Build a Board Game

Join us for a step-by-step workshop to turn your creative ideas into a board game. This eight-session workshop starts Sunday, January 29th, and meets twice a month from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. The workshop is recommended for ages 9 and up, and both individuals or teams of 2 to 3 people are welcome to participate. To cover the cost of materials the suggested donation is $10 for an individual or $15 for teams. Space is limited and advanced registration is recommended. Visit the Museum’s website at www.wimuseum.org or call 309.837.2750 to sign up.

In this workshop, board game designer Rok Locksley will walk you through the steps necessary to create your own game, learning about traditional game mechanics and innovative spins. Each session will cover topics ranging from the history and cultural impact of board games to learning what makes a game enjoyable. The workshop is great for families who want to engage in an activity together, friends who want to create an interesting two-player game, or solo folks who want to build their own game. There will be an opportunity to playtest your homemade board games in April and a final celebratory reveal that coincides with Lizzie Maggie’s birthday on May 7^th.

The workshops will be held twice a month on Sundays from 1:30-3:00 pm at the Western Illinois Museum. Following are the dates and topics for each session.

Jan 29^th- Intro and History: Explore the history and evolution of board games and learn about game themes and types.

Feb 12th - Good Game: Learn what makes a good game and learn traditional game mechanics such as drafting, resource management, pushing your luck, and so on.

Feb 26th – Game Changer: Develop your game and push it to the next level. Start designing cards/pieces and start building a working proto-type game.

March 12th - Game Time: Proto-type handmade games are presented, and themes are developed.

March 26th - Balance: In this session, we will talk about how to keep your game from being broken or unbalanced. Look for loopholes, inconsistencies, and design/rule conflicts.

April 3rd - Game Demos: We will visit the local game store and test-run our games with the public.

April 23rd - Final Match: We will talk about how to finalize your game with finishing touches, and how to eventually publish, Kickstarter, or otherwise develop your game.

May 7th - Celebration: An interactive event where we celebrate the birthday of the inventor of The Landlords Game, Lizzie Maggie, and reveal our finalized games. One game will win a funding award that can help put the game into production.

This workshop is co-organized by the Western Illinois Museum and the Macomb Park District.

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Illinois Humanities, with funds from the State of Illinois American Rescue Plan Act.

The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. The building is handicap accessible and there is free parking available. For more information contact the Museum by phone at 309.837.2750, text at 309.837.2613, or email at info@wimuseum.org.

About Sir Rok Locksley:

Rok Locksley is a Peace Corps Fellow and recent graduate from Western Illinois University where he received a Master’s Degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration. He currently works for the Macomb Park District as the Superintendent of Support Services. Locksley has worked with the Macomb Park District since 2020 and has created The Macomb School of Magic board game, a cooperative game that focuses on park issues such as litter and vandalism. He has created board games for the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps professionally. As an artist and designer, Locksley has created board games for clients for life events such as weddings, graduations, and corporate training. He is currently working on a 2-player dueling board game called “RagnaRok!”

Locksley served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova from 2005 to 2008 where he was knighted for his community development work. Locksley then worked as the Illinois recruiter for the Peace Corps from 2009 to 2016. From 2018 to 2020, he served a second tour in the Peace Corps with his partner, Genevieve, in the Philippines. He began his graduate studies at WIU in the Fall of 2020. In 2022 he won the RPTA Outstanding Graduate Student Award at WIU. Prior to his service with the Peace Corps, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from James Madison University and worked as a professional artist.