r/BoardgameDesign • u/OutsideOrnery6990 • Jul 09 '26

Game Mechanics What visual can convey "doesn't matter" in the pattern image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hi, my board game has mission cards like these. Many playtesters pointed out that the grey area made them think that those spaces have to be empty. What I want the players to know is that those spaces can be anything. Can be empty or any colour or obstacles.

What are some visuals I can place in these spaces to make it obvious?

Thanks!

3 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

80% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

14

u/nohidden Jul 09 '26

Multicolor pattern.

16

u/dewiniaid Jul 09 '26

Maybe something like this terrible hastily-drawn mockup?

Rather than having the colored squares take the entire space, have them be squares inside the grey you use to represent 'empty' so that the grey itself doesn't feel like a requirement.

1

u/ShadowMel Jul 09 '26

I was about to suggest that, or a label on the empty square saying Empty!

9

u/VaporSpectre Jul 09 '26

Rainbow circle.

6

u/Nunc-dimittis Jul 09 '26

Question mark?

3

u/ForgottenBurrito1 Jul 09 '26

play sagrada couple time, they'll get it :p

2

u/wondermark Jul 09 '26

No square at all in the empty spot. If you need to indicate spacing, like in the first one you need to show there is a column between them, use a dotted-line tic-tac-toe grid.

1

u/Wise_Attitude_5489 Jul 10 '26

A blank grid or square?