Type
Game Design /
Product Design/
Cultural Design
Year
2022
Context
Re-Turn Erzgebirge Project · Germany
Role
Concept /
Research/
Game System Design / Product Design
Focus
Death Culture /
Ritual/
Craft · Storytelling / Interaction
A modular strategy board game that transforms traditional craftsmanship and global death cultures into an interactive experience of remembrance, reflection, and play.
Summary Box｜Key Highlights
Cultural fusion of craftsmanship
JI transforms traditional Erzgebirge wooden craftsmanship into a contemporary strategy game, bridging German folk art with global death rituals to create a cross-cultural dialogue on remembrance and life’s transitions.
Modular storytelling through play
Featuring a freely constructible board of bridges and paths, the game symbolizes the uniqueness of every life journey. It allows players to explore the "Underworld" not as a place of fear, but as a modular landscape of reflection and strategic exploration.
Taboo-breaking interactive experience
By reframing death through the lens of play, the project creates an accessible space for discussing loss and memory. It demonstrates how game design can serve as a medium for emotional healing and social connection in a post-pandemic world.
Project - JI
A Cross-Cultural Strategy Board Game
Exploring Death, Memory, and Craft
Story Overview
JI (祭) is a strategy board game exploring how cultures understand death, remembrance, and the soul’s journey. Inspired by traditional craftsmanship from the Erzgebirge and global death rituals, it transforms sensitive cultural themes into an accessible play experience.
Set in a symbolic underworld, players act as guides who collect and escort souls. Through modular board building, strategy, and storytelling, JI frames death not as an end, but as a meaningful transition.
The game creates a space where reflection, learning, and play coexist — inviting curiosity toward a traditionally taboo topic.
Design Thinking & Concept
Background & Motivation
Traditional wooden crafts from the Ore Mountains(Erzgebirge) region are often limited to seasonal products, especially Christmas decorations.At the same time, modern society rarely offers accessible spaces to talk about death and loss.JI was designed to bring craftsmanship into everyday life through a contemporary board game — while opening a gentle, playful dialogue about death, memory, and cultural rituals.Especially after the pandemic, many people experienced sudden loss without the chance to say goodbye.This project responds by offering a symbolic space for remembrance through interaction and play.
Name Origin – “JI ”
The name “JI ” ( 祭 ) refers to rituals of remembrance, honoring the deceased, and the worship of souls and deities in many Asian cultures.
Across the world, death is interpreted in diverse ways — from celebration and reverence to mourning and transformation.
In JI, the cards combine symbols, myths, and death-related traditions from different cultures.
Through play, players are introduced to these cultural perspectives in an interactive and respectful way.
The freely constructed game board reflects the idea that every life follows a different path, and every farewell is unique.
Design Concept – Death as Transition
In JI, death is not portrayed as an ending, but as a transformation.
Players guide souls through a modular landscape made of bridges, curves, and structures — representing different cultural interpretations of the afterlife.
The flexible board design symbolizes that no two life journeys are the same.
Each player builds their own path, reflecting the personal nature of memory and farewell.
Game System & Mechanics
JI is designed as a modular strategy board game that combines cultural storytelling with spatial construction.
Players can freely assemble the game board using curved paths, bridges, and architectural elements.
During gameplay, they must strategically manage their grid pieces, make optimal moves, and tactically block opponents.
Game Format
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Players: 2–8
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Age: 8+
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Genre: Puzzle · Strategy
Components
25 culture-inspired cards · 9 curved paths · 12 bridges · 8 building objects ·
4 character sets · 3 roadblocks
Cultural Context
The project integrates cultural references from different regions, including:
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European symbolic representations of death
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Asian ancestral rituals
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Japanese festival traditions
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Artistic interpretations such as “Death and Life” by Gustav Klimt
By merging these influences with German wooden craftsmanship, JI becomes a cross-cultural platform for understanding how societies remember, honor, and interpret death.
Outcome & Reflection
JI demonstrates how traditional craftsmanship can be transformed into a contemporary, meaningful experience.
Rather than producing decorative objects alone, the project explores how design can carry emotional, cultural, and educational value.
Through modular construction, storytelling, and strategic interaction, JI offers players a new way to approach death — not with fear, but with curiosity, respect, and reflection.
The project highlights the potential of game design as a medium for cultural dialogue, emotional expression, and social connection.