Working in an analog form forces one to reduce rules constructs down to their most abstract patterns. Raph Koster jokes that all video games are still “turn based” played at 60 turns a second, and with enough experimentation can be efficiently atomized and playtested using physical pieces. It is also an incredible exercise in Creativity Through Context Replacement as well as Forcing Creative Constraints, as mixing and mashing pieces and patterns you normally wouldn’t see next to one another can spark ideas one might not stumble across otherwise.
Analog Atomizing and Abstracting Game Mechanics Practical Creativity by Raph Koster, GDC 2014