The “in IKS acts” board game is a true novelty being the first board game about Slovak theater ever made. The IKS theater released the board game in 2020 in celebration of the impressive 100th anniversary of the Slovak professional theater. The original idea to create such a board game had been thought of already before, but the occasion to release the game during a year when the theater could not be attended because of a global pandemic, made it that much more special. This is the perfect time for theater to come alive in your very own living room.
The board game “in IKS acts” was created with two versions – a table and a pocket version. The table version includes 3 game variants; knowledge, party, and timeline. While the pocket version has two variants – A and B. The games do not have a definite ambition to become a teaching aid, but in a playful, fun way, bring the interesting world of Slovak theater closer to the player. Additionally to insightful historical facts the game reveals, it gives a behind-the-scenes look into its current state, reveals much more than could be expected.
Every design detail and element is thoughtful, from theatre inspired illustration to ecological material choices
Two young yet experienced designers Lucia Gamanová and Oleksandra Bakushina, founders of an experimental design studio GAMANOVA BAKUSHINA in Bratislava, Slovakia, designed the game with all its intriguing visual details and elements. But beyond just looking good, the creator of the concept, theater director Maximilián Alexander Sobek, invited renowned theatrical playwrights and creators Martina Mašlárová and Miro Dacho to prepare the content for the board game, as well as including professional consultations by Karol Mišovic.
Crush Kiwi was chosen because of the haptic properties – very pleasant to the touch, really nice structure, and it’s also ecological. So everything in one. We decided to print in black and white with a neon logo sticker to let the paper stand out. So yes, this paper was chosen for a special reason, the designers explain.
In the design concept, Gamanová and Bakushina were inspired by the theater itself. It becoming the driving force and influence from materials to illustrations. The game layout is designed to remind of the theater curtains, while the tokens are like wardrobe papers, and game figures are represented in a form of seats. Throughout the design process, plastic was avoided and ecological materials were preferred. The figures are made of metal, the packaging of recycled cardboard paper and the box is made out of wood. The playing cards, as well as the packaging, are offset printed, and the actual board game is screen printed. For the cover box, the designers chose to use Crush Kiwi 350 gsm – an upcycled paper exclusively available at Europapier Group. “Crush Kiwi was chosen because of the haptic properties – very pleasant to the touch, really nice structure, and it’s also ecological. So everything in one. We decided to print in black and white with a neon logo sticker to let the paper stand out. So yes, this paper was chosen for a special reason”, the designers explain.
