Symbols In Dark Provinces: Iconography

One of the goals during the design of Dark Provinces was to create a visual language that players could learn quickly.  Good iconography reduces card text, speeds up play, and reinforces the themes of the game.  

Whenever possible, I chose symbols whose real-world associations naturally suggest their game function.  

The symbols are not a separate rules system.  They are visual shorthand to allow players to recognize patterns, understand trait effects at a glance, and learn the game economy.  The result (hopefully) is faster play, less text clutter and easy-to-read trait cards.

q  The blue triangle represents rainfall, waterfalls or flowing water, and like adaptive traits, they adapt, preserve and endure.

p  The orange triangle represents consuming flames that create light and heat, and like expedient traits, they leave consequences behind.  

⚒  The crossed hammers symbolize work, labor and energy invested, and is used for the central game currency of "effort" required to resolve challenges.

⚔  The crossed swords are the universal symbol of confrontation and struggle.

⌛  The hourglass represents time passing and opportunities diminishing, and is used to communicate another central game currency, "fatigue".

💀  The skull universally represents death, loss or catastrophe and is used to communicate coming doom.

☺  The smiling face communicates approval, acceptance and goodwill and is used to represent positive reputation.

☹  The frowning face communicates disapproval, distrust and social rejection and communicates negative reputation.

👁  The eye symbol represents spotting dangers and opportunities before others notice them, and is used for the scouting game action.

🔍  The magnifying glass is the symbol for revealing hidden details that would otherwise be overlooked and is used for the investigation game action.

&  The book symbolizes the accumulation of knowledge, study and learning from books, scrolls and writings and is used for the research game action. 

During play, these and other symbols will be encountered, on trait and challenge cards, allowing card effects and game states to be communicated clearly with minimal text.  In the next three posts, I will explore the other remaining symbols and the communication decisions behind them.