Game Design- Plutopia

game design -

A strategy-based board game where players race from Earth to Pluto, collecting resources, managing fuel, and outsmarting others to survive.

Survival games are often complex or digital-heavy. The idea was to make players constantly choose between risk vs reward, speed vs survival.

Project Details

Type- Group

Keywords

Strategy

Block

Theme- Space

Time- 1 Week

Survival

Plan

Project Brief

Home Go

GAME PLAY

Choose a Transport card for the adventure.

Roll E or land on Event → draw a event card & follow it .

There are 4 diffrent types of spaces on the board.

Every move costs fuel

Collect fuel/resources to survive.Trade, gain, or win through events.

Spend extra fuel to take shortcuts & race ahead

Beaware of the asteroid belt on the board.

Reach Pluto with min. of 13 resources and 5 fuel chips before others.

Game Mechanics

Fuel? To control movement and force decision-making.

Resources? To create a clear survival goal and strategy layer.

The first player to land on Pluto with enough fuel and resources wins.

MY ROLE

I focused on building the logic, flow, and player experience of the game.

I designed:

Story Development
Initial Ideation & Game Concept
Game Mechanics & Card Technicalities
Power Card Design
Board Layout & Route Planning
User Testing & Game Balancing

Can you make it to Pluto before Earth is depleted?

Board Design

CHALLENGE

While designing the board, I tried different layouts like circular orbits, snake-and-ladder style, and square paths. But they either felt too confusing, too basic, or didn’t match the space theme well.

SOLUTION

I finalized a free-flow orbital layout with curved paths around planets. This made the board feel more visually interesting and gave players more freedom to choose their routes while playing.

SOLUTION

I introduced event cards to add unpredictability and fun. These cards allow players to disrupt others and create unexpected moments, making the game more dynamic & fun.

CHALLENGE

The gameplay felt too predictable, and players could easily plan everything without much surprise or interaction.

EVENT CARDS