Explore. Settle. Trade. Conquer.
In the Age of Discovery, the great European powers race to claim a new continent and its riches. Lead your nation to glory by building colonies, forming alliances, and mastering the challenges of the New World.
A historical strategy board game designed to teach players the motives, risks, and rewards of European colonization through interactive gameplay.
Join the Adventure
about the game
Race to the New World is a strategy-based educational board game set in the early 1500s. Players take on the roles of Spain, England, France, or the Netherlands, each striving to explore new lands, trade with or fight native populations, and expand their colonial influence.
The goal of the project was to create a classroom-friendly game that brings the Age of Discovery to life (not by memorizing names or dates but by understanding motives, decisions, and consequences).
Inspiration
This game grew out of my love for history. I wanted to create a learning experience that was active, not passive, where students could feel the tension between exploration, cooperation, and greed that shaped real colonial history.
Through this project, I combined historical research, strategic systems design, and educational theory into a single product that makes history tangible.
educational goals
1. Understanding Motives for Colonization
Players experience firsthand the driving forces behind exploration, wealth, land, faith, and power.
Each turn mirrors real historical pressures: conducting foreign policy (trades, wars, and alliances), expanding settlements, and managing scarce gold.
2. Experiencing Cultural Interactions
Players encounter Native American populations throughout the New World. They can choose to hire, convert, or fight and must deal with the outcomes.
This dynamic models the complex, often conflicted relationships between indigenous peoples and European settlers.
3. Facing Realistic Challenges
Through Event Cards that trigger disease, storms, or raids, the game teaches that colonization was not simply conquest; it was survival.
Players learn that ambition must be balanced with sustainability and that greed can quickly lead to ruin.
The game is designed for 5th - 8th graders. Both are in line with California State curriculum requirements.
gallery
testimonials
teacher's guide
Overview
The Teacher’s Guide helps integrate the game into history lessons.
It provides structure, pacing, and reflection activities for students to connect gameplay to real historical concepts.
Recommendations
-
Encourage reflective journaling:
Throughout the game, students write short entries about their goals, strategies, and outcomes—connecting gameplay to historical decision-making.
-
Discuss parallels:
After major events (wars, alliances, discoveries), teachers can guide students to link game actions to real historical events such as the British takeover of New Amsterdam.
Through play, students do not just learn what happened. They learn why it happened.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Hi, my name is Darrin Shigei-Seat, and I am a student who loves history.
I created Race to the New World to combine historical learning with the creativity and challenge of game development. Basically, I wanted to make learning history fun!
I believe games are one of the most powerful tools for learning. They turn abstract lessons into living experiences.