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oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2013392025-05-28T17:59:39Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

201339 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.201339 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 24 pages Shin, Matthew Mack, Robert Loebenberg, Abby Barrett, The Honors College Computer Science and Engineering Program School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences School of International Letters and Cultures This thesis investigates the design, implementation, and theoretical underpinnings of partially fluid team dynamics in tabletop game systems - an emergent and under-theorized mechanic wherein players may alter team affiliations once per round, after which alliances become fixed until the round’s conclusion. Drawing on comparative analysis of traditional and modern card games such as Zhao Peng You and French Tarot, this work offers a formal definition of the mechanic and situates it within the broader landscape of cooperative and competitive game theory. The central contribution is the development of an original board game informed by the Chinese zodiac, designed to operationalize and interrogate the principles of strategic alliance formation under conditions of bounded fluidity. Through iterative prototyping, playtesting, and rule-balancing, the design process is used to examine core tensions between player agency, emergent narrative, and systemic clarity. This thesis ultimately argues that partially fluid team mechanics offer a novel space for dynamic social interaction, supporting both strategic depth and interpersonal engagement, while avoiding the cognitive overload and alignment ambiguity characteristic of more chaotic or deduction-based team systems. Game Board Game Card Game Tabletop Game Mechanics Gameplay Graphic Design Playtest Prototype Rules Game balancing Fluid team dynamics Game Theory Chinese zodiac Iconography Framework and Analysis of Fluid Team Dynamics in Board Games