Wanderlost

Wanderlost \ board game

client \ academic

timeframe \ 4 weeks (fall 2014)

challenge \ develop, build, and package a new board game based on the classic Chutes and Ladders

components \ for each of 3 editions, Celestial, Alpine, and Nautical: 16 game boards/coasters, 4 player pieces, 1 die, instructions, packaging; promotional poster

I began concepting for this game by setting additional constraints on myself; one regarding the design, and one that affected gameplay. First off, the packaged game needed to be portable, and small enough to carry with one hand or easily slip into a purse for carrying. Secondly, I wanted to rework the gameplay in such a way that one player’s actions had consequences for other players as well.

Wanderlost was born out of the need for exploration: through space, the mountains, and the sea. In the celestial edition, for instance, rockets propel you through the game, where landing on a wormhole is the equivalent of getting to climb a ladder. Black holes act as chutes, but when one player lands on one, every player on that card is sucked into it and gets kicked back. The game is over when all cards are laid out—whether you decide to play with all 16 that are included, or just a few. The game is dynamic in that way, allowing the cards to also be used as coasters when not in play.