Our featured student inventor is Manan Ghosh, who designed an interesting board game. His idea won a national level award as part of the “Student Ideas for a Better America” competition organized by the National Museum of Education.
Here is Manan talking about his game in more detail.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Manan Ghosh. I’m in 5th Grade Quest at Ella Baker Elementary School in Redmond. My favorite subjects are Science and Math. During my free time I like to play Minecraft and build items in Paint 3D that I can use in Minecraft. My dream job is to be a scientist.
What is your invention and how does it work?
My invention is a board game called “Castles at Battle”. In the game, you move your pawn across the board to collect resources such as Wood, Rock, Metal and Bricks. You then use these resources to build parts of your castle that then do battle with each other. As part of this, you can enhance the defenses of your castle by adding things like Walls, Towers and Drawbridges, using the resources that you have collected. Resources also let you attack your opponent’s castles by buying attacks, like Knight Attack and Archer Attack. It is a game of moves and countermoves, as you try to get enough resources to defend your own castle while also collecting resources to attack your opponent. You win if you eliminate all other players, this is done by sending out an attack that deals more attack points then the defense points of the other castle.
What inspired you to develop this invention?
I like games involving war and when you have to focus on more than one thing to win. Making 3-D models of castles, walls and towers was a lot of fun and made playing the game more real.
Did your prototype work? How was that experience?
I could not finish my prototype though I did make some of the 3D printed items for my game. Since it was my first time doing 3D printing and my game pieces were a bit complex, it took me more time than I expected. It was still a lot of fun.
What are some things you learned from your MindAntix camp that will help you in the future?
I learned how to design 3D objects using new tools and print them. I have played board games, but it is different to think about board games from the point of view of the designer. You have to think about different things.
Who is your favorite inventor and why?
Leonardo Da Vinci is my favorite inventor. He was an artist and also made many inventions in various fields.
What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?
I would like to find ways to solve the problem of too much plastic and pollution in the oceans.
How will you use your prize money?
I will save my money until I find some good use for it.
Congratulations Manan for winning the award! We hope you enjoy playing your board game with your friends and family.