The making of La Mancha

Abstract

This paper considers the ways in which game making may be a means for deeply analyzing literary and artistic works. This work is done through a game design postmortem of La Mancha, a storytelling card game based on Miguel de Cervantes’ 1605 novel Don Quixote. The game allows players to interact with and reshape moments from the novel through guided storytelling using quotes from books that influenced Cervantes. This postmortem describes two approaches to design: design precedents and the “collected work theory” of game analysis; that were integral to La Mancha’s creation. To accomplish this, this postmortem describes previous efforts to translate literary works into tabletop design and the different ways those efforts allow players to interact with their source material's content and themes. It also describes how individual moments from Don Quixote, its themes, and critical analysis were used to design not only the overall game, but individual interactions, cards, and even pieces of artwork for the game. Finally, the role of these concepts in La Mancha’s Kickstarter funding campaign and commercial release will be described, including ways which the lessons learned will be incorporated into future works.