Play Smart, Design Smart — Learning Through Board Games
Promote creative learning through board games — building on academic knowledge to develop future-ready skills
The Library and Learning Spaces Office, Bangkok University continues to promote creative learning through board games — building on academic knowledge to develop future-ready skills — via the “Board Game Creative Design for Academic Integration Project.” The project opens a space for students to learn the game design process from real industry experts and develop prototype works to industry-standard level. It was established through collaboration with the Game and Interactive Media Program, School of Information Technology and Innovation, and faculty teaching Financial Literacy and Sustainable Development at the International College, supported by the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) through the miniTCDC Link initiative — connecting students with professional game designers and creative industry experts.
As part of the project, the Financial Literacy Board Game Design Contest was held, featuring guest experts including Ms. Kanjana Odsap (CEO, Findice Education), Mr. Anurat Prakit, CFP from the Thai Financial Planners Association, and Dr. Nattapon Aupipat, Board Game Designer from the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), who provided guidance on game design to students enrolled in course GI341 Game Design I from the Game and Interactive Media program, Faculty of Information Technology and Innovation.
Students gained knowledge spanning the full game design process — from concept development through to playtesting — followed by the “First Turn – Start โตะ!” activity, led by Mr. Thanawat Pinnaratip, an expert board game designer and speaker from the Creative Economy Agency, who shared insights on “Pitching a Board Game: How to Explain Mechanics Without Losing Your Audience.”
As a first step for the next generation of game designers, students presented their works to a panel of distinguished judges through Mentoring and Pitching Sessions, receiving feedback from professional board game designers to elevate their projects and prepare them for real-world opportunities in the game and creative media industry.
The project gave students the opportunity to collaborate with experts across multiple fields — game designers, financial planners, and creative industry professionals — creating a Professional Mentorship learning experience that reflects Bangkok University’s teaching philosophy of hands-on practice alongside creative thinking and future-ready professional skill development.
This stands as another example of cross-disciplinary knowledge integration, using games as a tool for new forms of learning — reinforcing Bangkok University’s role as a Creative University that empowers students to experiment, think, and build ideas into real industry-level outcomes.
