Tabletop games – Past Future Entertainment

In close collaboration with Erik De Vis, Past Future Entertainment started with a tabletop game design trajectory in 2022 with the goal to invent and create multiple new tabletop games, from start (nothing) to finish.

We started this project with inviting people we knew that were possibly interested, and quickly decided to stop inviting more due to the many enthusiastic responses.

At the time in early 2022, strict social COVID regulations were still in effect in Belgium: we found and hired a venue, but spacing and mouth masks were still obligated for all gatherings. So we were only allowed to invite and fit a limited amount of people in this room.

Due to COVID measures at the time, we could only fit fourteen people in the hired venue for the info session.

All 14 initial participants of the info session were interested to join the project’s first run. We had to decide on a monthly date, and that was no easy decision. We had to choose the weekday most people were able to join in, and settled for eight participants who were able to attend the sessions at the same time slots.

Wouter presenting on the info session for the “Table TOP” trajectory.

The first session, a brainstorm, brought a long list of ideas, of which a short list was selected by the participants through voting. When we landed on few remaining concepts, teams of four people were formed. Over a period of two years, once per month, a session with a different focus was organized. Mostly this were physical meetup sessions, as this was required for development and testing.

Brainstorm session of “Table TOP“, Past Future Entertainment’s “from idea to game” trajectory.

For tabletop projects, game designs mostly translate into paper and cardboard prototypes for testing & iteration. A 3D printer can also come in handy for crafting some custom required objects. The games were tweaked and adapted until the point both the test players and the creators were satisfied.
Then, an art style was defined, and the game rules and content finalized.

Once per month, a session with a different focus was organized.

The fact that two teams participated in the trajectory made it so that both teams were challenged to present a new version or preparations for a new milestone to the other team for testing and feedback during a following session. This helped to enhance the projects, and to not remain stuck in the decision-making phase.

The first iteration of this trajectory resulted in two nice and fun, finished game prototypes.
Past Future Entertainment is currently looking to get these published.