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How did you get into game design?

Back in 2011, an American friend, Travis Parr, introduced me to Bananagrams and Carcassonne. I really enjoyed playing Carcassonne. It was so different from previous board games I had played which relied too heavily on luck. After that, I actively sought after euro-style games. The next milestone game for me was Viticulture, which inspired me to start thinking about designing board games.

At the time, I was working on one of the workshops for Arts-ED’s Youth Arts Camp (YAC). As part of this Cultural Heritage Education Programme, students would learn an art form while experiencing and making observations of a cultural heritage site in Penang. They would then use the art form to express what they learned about the site. At first, the artform I taught at YAC was stop motion / timelapse photography. On the 2nd year of YAC, I got them to look at the value chain of fish that can be bought at the Chowrasta Market. They interviewed chefs and fishmongers, then used stop motion photography to show the journey of fish from sea to plate.

So when I played Viticulture and learned about the whole business and process of wine-making and and experienced the challenges of running a vineyard just by playing the game, I realized that making a board game about the value chain of produce in the market would lead to an understanding of that value chain much deeper than making a stop motion animation or flip book could. With that in mind, I thought why don’t I introduce board game design as an artform to YAC participants, which is what I did for the next few years of YAC. Of course, I had to make a board game myself before I could teach the students how to make one. And that's how Kaki Lima started - as an example of a board game designed to reflect cultural heritage..

What games have you designed and published?

​I have 5 games published under LUMA, 3 of my own design (Kaki Lima, Bansan, Kaki Lima: Downtown KL), 1 designed by Evan Cheah (Petal Plotters), and 1 designed by Ewe Boon How (Trishaw Frenzy). Kaki Lima & Bansan were co-produced with Arts-ED, while Petal Plotters was co-produced with Tropical Spice Garden.

What are your guiding principles in game design?

A lot of designers I know work out the mechanics first then the theme. Trishaw Frenzy is a good example, where the original design by Boon How was called Rotate and Go. Then when I played his prototype, I could visualize trishaws turning and zooming around in George Town, so I suggested to theme it as such.

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As for me, I start off with the theme, an example would be Kaki Lima. I wanted to make a game about the five-foot ways in George Town, and had to ask questions like who are the people walking through them, why do they do so, what are the issues or obstacles that keep them from doing so, and how can these issues or obstacles be resolved. The answers to those questions I then had to process and factor into the game mechanics. When you design a board game theme first, you might get overwhelmed by the number of mechanics that you can vs should fit into the game. From playtesting, you then filter out mechanics that are unnecessary and don't add value to the game, leaving in the ones that keep the essence of the theme.

In short, I first lock on to a story I want to tell, then try to design the mechanics in a way where it will be able to immerse the players into the theme of the game. So hopefully, they are not only enjoying the game but also subconsciously learning about and appreciating what the theme highlights.

What is your next game?

I’ve been working on a game about wayang kulit (shadow puppets). With so much going on though, the progress has been slow. LUMA has also been working on getting out a badminton board game called Smash! By Evan. Realistically however, the next thing we will be able to release come ABGFMY 2025 is a card expansion that we’ve been developing for Boon How’s Trishaw Frenzy.

Which is the best prototype you have played?

It’s a game by Evan. Out of his many game prototypes, the one I’ve enjoyed playing the most is about building shophouses in George Town! Oh I also really liked Amplify and Days Without Accident by Faris Suhaimi.

1 tip you would give new designers.

Playtest! Don’t take negative comments to heart, and don’t be afraid of people not enjoying your game. During playtests, notice what’s not enjoyable, what needs to be cut out, added in, or streamlined without losing the message or experience you are trying to convey through the game.