The Nielsen Norman Group is a well-known research-based firm in the UX world. One thing they are well known for is their list of 10 usability heuristics. In case you’re not familiar, a heuristic is like a shortcut. Instead of doing user research to discover these things, these heuristics are well-known principles that result in positive user experiences. Thus they are shortcuts that will get you to a better place before you test your creation with users (or players).
The 10 Usability Heuristics as defined by NNG
- Visibility of System Status
- Match Between the System and the Real World
- User Control and Freedom
- Consistency and Standards
- Error Prevention
- Recognition Rather than Recall
- Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
- Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
- Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors
- Help and Documentation
This article seeks to consider how these heuristics apply to the world of board games. It’s a very interesting read.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-heuristics-board-games/
