The text 'Risk or Reward' in bold, black and white block letters on a black background.

Wise Choices, Safer Paths

Research
Sketching

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Branding
Prototyping

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KEY TAKEAWAYS
A board game titled 'Risk or Reward' with the subtitle 'Wise choices, safer paths.' The cover features a winding colorful path through a forested landscape, leading to a paradise at the top. The game is for ages 10 and up.
Colorful geometric shapes including a pink pig, a yellow star, a red heart, and green cylindrical shapes on black background.
A sign with a red background and yellow border, showing risk instructions for a game or activity. It features two large white squares with black dots, resembling dice. The instructions include risk and no risk guidelines.
A colorful board game instructions card for milestone dice. The card has a yellow background with a red border and shows two dice images: one with a single dot and the other with six dots. The instructions explain how to move based on rolling a seven or not, with tips for safe moves.

In the early stages of Risk or Reward, I explored how children understand chance, rewards, and consequences. I reviewed studies on youth gambling exposure, analyzed common mechanics in kids’ games, and identified patterns that unintentionally mirror gambling behavior.

Research and Discovery

26% of young people between 11 and 17 have gambled within the last year, engaging mostly in accessible forms like arcade gaming and betting with friends.

Computer monitor displaying the Lambda and Delta symbols.

Easier access to gambling, including online gaming, social media, and sports betting, has become more prevalent and socially normalized.

Many teens report seeing multiple gambling ads weekly, which further normalizes the activity and encourages experimentation with betting

CHILDREN GAMBLING

A semi-circular gauge chart with 26 percent displayed in the center, and a light blue shaded section covering about a quarter of the chart.

EASY ACCESS

Illustration of playing cards with hearts and a six-sided die.

TARGETED ADS

I sketched a few ideas for what the game board might look like, as shown in Figure 1, drawing inspiration from existing game boards like the Game of Life and Candy Land. I also sketched out ideas for the game pieces, such as a star (aspiring), a backpack (learning), a piggybank (saving), and a heart (relationship/love); that would all represent lifes goals and choices, as shown in Figure 2.

Ideation and Sketching

Figure 1 (Sketches)

Figure 2 (Characters Sketches)

A colorful board game map illustrating a path from START to FINISH with stops at SCHOOL, BANK, DOCTORS, and a lake, with various colored spaces and cards, and game pieces including green, pink, red, and yellow tokens representing different symbols, along with two white dice.

Design and Branding

In the final stages of the design, I made sure to have the board be unique, appealing to a younger audience, along with being informative and educational. The rules of the game are made simple so that children are able to understand easily. Those rules consist of rolling a pair of dice, moving your character on the path to the number, and picking a “risk” or “reward” card based on where you land.

A vibrant color palette is used to engage with a younger audience. Children love bright colors and are more likely to play with a game that wants to play with them.

Colorful board game titled "Risk or Reward" with a winding path through various locations, including a school, bank, doctors, and a river, with start and finish points, emphasizing wise choices and safer paths.

Typography supports brand tone by being approachable, fun, and functional. Its purpose is to keep things exciting while staying informative about multiple aspects of the game.

The image shows a playful, black cartoon-style alphabet and numbers set with the name "MARVIN" written above in large, bold, irregular black letters.
Grid of colorful squares, arranged in rows with black borders, featuring various shades of teal, green, pink, blue, yellow, red, and beige.

Prototyping and Testing

Prototyping this project was made with Spline 3D, a Figma plugin that allowed me to create a functional mockup of the board in play. This will enable me to demonstrate how the game works by providing an animated visual to users; however, the interactive prototype is still in development!

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

This project taught me how to design with intention and empathy while creating an experience that raises awareness about an issue I care deeply about. Through this process, I learned to simplify complex topics for younger audiences, build engaging educational interactions, and use visual design to support real-world learning. Ultimately, Risk or Reward strengthened my ability to design purposefully and communicate important ideas through play.

Translating research into interactive learning

Addressing sensitive topics through approachable visuals

Crafting a meaningful, mission-driven user experience

Designing educational tools that simplify complex topics

Creating engaging, age-appropriate interactions

Designing with clarity and intention