Literary theme vs artistic theme in boardgames

To explore the two meanings of theme in boardgames, I would have to take you through literature and music. Bear with me, it’ll come around.

In literature, theme is the central idea of a piece, where the writer can help us examine our world. We can explore topics such as jealousy, corruption, patriotism and courage in a story supported by subject, setting, plot, characters and style. Theme is the reason such works are written, and all else supports that.
Anyone who thinks that the meaning of Moby Dick was about whaling has grasped the subject but missed the theme.

Musical theme is in recurring melodies and style to build mood. So now ‘theme’ means artistic direction. In film, sound and visuals add to the mood and support the elements of character, setting and style. Darth Vader had his own theme music, for example, and in four seconds, without breaking Vader’s stride, we know that an imperial badass has entered the scene.

As well as artistic theme, of course, film has literary theme. Art supports the mood and setting, which supports the story, which supports the literary theme. ‘Theme’ then covers both ends and mean opposite things!

In games, literary theme is a subjective experience, and pretty hard to prescribe, nor would we want to beyond a point. We can lay out the conditions for an experience we want them to have, but it is up to them to have it. In the same game, one player might learn something about the seduction of greed, another about trust and betrayal. The next time they play, they will hopefully have a different experience.

‘Theme’ in boardgames more often refers to the artwork and flavor text, which support the setting, characters and style, and the franchise we just borrowed from, to deepen the emotional response. Artistic theme in games is so pervasive that theme has come to mean any design decision that is not a mechanic.

A broad category indeed! And further confounded when, as I would argue, mechanics does more than artistic theme to support literary theme.

Games offer the rare experience of us being involved in the decisions of a character in that world. Of taking risks without guarantee of the outcome, and of learning something different each time we play. The player is not merely watching characters on screen facing theme-filled dilemmas, but actually having that experience themselves. As soon as we can get the players making meaningful decisions, the richer their theme will be.