Daryl Chow Crafts Connections as a Pioneer in Board Game Design and Cultural Storytelling
- Unique Wisdom
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 9
As a board game designer and co-founder of Origame, Daryl Chow creates games that celebrate Singaporean culture and stories. Through play, he invites people to reconnect with their heritage, relationships, and creativity. His journey reminds us that play is not merely leisure — it is a profound way to learn, connect, and grow.
I am a board game designer by passion and now by trade, and I also run Origame, a proudly Singapore-based board game publishing company. The art of making board games is a growing trend, but we are still a rare breed.
I am the only full-time professional board game designer in Singapore (and Southeast Asia). Origame is only six years old, but in the past few years, we have successfully distributed our games to many countries and now employ people from all around the world.
Creative work is a tough business everywhere, but even more so in Singapore. Ironically, board game design and publishing are as creative an industry as any, yet we aren’t even recognized as such!
A single game product is the culmination of months, if not years, of design and development work. It involves a multi-stage process that includes game designers, developers, illustrators, graphic designers, and manufacturers.
That being said, what we do is create magic, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!
Designing Games That Spark Joy, Tell Stories, and Celebrate Creativity
Photo Credit: Daryl Chow
I started designing board games over 15 years ago when I was living in Ottawa, Canada. Although I am an academic by training, board game design (and now publishing) is the one thing that truly challenged me and allowed me to expand my mind and horizons.
Creating game architecture and exploring unlimited design permutations constantly pushes me to my limits. When the time came to start a publishing company, I knew it was the right decision. Nothing brings more fulfillment than innovating something that provides fun and laughter, and now I have the opportunity to devote my time to a craft that deserves it.
It hasn’t been a smooth or easy path, but anything easy isn’t worth doing. From scraping together enough resources to launch our first few games, Origame now has over 20 titles, with over a hundred thousand games sold worldwide in many languages.
It’s both surreal and humbling to know that kids and families in Singapore (and around the world) are growing up with our games and using them to build memories. Yet, we are still in uncharted waters—there is so much room to grow because many people have yet to experience modern board games.
The medium of board games still holds so much potential. We’ve created games with Eu Yan Sang, Mr. Kiasu, CubeMelt, and many other interesting partners, and we are always looking for more collaborations!
One of our initiatives, the Asian Board Games Festival (ABGF), grew out of the necessity to promote not just board games but board games made by Asians. It has been gaining traction in Singapore and across Asia.
The 2023 edition of the ABGF featured over 50 publishers from all over Asia and attracted 5,000 attendees over three days. The ABGF has since expanded to Thailand and Malaysia, with more countries in the works.
Board games are a meaningful experiential showcase of our cultures, and the ABGF is a fantastic event that I hope every Singaporean and Asian can attend at least once in their lifetime.
Building Global Connections and Showcasing Culture Through the Language of Play
Game creation requires a strong community of designers, developers, and enthusiasts. Having been supported by a group of excellent Canadian board game designers and friends at the start of my journey, I know that it takes a collective effort to make games.
Through the Asian Board Games Festival and by meeting visiting designers from across Asia, I make it a point to offer advice to budding designers and publishers, helping them in the same way my mentors helped me when I was starting out.
Living overseas for most of my adult life has given me the perspective needed to navigate the board game industry, which is both international and close-knit. Although we are based in Singapore, we spend half our time in different cities around the world promoting our games. If you attend a major board game event in your area (and you should!), we are likely to be there!
I also believe in using games to promote culture. Origame was founded because I needed a studio where I could create games about topics and stories familiar to me. That’s why Origame has so many games rooted in Singaporean culture—Kopi King, Chope!, Durian Dash, Oh My Orchids!, Chock-A-Block, and many more to come.
One pleasant unforeseen outcome is that during our travels, we bring pieces of Singapore with us and share them with the world. For example, if you’re living abroad, you can still recreate the lively experience of lo hei in an exciting and meaningful way with a box of Huat’s Up! I hope Singaporeans feel a sense of pride when they see these games sold worldwide, just as we do.
Creating Games That Unite, Delight, and Inspire Lifelong Craftsmanship
Design is a never-ending process, and that drives me to create even better games. This desire to hone my craft is what got me started and will forever keep me going. It’s humbling to think that every day, people around the world are playing our games. This is something I will always be grateful for.
Being able to create games that bring families together to laugh and build memories is my life’s greatest honour and privilege.
Stay Connected
You can connect with me and Origame through the following channels:
Instagram: @origame.co
Website: www.origame.co
Asian Board Games Festival: www.asianboardgamesfestival.com
Email: ask@origame.co