank

O: Club, Fire, Stone wheel

X: Saber-tooth attack, Rockslide

Archaeology — digs, tombs, relics

C: Archaeologist, Tomb raider, Mummy

P: Pyramid, Dig site, Desert

O: Scroll, Pickaxe, Sarcophagus

X: Booby trap, Sandstorm, Lost map

Teacher notes (click to expand):

Prompts to spark ideas

– “Who lives in this world?” “What can go wrong?” “What cool items exist here?”
– Paste reference images into any theme’s notes box.

Step 2 – Plan the Game Rules 🎲

Decide how to win and what happens on turns.

Goal(s):

Reach the finish first Collect the most treasure/money Solve a mystery

Custom:

Players: 2 players 3–4 players

Obstacles:

Lose a turn Go backward Pay a coin

Helpers:

Shortcut Power-up Roll again

Step 3 – Plan Your Game Board 🎨

Board shape:

Square Rectangle Circle

Custom shape:

Start & Finish:

Path style:

Spiral Winding trail Zig-zag Straight with forks

Space icons:

Circles Squares Footprints

Theme icons

Board tips:

Drafting ideas

– Sketch with marker first; place special spaces every 4–6 moves.
– Add 2–4 “bonus spots” and 2–4 “trap spots.”

Step 4 – Build & Play-test 🧪

Make a simple prototype: a printed/hand-drawn board, dice, and two tokens. Then play 1–2 quick rounds and write one rule to improve.

Teacher notes:

Play-test focus

– Is the game too long/short? Is there a dominant strategy?
– Did the theme show up in the actions?

📌 Lesson Recap (auto-filled)

Theme(s): —
Goal(s): —
Players: —
Board shape: —
Start: — → Finish: —
Path: —
Spaces: —

Next: scroll down to your **MATCHING** widget to roll, track coins, and play!

Wanted Western — Rina’s Game

Quick Rules

Setup

Players: 2
Start at the Ranch. Finish at the Wanted Poster.
Place 3 Magic Towers anywhere on the path.
Use sheriff stars as spaces. Follow the path to the end.
Each player starts with 3 coins (use the Scorekeeper).
Pick your role on the Scorekeeper: Cowboy/Cowgirl or Outlaw (open roles).

How to Win

Cowboy/Cowgirl: reach the Finish first or have more coins at the end.
Outlaw: have the most coins when any player reaches the Finish.

Turn

Roll the die → Move forward that many spaces.
Optional: after moving, draw 1 Mission/Event card from the widget.

Spaces & Coins

Magic Tower: +2 coins from the bank.
Same Space as opponent: take 1 coin from them. If they can’t pay, they move back to Start.
Off the path? Stay on the nearest star forward.
At Finish: stop on it; game ends after that turn’s effects.

End of Game

Ends when any player reaches the Finish.
Count coins. Apply role goals above to decide the winner.
Tie-breakers (in order): most Magic Towers visited → highest last die roll.

⭐ Mission / Event Cards (how we use them)

Draw after you move. Resolve immediately. If a card conflicts with a rule here, the card text wins for that turn.

🎯 Teacher/House Rules (editable notes)

Type any tweaks here… (e.g., Towers are +3 coins, draw a card only on ⭐ spaces, etc.)

Rina’s Board Gmae: Wanted in the Wild West

🎴 Mission / Event Card

Click “Draw” to see a card

🪙 2-Player Scorekeeper

–

click to toggle

Coins