We catch up with the president of Singapore Institution of Management (SIM) Board Game Club - Reiko Nge, to find out how she kept the club afloat during COVID-19 and what she hopes to see in the Singapore's tabletop industry.
Q: Give the readers a short introduction about yourself and your society. What is your role? What is your society about?
Hi! I am Reiko Nge Li Han, President of SIM Board Games Society. My Hobbies include playing board games and watching anime! Some of my favorite board games are Halli Galli and Throw Throw Burrito. These games are extremely enjoyable as it hypes up the atmosphere, making things exciting!
Also I would like to announce that I’m pretty good at these games, so feel free to step up and challenge me.
SIM Board Games Society is a place where students gather to unlock a new hobby and socialize. Themed events will be hosted regularly for entertainment and relaxation, as well as to forge memorable moments with our peers. BGS is all about leisure, enjoyment and enriching our students' lives!
Q: What do you usually do when you meet?
When we meet for our board game sessions, we would chit chat while playing board games. Most of the time, players can get very competitive and start a war amongst one another. All friendships go down the drain while the game is on. However, they will reconcile after each game.
Q: What challenges did you face during the COVID situation and how did you overcome them?
In 2020, when the pandemic first struck, a dilemma arose in the Club as all of our activities were halted due to safety reasons. Previously, all activities were held physically in school, thus leaving us certain worries about how to proceed with the activities.
A number of our Club members were on their way to graduation, while some had already graduated. This altered the objective of the Club, where at that point of time was to recruit new blood to keep it running.
The club attempted to shift the gaming sessions online, but human touch is essential in playing board games and hence, we found it difficult to do so. To adapt to the changes and restrictions, there were several initiatives that we came up with. These included things like going on Instagram Live, organising online board game sessions, opening a YouTube Channel and organising our first ever online Halloween Escape Room and Murder Mystery game events.
After a long period of down time, the physical sessions have resumed, raising the spirits of the members.
Q: What are the future plans for the team?
The team plans to introduce more students to board gaming and grow a vibrant and active alumni community! Hopefully we will be able to plan more events for the community!
Q: What are your views on the local game industry?
The industry needs time to grow, a lot of the games so far mostly focus on having nice art rather than good gameplay, going for mass appeal rather than depth. Which comes with pros and cons, having pros such as, newer players would be able to enjoy the games much quickly rather than leaving them confused, having to wreck their brains to understand the game. On the other hand, for games with much depth appeals to long-time board gamers, who seek much more complex concepts to challenge themselves further.
In recent years, there are more games emerging from Singapore that are quite fresh and unique! The club is keeping our hopes high that there will be more local games in the community!
Q: Where can we find out more about SIM Board Game Society? When do you hold your activities? Can the public join your games?
Currently we have physical sessions every Thursdays from 12pm to 6pm! Only SIM students are allowed for now! For now, it's not open to the public due to COVID-19 but hopefully one day, we will be able to open it to public