The Enchanted Canvas: Painting Immersive Worlds with Visual-Spatial Intelligence

Pictures can communicate things that sometimes words struggle to convey. By seeing a simple picture players can understand what a place looks like, who is there, and perhaps, who built it. Pictures provide a sense of emotion. They draw players in and immerse them in the world. Visual components are a vital part of communication and therefore an important of RPGs. 

However, on a basic level, we do not need pictures in order to run RPGs. In this series of blog posts about using multiple intelligence theory to inform our gameplay, we have already looked at two intelligences (Verbal-Linguistic and Logical-Mathematical) which are almost essential to playing RPGs. From here on out, we will look at intelligences that will put more meat on the bones of our games. So, how do we supplement these two intelligences and give them more punch? And what about those who struggle in the areas of language in math, can other intelligences assist them? 

Using the strengths of Visual-Spatial Intelligence, as described by Howard Gardner, will enhance immersion, ignite creativity, and engage your players’ senses through visual aids, interactive maps, and spatial puzzles. Game Masters can immerse their players in a world where direction is everything and where vision unlocks hidden treasures. You can utilize Visual-Spatial Intelligence by identifying your VS players, including visual and spatial encounters in your games, and by identifying visual and spatial items that will help maintain attention among your players. 

Recognizing your Visual-Spatial Players

Visual-Spatial Intelligence focuses on the most powerful of the five senses for many of our players: vision. We use our sight constantly to increase our understanding. We use it in-game as well. In fact, it seems that a very common statement used by Game Masters (when they are describing a scene) is to say, “As you step into the room you see.” But now we’re going to use more than words, we’re using pictures, sculptures, photographs, and any other visual representation that will help players to get a grasp on what their characters are seeing. Paintings and miniatures add more color because a picture or a mini can burst with more colors than a Game Master might ever be able to describe. More than that, Visual-Spatial Intelligence adds new dimensions to your world. It adds height as you talk of the skies and depth as you delve into dungeons. It adds distance and width to your world as pictures portray broad fields and vast oceans. 

Game Masters–who know who their VS players are–can help them immerse themselves into the game world. There are many things you can do to identify your VS players. The first is to utilize a picture as you introduce a scene. Look for those players who gravitate toward these pictures over and over again. VS players might analyze a picture to find details about a situation or environment that they missed in the verbal description. Even more, they might find things that you had not meant to include in your game. Depending on what they notice, you will need to decide whether to make the observation a new part of the scene or not. (Although, players do live to find secrets through their own observation.) Either way, you will have identified a player whom you can help have a good game by adding visual elements to your encounters. 

Another way to find your VS players is to use Theater of the Mind. In fact, you might find these players more quickly this way. VS players might ask you to draw out a map so they can better understand where items in an area sit in relation to each other. Alternatively, these players might also ask you to provide more details to help them better see a person or place. These players might even be an incredible help to a GM who is trying to improve their game description by noticing what things they are looking for.  

Many VS players will doodle in their journals. They might fill as much space in their journals with drawings as they do with verbal descriptions. These players might also pull out multiple-colored pens so that they can add color to their simple drawings. However, keep in mind that not everyone with  VS intelligence is good at drawing. An attempt to portray a scene visually despite poor drawing skill might be another sign that an individual has VS Intelligence. 

The letter S in VS Intelligence stands for spatial so don’t forget to look for these players as well. Their strength lies in being able to see how people and things stand in relation to each other and the environment. They will crave the information that is easily provided by a map. Additionally, these players might regularly include place names in the character’s background because it helps them to engrain that character in the game world. 

Including Visual-Spatial Intelligence in Your Game 

While not everyone excels in VS Intelligence, all players will be helped when a GM includes more VS items and activities into their game. Here is a list of ideas relating to visual and spatial intelligence: 

• Provide pictures of characters, locations, and items
  • Fantasy art 
  • Photographs 
  • Quick sketches 
• Handouts represent journal entries, letters, and instructions 
• Use spatial words in descriptions
  • Directions 
  • Cardinal directions 
  • Height, width, and depth
  • Shapes 
• Encourage the players to draw
  • Or go outside and take a photograph 
• Introduce special characters with a specific color (Darth Vader from Star Wars and the Joker from DC Comics each have a particular color scheme that provides information about them; color schemes also provide information in Star Trek Federation uniforms) 
• Maps
  • Printed out or use a Virtual Table Top
  • Drawn on paper or a vinyl mat
    • GM draws them
    • The players draw their own map as they travel through a location 
  • Created from dice, books, and the other loose items on the table 
  • 3D Terrain
• Blueprints and schematics 
• Memory (show the players a number of items and then later show them again with one or more of the items missing) 
• Observation challenges (Present players with detailed scenes or images and let them to identify clues or hidden elements) 
• Use gestures when you describe things
• Visual puzzles where they are putting a picture together
  • Object arrangement puzzles
• Visual matching
  • Heraldry 
  • Thieves’ Cant symbols 
• Create a representation of an item from clay or play-doh 
• Origami 
• Tetris-like puzzles 
• Stacking dice 

Maps that Engage 

Maps literally get all of the players on the same page when it comes to the physical relationship between objects in an RPG. They provide players with information for making decisions as to where they will go and what they will do. And when a map is first put out on a table, it focuses the attention back on the game. 

Here are five tips for creating interesting maps: 

1. Use different colors, symbols, or textures to distinguish areas, landmarks, and points of interest on the map.

2. Incorporate scale and perspective to convey depth and three-dimensional aspects of the game world.

3. Include hidden or obscured elements on the map, encouraging players to explore and uncover secrets. 

4. Use visual cues or paths to guide players through complex environments or mazes.

5. Create environmental interactions and puzzles 

Maintaining Focus with Objects and Toys 

RPGs include four to five people around the table, so every player will likely spend more time listening that speaking. It can sometimes be helpful to have some physical items present that will help players focus their attention on the game when it is not their turn. If a particular item takes your mind away from the game, you might choose another one. The goal here is to focus attention; not to distract it. 

Here are some items that VS players might enjoy: 

• Blocks
• Tangram and other spatial puzzles 
• Picture collections or books
  • Pictures from game manuals 
• Game maps
  • Miniatures 
  • Spell templates 
• Campaign
  • Large map of the game world 
  • Globe 
• Paper
  • Drawing 
  • Origami 
  • Arrows to indicate location or direction 
• Rulers 
• Colored pencils or pens 
• Simple puzzles 
• Blokus tiles (without the board) 
• Camera 
• 3D art kits 

Conclusion

Visual-spatial intelligence adds depth, immersion, and problem-solving potential to RPGs. When Game Masters identify their VS players, they can use these tools to improve the game for these players. Many VS activities will help even those who do not excel in this area, because humans utilize their sense of sight so much. And by using visuals, GMs will be able to convey some things that they might not otherwise have the ability to share. 

All text copyright @ www.consaves.com