When UX dad meets board games for kids

"Often, the absence of inclusive design itself is the most critical error. In the board game My First Journey: Discover China, the extensive use of green and red immediately struck me as a potential disaster for children with red-green color blindness. The core mechanic of the game relies on matching travel tickets to accessible routes based on color. This system would render paths indistinguishable as "a gray path" for colorblind players. This issue is not unique to board games; it reflects a broader oversight in many digital product designs, where accessibility is frequently neglected."

"To enhance gameplay engagement, some board games intentionally incorporate controllable mistakes into their design. These features act like built-in "airbags" - preserving space for adventure within an error-proof framework, allowing children to experience the thrill of risk-aware decision-making within safe boundaries. In Rouleboule L'escargot, players often inevitably bump into each other's counters, but this typically leads to shared laughter rather than post-mistake embarrassment. Similarly, in Tiny Acrobats, the collapse of poorly balanced blocks doesn't frustrate children - instead, it motivates them to try again eagerly. The intentionally non-reinforced structure transforms "the collapse " from a failure into a lesson in engineering thinking: through repeated collapses, children intuitively grasp principles like "triangles are the most stable shape " and "a wider base improves balance. " Such designs deeply understand child psychology: a sense of controlled chaos can actually strengthen the desire for mastery. When children know that mistakes won't lead to harsh consequences but are instead transformed into fun challenges or opportunities for exploration, they become more willing to take risks. This is precisely the growth value that "controllable mistakes " bring."

Absence of inclusive design can cause critical accessibility problems, such as red-green color reliance making routes indistinguishable for colorblind children. Reliance on color-matching mechanics can exclude players and mirrors broader neglect in digital product accessibility. Incorporating controllable mistakes into game design creates safe opportunities for risk-aware decision-making and playful failure. Examples like Rouleboule L'escargot and Tiny Acrobats convert collisions and collapses into shared laughter and iterative motivation. Non-reinforced structures teach engineering principles through repeated trial and error. Controlled chaos encourages mastery by making mistakes low-stakes and transforming failures into exploration and growth.

Read at Medium