G.A.M.E.: Guide for the Adaptation of Modern Board Games to Digital Environments

Abstract

The adaptation of board games to digital platforms, while preserving elements familiar to players, requires developing strategies that maintain the consistency of these characteristics across both versions. However, the scarcity of technical references makes this process complex, especially for game developers without specific knowledge on the subject. This article presents the creation, validation, and refinement of a guide to support this process, structured around the common core elements of games — defined as mechanics, rules, narrative, aesthetics, and technology. The methodology comprised a bibliographic review to establish an operational definition of the concept of core, the development of a guide structured around the core, its application in the adaptation of a real game as an example model, and, finally, its validation through semi-structured interviews with experienced professionals. The specialists’ observations resulted in 24 positive points and 13 points for improvement, organized into 15 questions distributed across four criteria: applicability and practical usefulness; clarity and structure; currency and relevance; and guidance for use. Approximately 34.2% of the observations were favorable to the guide, indicating that it constitutes a promising tool to assist in the identification and maintenance of the core during the adaptation of analog games, while the remaining 34.2% reinforce the final stage of the methodology through adjustments and additions aimed at making the guide more robust and concise.