PROJECTS
Client
Student Project: Heavy Cardboard Course
Sector
Culture, Gameboard, UX Research
Project Time
3.5 Months
Team
Lin Li, Caitlin Sukohardjo, Reina Kitamura
OVerView
Rooted Remedies is a tabletop board game focused on contract fulfillment, dice manipulation, and resource management. Each player, as the owner of a local apothecary in Qing Dynasty China, must seek to fulfill their duty to cure their clients. Their goals include crafting medicine, completing prescriptions, and expanding workspaces to earn reputation, money, and success. This game allows the opportunity for the players to appreciate and learn about Chinese history and heritage through entertainment, strategy, and collaboration.
Objective
Our goal is to create a culturally rich and accessible game that introduces a global audience to the beauty and depth of Chinese culture and history, making it both understandable and appreciable for those who may not be familiar with its traditions.
ROle
Throughout the development process, my team of three and I collaborated in strategizing, researching, testing, and designing the game mechanisms. My initial focus was on cultural research for the game setting, then designing and writing the board game rulebook and player aids. Additionally, I assisted my teammates by producing sketches for the illustrations and game iconography to increase productivity and provide feedback. Then concluded our project by making the final demo video.
Take a Closer Look
user Persona
JESSICA WILLS (38)
A passionate World history teacher who enjoys using physical products to teach her students and kids about new subjects.
She enjoys learning about new cultures through foods, media, and stories.
She knows the foundations Chinese history and cultural references.
JESSICA GOALS
Looking for a strategic game that teaches about new cultures but also exciting for her students. She is looking for a physical product over a digital product because her students are always on their devices.
Other Interested Personas
An avid boardgame collector looking for unique game settings. He is deeply invested in complex, strategic games and view board gaming as a serious pastime
ALEX PARKER (28)
A software engineer who prefers small home get togethers. He is looking for a strategic game over a social game since his friends like critical thinking competition.
Visual Inspiration
We chose the Qing Dynasty because it was a flourishing era in Chinese history that pushed for medicine-making and innovation. Rising in the early 1900s, Pingyao was known as the greatest financial and commercial center in China. We took this city as our inspiration since it matched the intended takeaways for the players: critical thinking, perseverance, and competitive drive. There are many Pingyao tales of talented physicians who rose to become prosperous businessmen, a history we incorporated into the character tokens and our concept.
Market Research
To better understand the industry of board games and board game mechanisms, my team and I played many types of board games from light-weight (beginner) to heavy-weight (experienced). I familiarized myself with the different mechanisms and what made board games fun.
Good TRAITS
Woodcraft, Obsession, Caper Europe, Cascadia
Beautiful World Settimg
Striking Character Asymmetries
Unique Rondel System
Nice use of Resource Management
Clever Dice Manipulation
Interesting Card Drafting
Beautiful iconography and illustrations
Custom Player Board
Final Result is known until the end
Random Character Drafting
Poor TRAITS
Monopoly, The Game of Life, Sorry, Risk
No "catch up" method
Very linear win method
Capitalism Obsession
Win it or Lose it
Heavily Luck Based
Evident Player Elimination Issue
Strategy Goals
After learning about these game traits, these were the main points we took away and wanted to bring into our game.
Players can pursue different methods to win.
Players can "catch up" and not lose halfway through the game.
Aiming for 60 to 90 minutes of gameplay.
The visual aesthetic must immerse our players in our game's setting.
The iconography and designs are easy to understand for a global audience.
InitIal Concepts
#1
Made Two Types of Contracts
Developed Tool Mechanisms
Defined Apothecary Cabinet Dice Configuration
Brainstormed Bagua Board Actions for each player
Color + Game Balance Refinements
#2
Tested game actions and seeing which ones are prioritized
Added reputation points tasks
Designed collective MarketSpace
Created balanced dice contracts for Public Contracts vs. Symptom Cards
Visual Refinements
#3
Advanced the player board design
Strategized physical formats that can help players hold their tokens better
Clarified cultural background and concepts to iconography design, colors, and visual elements
Material Refinements
#4
Lasercut parts that needed to be 3-dimensional
Adjusted game balance for action board vs. player board
Finalized the visual components
Impact
Rooted Remedies was a rewarding project that deepened my appreciation for how cultural research, user-centered design, and creative problem-solving can come together to create an immersive, meaningful experience. Through this game, we introduced players to the rich world of Chinese herbal medicine in Qing Dynasty China, crafting a space for both learning, strategy, and enjoyment. The development process taught me that thoughtful design has the power to bridge cultures and perspectives, and showed that games can encourage critical thinking and shared cultural appreciation.
