An offline educational board game that turns wartime university history into a journey of movement, morale, building, and collective survival.
Role
Visual design contributor
Team
Five-person student team
Format
Offline educational board game
Focus
History, play, and visual systems
My contribution · Visual design
I contributed to the project’s visual design and production across the game system. Historical research, the game concept, mechanics, and final direction were developed collaboratively by a five-person student team.
01 · Translating history
A five-year wartime migration became a playable journey.
The team translated historical events into a route with changing conditions, limited resources, and collective goals. Players experience history as a sequence of decisions rather than a list of dates.
1940–1941
Arrival
The journey begins at Sanxingping wharf.
1941–1943
Stabilization
Teaching and academic life take root.
1943–1945
Documentation
University records and collective memory accumulate.
1945
Evacuation
The final wartime stage tests what the group can carry forward.
02 · The game system
The map connects place, progress, and pressure.
Movement across the board is tied to construction, events, morale, and shared resources. The visual system keeps those layers visible without losing the geographic journey.
01
Move
Travel through the historic route and arrive at key locations.
02
Build
Use resources to establish classrooms and shared infrastructure.
03
Adapt
Respond to events that change the group’s options.
04
Endure
Protect collective morale while continuing education.
03 · Visual language
One visual language organizes many kinds of information.
Event cards, achievement cards, construction cards, and morale tokens use consistent framing and color so players can understand their role at a glance.
Four playable figures help students enter the story through people rather than institutions. Their distinct silhouettes remain recognizable across cards and printed material.
Player role 01Player role 02Player role 03Player role 04
05 · From rules to play
The printed system turns complexity into a sequence people can follow.
The rulebook, map, and exhibition layout show how the game moves from historical research to a usable learning experience. Repeated visual cues connect instruction with action.
RulebookMap and visual systemExhibition presentation
06 · Collaboration
My role was to help make the system coherent and approachable.
This was a five-person collaboration. I supported the visual design and production while the team collectively developed the historical framing, game concept, mechanics, and final direction.
My role
Visual design contributor
Supported the visual system and production of the game’s printed materials.
Shared team work
Research, concept, and mechanics
Historical framing, gameplay structure, and final decisions were collaborative.
Design value
Coherence across components
Consistent color, hierarchy, and framing made the system easier to understand.
Reflection
What this project taught me
Designing for play meant balancing historical depth with the clarity and repetition a physical game needs.
01
Structure before decoration
Historical complexity needs a clear model before a visual language can support it.
02
Repetition supports learning
Consistent patterns help players recognize new information during play.
03
Team work needs production rules
Shared grids, naming, and handoff standards keep many contributors aligned.
