Designer Diary: Tivoli - the board game
Ever since I was a child visiting the magical Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, the place has always held a special aura of mystery, fascination, and enchantment for me. It was a place where the ordinary world seemed to fade away, replaced by the glow of countless lights, the thrill of rides, and the scent of sweet treats. So, naturally, when we were granted the license to create a board game inspired by Tivoli, we were excited to capture that magic and translate it into something that families could enjoy together.
Our goal with Tivoli was to design a game that both children and adults would find engaging. My soon-to-be seven-year-old daughter can play it with ease and has a great time—although the nuances of long-term strategy might still elude her. We aimed for a level of strategic depth similar to Ticket to Ride, but with a slightly softer edge, making it more accessible to younger players while still offering a rewarding experience for everyone at the table.
At the heart of the game is a mechanic that almost everyone is familiar with: rolling dice. On your turn, you roll three custom dice and, in a manner reminiscent of Yahtzee, you can roll up to three times, trying to get the best possible outcome.
The rides, of course, are the main attraction—especially for younger players. But Tivoli Gardens has always been about more than just the rides. There’s the charm of the beautifully lit paths, twinkling with a thousand colors, and the irresistible allure of the candy, particularly those iconic, oversized lollipops every Danish child associates with Tivoli.
Capturing the Feeling
When designing Tivoli, our approach was to start with the feeling we wanted players to experience. There are many ways to design a game, but for us, it always begins with the desired emotional journey. From there, we look for mechanics that naturally evoke that feeling.
Designing a game like this isn’t about creating a simulation; it’s about capturing the essence of what makes Tivoli Gardens special. We wanted to evoke the magical ambiance and the sense of freedom that comes with a summer evening spent in the park, where the sun sets and hundreds of thousands of lights start to twinkle. We aimed to convey the thrill of the rides, the gradual lighting up of the evening as the gardens become illuminated, and the friendly competition to experience as much as possible before the night ends.
The premise of the game is simple: How much fun can you have before the gardens close? The challenge lies in deciding what to see, which rides to try, what treats to taste, and how many balloons to take home—all before the clock strikes midnight.
Artwork and Atmosphere
In terms of artwork, it was crucial for us to capture the warmth, light, and ambiance of a Scandinavian summer evening. As players explore the gardens and go on rides, they place lanterns of their player color on the board. This mechanic mirrors the real-life experience of Tivoli, where the park gradually lights up as night falls. The board itself becomes more and more illuminated as time passes, echoing the transformation of the park from day to night.
When the Clock strikes Midnight
A central feeling we wanted to encapsulate is the sense of time running out—a feeling familiar to every child who’s been to a theme park. “How much can I do before it’s time to go home?” is a question that drives both the experience of visiting Tivoli and the gameplay in Tivoli. The passing of time in the game is tied to the number of rides players experience. When a ride has been tried by all participants, time advances. And when the clock strikes 12, the game comes to an end.
In Essence
In creating Tivoli, we’ve tried to bottle up the magic of a summer evening at Tivoli Gardens, siphon our fascination with the magical place into a gaming experience and bring it to your tabletop. We hope it shows and that the game will bring you joy and good times together with people you care about.
Hugs and happy gaming from the Plotmaker Team:
Asger, Snorre, Emilie and Niels.