Ballpark Boardgame
Instruction
Information
I originally created a quick version of this game using a plastic case and vinyl for my sons to play during their older brother’s baseball games. They loved it so much that I decided to design a more polished, wooden version we could keep and enjoy at home—especially on rainy days when we can’t get outside.
This handcrafted game is designed to store everything neatly inside a wooden box with the game board resting on top. Inside, you'll find the dice, scoreboard, red strike & ball markers, and game pieces—everything needed to play a full nine-inning game.
Gameplay follows real baseball rules. The home team starts by rolling a single die to determine whether the pitch is a ball or falls within the strike zone. If it’s a ball, it’s marked on the board with a red token. If it lands in the strike zone, the batting team rolls two dice to determine how play will proceed. After three outs, teams switch just like in a real game, continuing until the end of the ninth inning.
A perfect gift for any dad who loves the game and the memories it creates.
Instruction
Step1: Starting Out
I originally created a quick version of this game using a plastic case and vinyl for my sons to play during their older brother’s baseball games. They loved it so much that I decided to design a more polished, wooden version we could keep and enjoy at home—especially on rainy days when we can’t get outside.
Step2: Creating the Game Board
I started out with a 12" x 18" piece of 3 mm black walnut. I engraved the top part of the box with the gameboard. On the right side of the board, you will see the key explaining the different plays that correspond to the dice thrown by the batter. There is a small area with instructions on the bottom right. Finally, in the center of the box, is the baseball field, the corresponding pitching instructions, and a place to keep track of balls and strikes. Everything on the gameboard is engraved except for the bases on the game board and the circles for the ball/strike markers. Settings can be found in the uploaded XCS file.
Step3: Bottom and Sides
Using separate sheets of black walnut, i cut out the bottom and the sides of the box. After fitting them together; I glued them with wood glue and filled in any cracks with wood putty. I then sanded them afterwards for a more completed look. The game board should sit perfectly on top of the bottom part of the box.
Step4: Game Pieces and Score Board
I made the scoreboard on a piece of black acrylic and used chalk markers to keep score, however you can keep score on a piece of paper or design your own scoreboard using vinyl. As for the game pieces; the circles that are used for keeping track of balls and strikes. After they were cut out, I glued two of them together and painted them red. I then attached a piece of a magnet strip to the underside of the board in order to prevent the pieces from falling through.
The diamonds are used to move around the board to keep track of what base your players are on. I glued one small and large diamond together so that the smaller diamond would fit inside of the base and the larder diamond would prevent the piece from falling inside the box. (My sons however seem to prefer the game pieces that we made out of lego's since that is what they had used for our original game.
Step5: Play Ball!
After you have completed the gameboard, the bottom of the box, all of the game pieces and score board… grab some dice and start to play!