I learned how to play Rumikub when I have around 10, and since then, I can’t stop. The board game consists of 4 players with 30 chips each, and the objective of the game is to get rid of all 30 chips. I will break down the game more in the M.D.A steps:
Mechanics:
Chip colors: Having different chip colors means that the players can rearrange chips in different patterns, can physically lay them in the center of the board, and surprises players when they have to draw an unknown chip from the bag.
Personal Board: This hides the chips from one player from the rest of them in the table, creating a time crunch to move all your chips without knowing how close the other players are.
Dynamics and resulting Aesthetic:
Time crunch: You only have 30 seconds to make a play, or else you have to grab an additional chip from the bag and pass on, which creates pressure and the sense of challenge in the game to think quickly.
Picking chips by random chance: You can’t see what chip you are drawing from the pile, which leads the player to then have one additional unknown chip they have to get rid of, adding to dramatic tension.
Laying down your chips in the center board: Laying down chips in the center means you have gotten rid of them, meaning you are one step closer to getting rid of all of them. This creates challenge, as the other team players sense urgency to advance in the game, but also expression, as the player can express a successful move in their part.
Dismantling existing chip arrangements into new ones: A player is allowed to re-arrange an existing arrangement of chips if it fits with the rules of the game, which creates a sense of discovery for a new pattern that they need to explore on the spot.
