A Random Bored : How randomization in cooperative board games create replayability and tension

This paper examines five cooperative board games from the perspective of how randomization is used and how it affects the replayability and player strategy, with the intent to properly identify and categorize elements that contribute to replayability and tension and uses randomization to do so. Each element directly affected by or causes randomization is identified, explained (both what it does and how and what it affects), and categorized based on where in the game the randomization originates in the effort to create a base for game designers to get a better understanding of randomization, if and how they can use it, and which method of using it that can be useful for their own designs.The thesis discusses the impact of using certain randomization elements and draws some conclusions based on how they relate to the replayability and tension of games that use those elements