Caring Connections

Academic • Nov-Dec 2024

Team: Sooa Mo, Hao N., Kellystin N., Vincent S., Winnie S.

0. Overview

Caring Connections is a cooperative board game designed to foster empathy, emotional awareness, and collective care. Players engage in storytelling and shared decision-making to reflect on support, boundaries, and community relationships.

While we did not produce a physical version, the complete game was developed and playtested using Tabletop Simulator, where it can now be downloaded and played. The design process is documented through a trailer video, rulebook, research report, and an introductory website.

1. My Role

Visual Design · Game Mechanic Designer · Team Coordinator

I led the visual design of the game, creating the layout for all cards and most game boards using licensed free illustrations. I also contributed to the content and mechanics of each card, helping shape how the game plays and flows. In addition, I supported overall team coordination, recorded our playtesting sessions, and edited the final trailer video to communicate the game's tone and purpose effectively.

2. Design Highlights

• Game Components

I designed the card visuals, custom icons, and illustrated tokens (gold, silver, pills) to support both clarity and emotional tone. I also created all boards except the counterboard, maintaining a soft and calming visual language to reflect the game's empathetic theme.

Fig. 1: Final game components including cards, boards, and tokens.

• Rulebook Design

I collaborated with teammates to turn the initial text-based draft into a polished, visually accessible rulebook. I focused on layout structure, graphic hierarchy, and clarity—making the gameplay easy to understand for first-time players.

Fig. 2: A shortened version of the rulebook designed to explain gameplay with visual aids.

• Playtesting & Media

I recorded most of our playtest sessions and helped review and revise the documentation used during testing. I also edited the final trailer video, combining our own footage with royalty-free clips to capture the tone and experience of the game.

Fig. 3: Screenshots from gameplay and collaborative playtest documentation.

3. Results

4. Takeaway

Designing Caring Connections taught me how to approach emotionally sensitive topics through visual language and gameplay. I learned how to balance clarity with tone—crafting components that feel calm, empathetic, and easy to engage with.

Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team also deepened my appreciation for communication and feedback, especially when refining systems like card mechanics and playtest documentation. Most of all, this project showed me how storytelling, design, and care can come together to create meaningful shared experiences—even in a digital format.