Conceptualize This!

Introduction

In Conceptualize This! you're approached by two manufacturers of final products. They both want to launch a new product into the market, for which they need the same intermediate product. Step by step you conceptualize this intermediate product by collecting the right cards and placing them on the board. Be careful though, because every player is approached by different manufacturers and will do everything to get control over the intermediate product, which appears on the board.

Explanation

Conceptualize This! is a card game in which every player gets a unique target. During the game you try to collect cards which "connect" to each other in a dominos like way. The set of cards you collect results in a concept of the intermediate product, build up out of different components that need each other to function. The board supports the concept of tile (card) placement in such a way that the connections between the cards are made visible. The game is won by the player who completes his / her concept of the intermediate product on the board.

Background

The development on this board game started as an element of a Bachelor thesis. For the research in this thesis the board game was meant to educate people on how to model UML activity diagrams (a diagram in which the necessities and results of a series of actions are modelled) in a fast and easy way. During the creation of the board game the accent moved to a system diagram (a diagram in which the necessities and results of a series of components are modelled) which gave more freedom in the creation of cards. Because the concepts used in both modelling languages are the same, people should still be able to create an activity diagram after playing the game.

At first the game seemed to have a very high luck rate, but closer to completion the game turned out to be tactical as well. Due to this development a few extra rules were included which made the game even more tactical and increased the replay value.

The research on the Bachelor thesis for which this board game is created is still in progress. The board game itself however is completed and only needs to be stylised. If a publisher can be found the game will be published in the future. Currently both Dutch and English versions can be previewed by publishers.