Games remix with artist Abigail Hunt

In our last post, artist Abigail Hunt showed us her interesting ways to play and adapt games using your hands, body and your words. What did you end up playing?

This time we will be using simple materials that you can find at home to remix games and design your own games box.

Let’s continue playing

Now let’s think about games that you play at home.

Abigail has created a video, inviting you to design your own game, using things that you might already have at home.

Games remix

To make your own card game, you will need: pieces of paper (or download Abigail’s template here), pens and pencils, games you have at home.

Here are some tips from us for making your own card game.

Tip 1

Have a think about your favourite games.

What do you like about these games?
What is the end goal, and how do you get there?
Does the game use dice, a timer, counters, or cards?

Tip 2

Think about a type of game you would like to design. There are lots of different types of games – here are some examples you can use.

Race game – get to the end the quickest. Be the first to get rid of all of your cards
Collecting game – collect the most cards, money or counters.
Quiz game – answer a question correctly to be able to move on or win against an opponent.
Battle game – knock out all other players.
Random chance game – the game is out of your control, and determined by the dice you roll or the cards you are dealt.

Tip 3

There are other rules you need to think about.

How many players? Do you play against each other, or as a team?
How do you decide who gets to go first?
What other elements do you want in the game – a die, a number spinner, or cards to trade?

You can see here how Abigail has created her ‘Alternative Chess’ card game below, taking ideas and pieces from other games.

Abigail’s idea of ‘Alternative Chess’ uses the rules of different chess pieces, but instead of playing them on a board, you have to use your body to move like the pieces you’re given – so you have act it out, a little bit like charades!

Look at the kinds of materials Abigail used to make her own game – simple craft materials, some pieces and cards from games she has at home.

Abigail also has printed out some photos of games pieces from the V&A collection to design a set of cards, using a collage of images and text.

What game will you make?

Design your game box

Now you have created a new game, make it into a keepsake game with some simple materials.

You will need: cards, or recycled box (cereal box, packaging etc.), colour pens and pencils, scissors, glue, scrap paper or anything you can find to decorate the box

First, make a box to keep your cards together. You can download this box template if you want to – which fits a standard playing card and should print out onto A4 paper – but you can also make a box by drawing around your set of cards and folding and sticking a box shape. Or you could simply reuse an old box, such as cereal box.