Pothole Design Process

Pothole is a personal board game project combining classic race mechanics with unpredictable modifiers. With wardens, potholes, and a chaotic action card system, it aims to create a dynamic, easy-to-learn experience that keeps players on their toes.

A board game layout illustrating a route with various hazards and instructions, including aokoing roads, tree fall, pond, pothole, and instructions for safe crossing and avoiding hazards.

Design Development

A board game layout with a start point, a path with various direction arrows, bushes, and a sign warning not to fall into the dreaded pothole. There is a large pothole illustration in the middle, the word "POTHOLE!" in colorful letters, and a home icon in the corner.

A board game resembling Monopoly with a green background, featuring a Start square, a home square, checkered flags, trees, a black round token, a police officer figure, and a series of black, blue, and brown colored squares with white arrows indicating movement directions.

The design of the board developed from a simple snakes and ladder like game to the addition of more complex and detailed game elements with the game board being a simple road, making use of as much room as possible for spaces.

Game Components

Board

Box

Collection of colorful game pieces including cones, a cube, a die, and a round token.

Game Pieces (Dices, Cones and Tokens)

Series of visual traffic and transportation instructions, including taking a bike, taking a side road, catching a bus, using a Zebra Crossing, catching a taxi, using motorway fastlane, using a junction, and traffic lights.

Green Cards x2

Set of six driving instruction cards with illustrations and directions for each situation.

Amber Cards x2

Set of five cards, each with a maze game and instructions. The cards include: 1) Slip on ice, rest twisted ankle, move back five spaces, miss a turn; 2) Run out of petrol, move back four spaces, miss a turn; 3) Hit open pothole, back to the start; 4) Car collision, move back three spaces, miss a turn; 5) Shuffle the deck.

Red Cards x2 and Shuffle Prompt Card

Final Outcome

A black rectangular coffee table with a Pothole! board game set up on top. The game features a green illustrated board with a start point, a home space, and a blue and yellow path. There is a game box on the left side of the table with colorful game pieces. In the background, a more distant shelf holds a box labeled 'Classic Games Collection'.

A black coffee table with a board game called 'Pothole!'. The game includes a green box with game pieces, two tickets, and a game card. Next to the box is a green game board with two black circular holes.