Theme in Mind
Designing with Theme in Mind: Bringing Games to Life
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my journey in developing Pantheon War ! I hope my previous blog posts have been helpful in your own game design journey—or even in other aspects of life. In this post, I’ll be discussing how to design with a theme in mind.
When designing a game, the theme isn’t just a decoration—it’s the soul of the experience. A strong theme can elevate mechanics from feeling like dry calculations to something engaging, immersive, and memorable. But achieving this isn’t just about slapping on some artwork or naming mechanics after thematic elements. It requires intentional design choices across visuals, narrative, and game play mechanics.
Visuals and Components: Reflecting the Theme
One of the most immediate ways to reinforce a game’s theme is through its visuals and physical components. The art, game pieces, and board should all work together to create a cohesive aesthetic that transports players into the world of the game.
Artwork & Illustrations: The visual style should match the theme’s mood—dark and brooding for a gothic horror game, bright and whimsical for a lighthearted fantasy adventure.
Game Pieces & Tokens: Custom meeples, dice, and tokens should reinforce the setting. For example, pirate games might feature ship-shaped pieces, while a medieval game could use detailed castle miniatures.
Board & Cards: The game board and cards should not only be functional but also visually support the narrative. Maps, worn parchment, or futuristic interfaces can add to the theme’s believability.
By ensuring all visual elements align with the theme, you create a more immersive and engaging experience for players.
I opted for a simpler art style that complements the theme. In ancient Greece, porcelain artwork typically featured only two colors—orange-brown and black—which inspired me to bring the same authenticity to my designs. However, using just two colors for all characters could lead to confusion and make the card designs hard to distinguish. To balance this, I stuck with a two-color scheme but adjusted it based on character symbols and color choices.
Initially, I believed that incorporating more components would enhance the design, but I realized this doesn’t apply to all board games. As a result, I focused on using only essential components: cards, boards for each character, and tokens.
Narrative Elements: Deepening the Experience
A game’s story and characters help bring the theme to life. Even in games that aren’t purely narrative-driven, incorporating thematic elements into text, flavor, and player actions can greatly enhance immersion.
Character Backgrounds: Give players insight into the world by developing backstories for the characters they play or encounter.
Story-Driven Events: Whether through event cards, mission objectives, or evolving narratives, injecting story elements can make the game feel dynamic and rich.
Language & Terminology: Use language that fits the theme—whether it’s pirate slang, futuristic tech jargon, or medieval speech—to reinforce the setting.
Even a simple game can feel more engaging when players feel connected to the world it inhabits.
Pantheon War is a game where gods from various pantheons come together to entertain themselves in the mortal world, channeling their powers into cards. Since each deity is formidable in their own domain, they allow their Avatars to battle on their behalf, striving for glory for both themselves and their gods. This was the core narrative I envisioned.
Additionally, I have a deep appreciation for Greek myths and legends, which inspired me to incorporate as many memorable stories as possible into the game’s card design. While some elements had to be created from my own imagination (albeit reluctantly), I have no regrets. These additions ultimately bring greater variety and strategic depth to the gameplay.
Player Immersion: Making Mechanics Feel Natural
Mechanics should complement and reinforce the theme rather than feel like a separate system tacked onto the experience. When mechanics align with the theme, players will intuitively understand their role in the game world.
Actions That Make Sense: A survival game should have resource scarcity, a detective game should involve deduction, and a racing game should be fast-paced.
Seamless Integration: Avoid mechanics that feel out of place. If a game about exploring ancient ruins has a stock market phase, it might break immersion unless there’s a strong justification.
Engaging Players in the World: Encourage thematic decision-making—should players negotiate like cunning merchants or fight like fearless warriors?
By designing mechanics with immersion in mind, players will feel like they’re truly part of the world rather than just playing a set of rules.
Pantheon War takes a different approach when it comes to mechanics. I owe a great deal of inspiration to Disney’s Villainous, where each villain has unique goals and mechanics to achieve victory. This concept motivated me to implement similar design elements in my game.
Each character in Pantheon War has mechanics tailored to their theme or domain. For instance, Poseidon, the Lord of the Sea, wields abilities that manipulate water and marine creatures, leading to the creation of cards like Release the Kraken and Neptune’s Rage. Likewise, Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, utilizes powers linked to the discard pile (or Graveyard, depending on preference), reinforcing his connection to the afterlife.
Additionally, I introduced extra card effects that allow players to strategize based on their preferred playstyle, adding more depth and variety to gameplay.
Testing Theme Effectiveness
A game’s theme should not only be well-integrated but also resonate with players. Playtesting is crucial to determine whether the theme enhances or hinders gameplay.
During playtests, consider these questions:
Does the theme resonate with players? Are they engaged and excited about the world you’ve built?
Does the theme enhance or hinder gameplay? A strong theme should add to the experience, not make it feel cumbersome.
Are players able to connect with the story and setting? If players feel immersed and invested, the theme is working.
Gathering feedback on these aspects can help refine your design, ensuring that the theme and mechanics work together harmoniously.
When playtesting Pantheon War, not all the feedback was positive. The main criticism stemmed from the game's art style, which didn’t resonate with the current player base. Since art preferences vary from person to person, and many modern games feature stunning, vibrant artwork, a different style might have attracted a broader audience. However, I chose to stick with my original art direction to preserve the authenticity of Ancient Greek aesthetics.
On the other hand, the game mechanics were well received, particularly by players who enjoy battle-focused games. While there were some initial issues with clunky mechanics, adjustments in design and wording helped refine the gameplay, making it run more smoothly.
Conclusion
Designing with a theme in mind transforms a game from a collection of rules into an experience players will remember. By aligning visuals, narrative, and mechanics with the theme, you create a world that captivates and immerses players. And through careful playtesting, you can refine your approach to ensure the theme enhances gameplay rather than detracts from it. Keep themes at the forefront, and you’ll craft games that not only play well but also tell a compelling story that players will love to explore.
