Rumble Tumble
1st place winner in Physical Board Games in Global Game Jam, a 48 hour game design challenge: Theme "home"
Balance the madness, one block at a time.
A physical board game with playing cards.
View more working details
Project Type
Game Design
Duration
48 Hours, Winter 2019
Tools
Physical materials, Figma
Team
7 SCAD Students
Design Digest
Design Digest
As a UX designer and visual card designer for Rumble Tumble, I assisted in the design of the game’s interaction flow and card system leading the overall visual identity. My focus was on crafting a playful yet intuitive user experience that balanced strategic decision-making with physical dexterity and chaos. I created the visual system for the deck of cards—including layout, iconography, and accessibility-informed design choices—to ensure players could easily distinguish actions, interpret rules, and stay immersed in the fast-paced gameplay. I also contributed to designing the rulebook, co-developing onboarding instructions and turn mechanics that kept gameplay smooth, social, and accessible for all player types.
Introducing Rumble Tumble
Click to view the vision video
Discover
Discover
Our team, made of avid table top gamers, began by researching popular stacking games like Jenga and exploring how randomness and physical interaction influence player engagement and excitement. Our experience from casual game nights highlighted that adding unpredictable physical elements increases replayability and social energy. We also investigated card mechanics that encourage tactical play, aiming to balance chaos with strategy. Accessibility and clear communication of rules were key focuses from the start to ensure the game was approachable for diverse players.
Forgive and Fortify (Sponsored by iThrive Games)
Challenge: Design a game mechanic or moment that reinforces emotional resilience, self-compassion, or the idea of "bouncing back" after failure.
Goal: Encourage players to reflect on or practice forgiveness (of self or others) and emotional strength.
Puzzle Design Challenge (Sponsored by Red Bull Mind Gamers and The Tetris Company®)
Challenge: Integrate puzzle mechanics into your game that require creative problem-solving, spatial logic, or mental dexterity.
Goal: Create engaging gameplay that stimulates the brain—think clever patterns, strategic movement, or satisfying 'a-ha!' moments.
Thomas Wasn’t Alone
Challenge: Inspired by the indie game Thomas Was Alone, this prompt encourages you to assign personality, emotion, or story to abstract shapes or minimalist characters.
Goal: Show that simple forms can express deep narrative or emotional meaning through thoughtful design and mechanics.
Mixed Media
Challenge: Incorporate unconventional materials or mediums—like clay, cardboard, textiles, found objects, or physical interaction—into your game’s design.
Goal: Think beyond digital-only gameplay. Blend analog and digital elements or explore tactile and visual creativity in new ways.
Define
Define
Our core challenge was designing a game that combined physical dexterity with strategic card play while maintaining a fun, chaotic, and inclusive atmosphere. We needed to create clear, intuitive mechanics and visual elements that allowed players to quickly understand the rules, manage their cards, and adapt to unpredictable base movements. The game had to encourage social interaction and competition without feeling overly complex or frustrating.
Type: Physical dexterity stacking game
Target Audience: Families, casual gamers, party-goers (ages 6+)
Strengths:
Universally recognizable and intuitive gameplay
Highly tactile and engaging
Builds tension and suspense with each move
Simple rules make it extremely accessible
Weaknesses:
Limited variety—no action cards or mechanics beyond block-pulling
Solo gameplay lacks strategic interaction
Repetitive over time; low replay variability
Type: Turn-based card game
Target Audience: Families, kids, teens, casual gamers (ages 7+)
Strengths:
Fast-paced and competitive with simple learning curve
Colorful design, easy to understand for all ages
Strategic card play with take-that mechanics
Travel-friendly, compact
Weaknesses:
Minimal physical or tactile engagement
Can become chaotic or frustrating with too many players
Game balance can suffer from overly random draws
Type: Solo digital puzzle game
Target Audience: Casual gamers, puzzle lovers, all ages (6+)
Strengths:
Instantly recognizable and globally beloved gameplay
Simple to learn, hard to master – strong replayability
Encourages spatial reasoning and quick decision-making
Minimalist design appeals across cultures and platforms
Accessible on nearly every device – phones, consoles, computers
Weaknesses:
Primarily solo play, minimal social or group interaction
Lacks tactile, physical engagement or sensory satisfaction
Limited narrative or thematic depth
Can feel repetitive over time without significant variation
Design
Design
I assisted in the design of the game to ensure smooth gameplay: from card dealing and turn order to how players interact with the shaking base. Visually, I designed the cards to clearly differentiate brick and action cards, using a clean layout and thematic illustrations that captured the playful yet tumultuous spirit of the game. I also designed the rulebook. We then did extensive playtesting which informed iterative adjustments for clarity, pacing, and balancing the shaking mechanic’s impact.
First we glued and sanded the block pieces together:
Then we painted and polished:
With the board's technical components confined to one side, we were able to fit all of the blocks in the base!
Deliver
Deliver
The final deliverables included a complete set of visually designed cards, a rulebook with easy-to-follow instructions, and a physical prototype of the shaking base mechanism. The game’s UX and visual design elements were packaged cohesively to support quick onboarding and maintain engagement throughout play. We also developed guidance for players on managing their cards and handling turns efficiently, ensuring the chaotic base shaking complemented rather than disrupted gameplay.
After just 48 hours, we submitted our materials and presented to a panel of judges which crowned us the first place winner of SCAD's Global Game Jam chapter!
The team on stage after winning first place!
Debrief
Debrief
Post-launch, playtesting and user feedback emphasized how the unpredictable shaking elevated excitement and camaraderie, fulfilling our goal of blending chaos with friendly competition. We had a lot of fun playing! Other players appreciated the clear visual cues and structured turn flow, which helped balance the game’s physical and tactical elements.
The project reinforced the importance of iterative UX design and visual clarity in complex, multi-faceted games, as well as the value of combining physical interaction with strategic gameplay to create memorable social experiences.