Madeleine Adams – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories
Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we collaborated with Kickstarter and talked to Madeleine Adams, Board Game Designer & Co-Founder of Cotsworlds Games. She speaks about how her background in teaching influences her game design approach, emphasizing intuitive and engaging gameplay, and highlights the importance of diverse voices and fresh perspectives in the tabletop gaming world. Read more about Madeleine here:
Hi Maddie! You were a teacher before co-founding Cotswold Games. How did your experience in education influence your approach to game design?
I used to teach Physical Education, so teaching, learning, and playing games have always been a big part of my life. Back then, I learned that people pick things up much better when they’re actively involved and having fun—so that’s something I always try to keep in mind when designing games. As I dive deeper into the world of board game design, I’ve started to notice what really makes games stand out: they need to be intuitive, easy to teach, and genuinely engaging. Those are the things I naturally look for in games I buy and play myself, along with themes and mechanics that really click with me. At Cotswold Games, our approach to design is definitely influenced by my background in teaching. I actually talk about some of our core design principles in a recent video on my YouTube channel—feel free to check it out here if you’re interested:
What inspires you when creating new games – are there particular themes, stories, or player experiences you aim to evoke?
Theme plays a big part in the games I love to design, as well as the ones that stick around in my personal collection. I’m especially drawn to games where the theme isn’t just a surface layer but is deeply integrated into the gameplay. One game that really stood out to me early on was Viticulture by Stonemaier Games. I loved how every action—planting vines, harvesting grapes, aging wine—felt meaningful and tied directly into the core goal of fulfilling wine orders. It all just made sense, and that tight connection between theme and mechanics was really enjoyable and satisfying. That’s the kind of feeling I try to create in my own designs: gameplay that not only makes sense within the world of the game but also helps players feel immersed and invested in what they’re doing.
As a founder and designer, what message do you hope to pass on to other women or underrepresented voices entering the tabletop space?
The biggest thing I’d say is—your perspective genuinely matters. You bring something unique to the table, and the tabletop industry certainly has room for fresh perspectives and new voices. From my own experience, it’s also far too easy to get caught up in over-thinking or feeling like you need everything perfectly mapped out before you begin. But the truth is, you don’t need to be an expert or have it all figured out. Most people in this space are learning as they go—that’s part of what makes it exciting and creative. Be willing to learn, connect with others in the community, and don’t be afraid to share what you’re working on. It’s often those different viewpoints and creative approaches that lead to the most exciting designs. Take the first step, back yourself, and enjoy the process!