Simulating Wildfire Rescue Missions: Award-Winning Board Game Makes Learning Fun at NSM Borad Game Design Contest
This competition marked another important step forward in educational game design. Congratulations to Team Planet Board Game — members Ms. Sutthida Choosomphop ("Prao"), Mr. Nawapol Buason ("Beam"), and Mr. Thanakrit Aunjaidee ("Ohm"), students from the Department of Art and Design, School of Fine and Applied Arts — who won 1st place in the creative board game design contest "Explore the World of Smart Agricultural Innovation and Cutting-Edge Disaster Response," organized by the National Science Museum (NSM).
Bringing Together People Who Shared the Same Dream
"The Planet Board Game team began as a group who loved board games — started by Beam and Prao, who shared ideas and designed board games together before opening the team up to friends who wanted to join in creating a contest entry. Each new member brought a different skill to the table, from game design to art. Ohm in particular took on the art direction, standing out for both the beauty and speed of his work. This meant the team wasn't just a group of people working together, but a combination of each person's strengths, united by a shared passion."
Turning Wildfires into a Board Game That Simulates Real Situations
"Given the brief on disaster-response innovation, the team chose wildfires as the theme to develop into a board game, wanting to portray a disaster that demands fast decision-making and is harder to control than some other disaster types. The team researched real wildfire-response methods, including the equipment and technology used in the field, before adapting them into a gameplay system with both a field team and a command team. Players must manage resources, scout the area, put out fires, and rescue survivors — all under time and energy constraints."
A Board Game That's Not Just Fun — It Teaches, Too
"What sets this project apart is that it was designed to be both entertainment and a learning tool. The team worked to weave real wildfire-response equipment into the game mechanics — firefighter suits, heat-detection devices, drones, and other technologies — so players could learn through play. At the same time, the game recreates the pressure of real situations: fire can spread quickly, forcing players to make careful decisions and communicate closely, since mistakes could mean failing to rescue survivors in time."
From Competition Stage to a Dream of Building a Board Game Design Company
"This win boosted the team's confidence, especially in proving they could create an 'educational game' that genuinely delivers — a shift from their earlier board games, which were made mainly for fun. Experience from competing in multiple contests has also opened the team's eyes to new opportunities, leading to plans for a future board game company. They intend to combine game design, art, UI work, and design consulting under one roof, bridging game designers and illustrators to deliver more complete work for clients. The planned company is named Terng — a one-stop company covering every process of board game production."
