Valaria: The Augmented Reality Board Game
"I am revolutionizing the board game industry by creating a series of VR/AR-enhanced board games that will reach millions of children in Generation Alpha, introducing an entirely new generation to the joy of board games."
About the Creator
Sara Beth Way is a sophomore at the Austin campus, passionate about board games, child development, and innovative technology. She enjoys gardening and playing strategy games with her family. Her current focus is on developing Valaria, an augmented reality board game designed to engage Gen Alpha and bring children back to the world of board games.
Achievements
- • Created an original augmented reality board game
- • Pitched project to investors at Test of Past Night
- • Scheduled and appeared on a podcast to discuss child development and the project
Areas of Interest
- • Gardening
- • Playing Board Games
- • Child Development
- • Strategy Games
Future Plans
Continue developing and launching Valaria by building an audience, establishing expertise in child development, and releasing the game to the public through social media platforms.
Project Overview
Purpose
To make board games appealing to Gen Alpha by combining traditional gameplay with augmented reality, encouraging children to reconnect with board games in a modern, engaging way.
Target Audience
Children ages 6-13 (Gen Alpha) and their families.
Valaria is a fantasy board game for children ages 6-13 that integrates augmented reality to enhance gameplay. Players collect and spend coins, purchase items, and engage in strategic battles, with real-time statistics displayed through AR. This project represents months of dedicated research, development, and implementation, resulting in a solution that addresses real-world challenges and creates meaningful impact.
AlphaX Journey
Prototyping and Early Development
Sara Beth developed and printed the first version of Valaria, focusing on gameplay mechanics, coin collection, and strategic elements. She faced challenges such as time constraints, sourcing art assets, and preparing for investor pitches. She also began building her personal brand and expertise in child development to support the game's launch.
The BrainLift
Knowledge Frontier
The BrainLift by Sara Beth Way documents an in-depth exploration of the intersection between AI, board games, child development, and Generation Alpha. The research journey entailed identifying and following industry experts, unraveling the social and cognitive benefits of board games over screen time for children, dissecting board game mechanics, and evaluating the impact of augmented reality and gaming on learning and socialization. Explorations spanned niche mechanics, the evolution of gaming culture, child psychology, and critiques of modern educational and gaming frameworks.
Existing Knowledge
- • Basic board game design and development concepts
- • Exposure to classic and modern game mechanics (e.g., dice rolling, worker placement)
- • Awareness of general educational theories
- • Familiarity with Generation Alpha’s predominant habits
New Knowledge Created
- • Identified and assessed over a dozen leading board game designers, AR/VR strategists, and child development experts
- • Synthesized research supporting board games as catalysts for social connection and cognitive growth
- • Learned board games uniquely engage all major learning styles (visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic)
- • Documented the negative impacts of excessive screen time and caffeine on children, including fine motor skills and mental health
- • Explored board game mechanic innovations, pros and cons of library/game cafe models, and pricing pressures in the industry
SpikyPOVs
- • Board games are the quickest and most effective way for kids to make friends, countering social isolation exacerbated by screens and social media.
- • The true popularity of a board game should be based on frequency of play, not just sales numbers.
- • Parents may inadvertently suppress innovation in board game culture and child development by overvaluing digital entertainment and neglecting alternative learning experiences.
- • Video games and screen-focused childhoods may harm mental health and social connection in Generation Alpha, though not in the direct, simplistic ways often portrayed by media.
- • Libraries aren’t ideal for lending board games due to loss and wear, with game cafés or structured in-library play being superior models.
Outcome & Impact
Project Outcome
Valaria aims to foster a renewed interest in board games among younger generations by blending physical and digital play. The long-term vision is to create a platform that not only entertains but also supports cognitive and social development in children, potentially inspiring a new wave of interactive, educational board games that bridge technology and traditional play worldwide.
Measurable Results
Prototype board games produced
Podcast appearances about the project
Investor pitch events participated
Connect with Sara Beth Way
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