Tabletop Game

Sent By The Gods is a new, easy to learn tabletop strategy game based on the Labyrinth from Greek mythology! Inspired by classic Eurogames and mixed with the theming and competition of beloved Ameritrash games, Sent By The Gods gives players the chance to become their own Greek heroes by exploring the dangerous Labyrinth to retrieve relics of the gods while wielding their powers.

In this project, I served as the Technical and Creative Developer as well as the Website Designer. As a mechanical engineering major, I brought a unique perspective to a team primarily composed of Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD) majors. Using my technical expertise, I designed and laser-cut modular game pieces, ensuring a unique gameplay experience with every session. I also created and 3D-printed the player pieces, which were designed to hold relic tokens that players collect and exchange when they reach the center of the labyrinth. In addition to the game components, I designed a website to keep users updated on the board game’s progress, blending technical functionality with engaging visuals to enhance the overall experience.

Game Materials:

40 Labyrinth Tiles
- 1 Entrance Tile
- 1 Minotaur Start Tile
- 9 Item Card Tiles
- 13 God Relic Tiles
- 16 Blank Tiles
13 God Cards (shuffled)
32 Item Cards (shuffled)
13 God Relic Tokens
4 Player Tokens
1 Minotaur Token
1 Six Sided Die
1 Four Sided Die

Game Phases:

Clotho: The Spinner

- This is the phase in which players collaboratively construct the board using the Labyrinth tiles.

Lachesis: The Allotment

- This is the phase in which players travel the Labyrinth searching for God Relics for specific gods, one relic at a time.

Atropos: The Inevitable

- This is the phase in which players race against each other to collect any remaining relics.

Boston Festival of Indie Games: Board Game Video Submission

As part of a team of students, Quinn Sandberg, Michaela Wooding, Teddy Ker, and I participated in IMGD 2500: Design of Tabletop Strategy Games at WPI. This course provided an in-depth exploration of various game genres, during which we developed four unique games: a party game, an abstract strategy game, a redesign of hopscotch, and an Ameritrash/Eurogame hybrid. Our team was so passionate about the Ameritrash/Eurogame we created, Sent By The Gods, that we continued its development as an Independent Study Project under the guidance of Professor Melissa Kagen.

Over several months, we dedicated ourselves to playtesting, designing, and refining our game. This effort culminated in submitting it to the Boston Festival of Indie Games (Boston FIG) and establishing our own studio, Mythical Moose Media. To fund production, we created and sold custom stickers and T-shirts featuring the gods from our game, our studio logo, and the symbol used on our relic tokens. These sales, combined with pre-orders of the game, allowed us to raise a total of $1610. With this funding, we were able to produce additional copies of the game and proud to annouce that we we will be showcasing it professionally at Boston FIG on December 15th 2024.

This project was an incredible learning experience that taught me valuable skills in managing a professional budget and understanding the process of starting a business. It allowed me to channel my passion for creation and design, watching my ideas evolve and come to life through multiple iterations.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such talented and creative individuals. Their artistic perspectives deepened my appreciation for the creative process and inspired me to think with more innovation. Through this experience, I also learned the importance of constructive feedback, how to communicate rules clearly and precisely, and the value of refining my work to make it more accessible and impactful.