Introduction to Startup High

Since the last few months, I have been working on a startup-themed board game. Some common board games that everyone must have played are Monopoly, Ludo, Scotland Yard, Cluedo, and the like. While we have always associated board games with children, it is only after entering into this space that I realised how mistaken we are.

Playing board games not only provides entertainment, but also offers a variety of benefits such as improving problem-solving skills, promoting social interaction, and enhancing strategic thinking. Since we are glued to screens for every single activity of ours throughout the day, board games provide the perfect exit for families and friends to engage in personal development, bonding, and staying sharp.

Take Settlers of Catan, for example. It taught me how to think strategically and plan ahead, skills that have been helpful in my business classes. Or, Codenames, a game that helped me improve my communication and teamwork skills, which have been valuable in group projects. Risk, another game that taught me how to analyse different options and make decisions under pressure, skills that have been useful in debates.

While I do not have any scientific evidence to back this up, after conducting over 100 playtests for my game, I could see a clear distinction in the levels of strategic thinking between a new player and an experienced board gamer. Why is this helpful in life? It helps in life because if you start thinking of life as a game and the different projects as levels, the various simulations and incidents that the board games have placed you in would help you to very easily navigate through life. Well, how one should view life is a different conversation for another day, but in essence, board games can play a vital role in how someone leads their life.

The pandemic played a key role in helping us realise the importance of board games, and that is the reason why the board game industry has grown from $4 billion before the pandemic to $13 billion in 2022. It is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2028.

Due to the interest in this sector, the rate of innovation and creativity in board games is crucial. While board games are a superb way to develop people holistically, I feel they are an excellent way to make people curious and ponder about certain things and themes. It is with this mindset that I started working on Startup High, the startup-themed board game.

Startup High is a strategic board game that has elements that reflect the experiences and challenges of a startup founder in a fun and absorbing way. In SH, you take on the role of an aspiring founder and make decisions that are relevant to being entrepreneurial in life.

To make their dreams into reality, the founders are in a startup incubator and face an interesting dilemma: what is more important to them, time or money? Using the saved up resources, the founders have to deploy strategies across different divisions, leverage their network, and navigate through market forces, to complete their set milestones within a year!

While the game is in its final stage of development, the game was not like this in the initial stages. The game was very different, and this post serves as an introduction to a story that would take you through the making of Startup High.

Stay tuned, stay curious!