Theme in Board Games

One of the ways I try stay stay in shape and also save money is bike to work. It's not a bad trek, only about a 15 minute ride. I try to make the most use of that time and usually listen to podcasts from my favourite authors and pastors. The last few weeks, however, when I've needed a break from something deep and introspective, I've found a few board game podcasts that I really enjoy. Being a solo gamer, my favourite two are Solosaurus and ENGN (Every Night is Game Night). You can easily find them on any podcast app.

On April 12, the host of ENGN (Jason) was joined by Paul Grogan (Gaming Rules on YouTube) and Marc Davis (Thoughful Gamer blog) for a very interesting discussion about theme in games. This was one of the most informative and thought-provoking podcasts I've ever listened to. Sure, board games may not be life changing (although they might be...), but this was a really good podcast, especially for someone who is a player, reviewer, and designer.

The discussion was all around theme and what makes a game thematic or not. There was a disinction made between setting and theme which I found really helpful. Most games have some kind of setting, even if the mechanics of the game are not very thematic. One of my favourite games is Kingdomino. Setting - kings/queens building the most profitable kingdom. Theme - the art is really enticing and builds the setting, but there's not much theme. You draft tiles and place them in your kingdom, getting points for number of similar spaces multiplied by number of crowns in those similar spaces. Doesn't really fit with how a real kingdom is built.One of my wife's favourite games is Harvest Dice. Setting - you're on your farm trying to grow and sell the most carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes. Theme - not really. It's a roll 'n' write, so you roll dice and draw your crops in the spaces provided. You draft the dice, which, doesn't really make thematic sense. Do farmers throw all their seeds in a pile and then take turns picking the best looking ones?

Some games have no setting or theme at all. That's ok too. A game like Yahtzee or Ganz Shon Clever (German for That's So Clever, basically Yahtzee on steroids) has no theme whatsoever. They're abstract. That doesn't equate to not fun, it's just a different kind of fun. I think we need to make a definite distinction between "good" and "bad" and "thematic" and "non-thematic." Different games have different purposes, audiences, commitment levels, etc. You can take a dice system like the one in Yahtzee, surround it with a setting, add a few thematic elements, and you get something like Dice Throne. Maybe not the most thematic game, but there are more elements of theme than in Yahtzee. Which would I rather play? Which do I like more? It depends on my mood, who's available to play with, and the time I can commit to a game.

In my mind, one of the most thematic games (and one of my favourite games) is Flash Point: Fire Rescue. The setting - a building on fire. The theme - you are firefighters, trying to rescue people from the burning building. There are so many thematic elements, mechanisms, and rules that add to the theme. 

Do you want to use your axe to make another entrance in the back of the house in order to get people out more quickly? Sure, but it's going to weaken the integrity of the structure and make it more likely to collapse. 

The fire moves in somewhat predictable ways, but there is still a random element of where it might spread next. 

Will you spend your time getting to people and getting them out right away? Or focus more on putting out fires? Or balance the two? It might depend on the situation and the level of the fire.

Each firefighter you can choose from comes with different specialities and talents, which would be the same as the real live heroes that show up to scenes of fires every day.

If you head towards a room to save someone that you were told was in there or thought you heard, you might end up empty handed. You'll have to retrace your steps and hurry to save someone that might be in danger while you were, unwittingly, wasting your time.

There are so many enjoyable, well thought out, thematic elements in this game. The game doesn't come build with a narrative (there's no story that you read as you play), but the narrative emerges as you play the game.

I really appreciated how Marc (I'm pretty sure it was him) discussed different levels of theme as well. Some games don't try at all. Some add a setting but not more more. Some games really try to make some of the mechanics and decisions mimic the real life situation. Some, like Fire Point in my opinion, hit theme on all cylinders.

Thanks ENGN and guests for a great podcast. You've given me a lot to think about as I continue to develop my own game(s) and review others.

Do you disagree with my assessments of thematic and non-thematic games? What's your favourite thematic game? Leave a comment or send me a message on BGG (username: threepointthed). I'd love to have a conversation with you!