Charles Yan, the founder of Time2Play, a Hong Kong tabletop game publisher and distributor, introduced Singapore designed games to Hong Kong. What types of games does he look out for and why did he decide to bring in Singapore designed games? Let's find out more from him in the interview below.
Q: Please let the readers know who you are and what does your company do.
This is Charles from TIME2PLAY GAMES, a Hong Kong based Board Game publishing and importing company. Originally we were focused on publishing Hong Kong original designed games. And now we also import games outside Hong Kong. Our team also got another company named “Board Game Academy “ which provides education services with Board Games.
Q: What is the Hong Kong board gaming scene like?
Hong Kong is still a small and developing market for tabletop gaming. However, we have an existing pool of core players who are active tabletop game players, and they mainly focus on foreign designed games which are usually more expensive, heavier in content and more complex in gameplay. So I think there is still a large room for development, especially for the mass consumer segment where they are looking out for lighter games and locally designed games themes that have local appeal.
Q: We understand that your company has been designing and publishing games from local designers. Why did you decide to bring in games from overseas?
We think that we are too slow to expand our product line if we only sell the game we developed. By bringing more games from abroad, it makes it easier for us to keep a win-win relationships with retail shops, with new and innovative products. So we decided to start to import games and sell them in Hong Kong, with Singaporean designed games as one of our product range.
Q: Why did you bring in Singaporean design board games and what are some of the feedback from the Hong Kong consumers?
Singapore is a place that I think is very similar to Hong Kong in terms of culture and gaming appetite. It is also marvelous that many Singaporean game designers choose some lively elements as the themes of the games that resonate with the daily lives of Hong Kong people. For example, some of the games created by Singaporean designers deal with themes such as financial tools, dim sum, hot pot, and moon cake and all these elements are very familiar with Hong Kong citizens. Thus, it is very easy for us to promote Singaporean designed games in Hong Kong.
Q: You participated in the Hong Kong book Fair recently. How was your experience?
It was the third time we participated in the Hong Kong Book Fair. It is probably the largest event and convention in Hong Kong every year. The convention had 800,000+ visitors in 2021, despite Hong Kong still grappling with COVID-19 restrictions. The convention helps us to meet many old friends and make new ones, creating new business opportunities, while selling games throughout the week. Other than meeting business friends and selling games, some of the most valuable experience of the book fair are the seminars and forums, where we are invited to share our experiences and products. This year, we invited a professor from Hong Kong Baptist University and the chief editor of a school magazine to talk about Gamification Education to share about the benefits of using tabletop games and game based learning for education. This also ties in with our company's vision: We are not only a boardgame selling company. We want to let our community know about the intricate values of board games, the use of it in education and how cultivating a culture of board gaming can benefit the community.
Q: What are your future plans?
We have started one more company, called “Board Game Academy”. This company aims to provide and promote gamification education and game based learning. It is our pleasure to bring the Capital Gain Studio’s games to Hong Kong and set up a list of workshops to learn about the modern financial instruments and investing environment. Eventually, we hope that we can also introduce Hong Kong designed games to Singapore and let Singaporeans enjoy some of the games designed by us!
Q: Where can we find out more about your company?
You can find out more about TIME2PLAY GAMES on Facebook and Instagram! Leave us a comment and say "Hi" to us on our social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/time2playbg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/time2play.games