To comply with my confidentiality agreement I have omitted and appropriated confidential information. The information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Hot Banana Games.
Steam Up is a family-friendly competitive Dim Sum collection board game with a delicious authentic cultural experience for 2-5 players. I co-designed this board game as a passionate project to introduce authentic Asian culture and uplift Asian representation in the board game space. The game was awarded as the Ion Award's winner in 2021.
To publish Steam Up, I co-founded Hot Banana Games, a board game publisher aiming to bring authentic Asian-themed board games to all tables. We collectively raised over $1.2 million from our crowdfunding campaign and pre-orders with the support from more than 10,000 backers from over 50 countries. The game has been released and is now available in over 700 retail stores globally, having sold over 43,000 copies to date.
Board Game Designer, UX/UI Designer, Co-founder
Backers of the Kickstarter campaign
I started this passionate project as a board game designer. Later on, I took on the role of UX/UI designer, responsible for game development, creative direction, and design management. After carefully considering self-publishing Steam Up and founding Hot Banana Games, my role as a co-founder shifted to business development. In this new role, I handle all aspects of running a startup business, including branding, marketing, production, finance, sales, and customer service.
The creation of Steam Up was motivated by an ongoing challenge present in the board game industry. As a group of board game enthusiasts and visible minorities, my friends and I frequently experienced dissonance while playing modern board games. We quickly realized that the cause was due to the lack of diversity and representation in board games.
An article by Elizabeth Hargrave, an award-winning board game designer, and a study analysis by Dr. Tanya Pobuda, an academic board game researcher, shed light on the topic of race and gender diversity in the board game industry. They brought constructive discussions amongst the community that were essential for the industry to evolve.
With that in mind, my friends and I decided to make a contribution to the hobby we love by venturing into the board game industry, aiming to bring about positive change.
These are the potential users we anticipate: board game enthusiasts and consumers who seek representation, diversity, and uniqueness from their experiences and products they use.
I validated the target audience by conducting market research and found that the majority of board game enthusiasts are between the ages of 25 and 54, residing primarily in the United States and Canada.
I also studied the general consumer market. According to various research, Asian Canadians and Americans are one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in North America with higher buying power than other demographic groups over the past 20 years. They are constantly looking for relatable products, such as Steam Up, to buy with confidence.
Steam Up can help diversify the board game space, build stronger connection with the community, and convert new audiences into future board game enthusiasts.
In recent years, businesses have embraced more Asian representation and achieved remarkable profits, exemplified by hit films like Crazy Rich Asians, Squid Game, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. I believe the board game industry can follow suit, and our game, Steam Up, aims to contribute to this positive change.
Based on the research findings, I recommend that our team target the following market segment for Steam Up: individuals between the ages of 25 and 54 who belong to Asian ethnic groups residing in the United States and Canada.
As a team of 3, we chose the theme of Dim Sum, reflecting our cultural background. Dim Sum holds a special place in our hearts, being a cherished family tradition at a traditional Chinese restaurant. Our goal is to share this tradition with the world by creating an authentic, enjoyable, and immersive gaming experience.
Before we proceed with using Dim Sum as the theme, we needed to ensure the idea was feasible. One of the sources we researched on was BoardGameGeek, the largest online board game database. Doing a search of "Dim Sum" in the database showed very few existing titles related to the theme. These titles also shared the same genre—they were all card games.
Using my UX design expertise, I proposed a rapid approach that included concept development, low-fi prototyping, and playtesting. I stressed the significance of revisiting stages when necessary, even starting from scratch. We finalized a concept and swiftly refined the design through iterative prototyping and playtesting.
We began by creating concept sketches to brainstorm gameplay ideas. After exploring different concepts, we came up with the concept of stacking Dim Sum steamers on a turntable, which eventually became a distinctive feature of Steam Up.
We also utilized cardboard, laser cutter, and 3D printing to repurpose game pieces from other board games, creating low-fi prototypes.
With a minimalistic playable prototype in hand, we initiated playtesting sessions with friends, family, and focus groups. Through questionnaires, surveys, and careful observations, we collected valuable data and received feedback to refine our design. Rapid iterations of the prototype were made, followed by additional rounds of playtesting.
At this stage, the project reached a crucial point where we had to decide whether to proceed further with Steam Up before committing additional time and resources. In the board game industry, there are typically 2 paths to get a game published:
A tabletop publisher would sign a licensing agreement to gain full creative control over a game. Their role is to transform the game into a finished product based on market needs and sell it for profit.
This path offers the benefit of retaining full control over the game but also entails the full responsibility of being a publisher. It means taking on the challenge of gathering funding through crowdfunding platforms, where success or failure rests on our shoulders. Essentially, we are venturing into a new business endeavor.
I made the decision to self-publish in collaboration with one of my teammates, as it allowed us to maintain full creative control. Furthermore, I took into account my long-term goal of not only creating this game but also future projects. This decision led to the establishment of Hot Banana Games, my own board game publishing company, dedicated to delivering the best authentic cultural gaming experience.
We submitted Steam Up to various international competitions to gain feedback from industry professionals. We also wanted to test Steam Up against other games. In the end, Steam Up was awarded as the winner of the 2011 Ion Award and the finalist in design competitions such as the Cardboard Edison Award and the Otto Award.
To bring our board game to life, we extensively researched more than 20 manufacturers before settling on our current trusted and experienced manufacturer. This process is similar to working closely with developers, as we obtained quotations and discussed technical constraints and safety compliance with them.
Quotations were utilized to calculate the manufacturing cost per unit, which played a crucial role in conducting a profit and loss assessment. Maintaining a healthy profit margin is vital for sustaining business operations. This exercise is essential for determining the necessary funding and investment for future planning.
We also considered technical limitations and constraints, such as materials, specifications, and their impact on gameplay and cost. Factors like cardboard thickness, component materials, and color restrictions must be carefully assessed. For example, with the squishy Dim Sum pieces, I tested multiple samples and aimed for a medium softness to enhance the realistic food-like experience.
For safety compliance, specific testing is required for toys targeting different age groups. Since my target audience was ages 8 and up, these tests ensure game safety and impact cost, packaging, and marketing. Early discussion of these factors helped us prepare accordingly.
I also started working with our 3D modeler, illustrators, and local talents to upgrade the prototype from low to high fidelity, following the manufacturer's specifications. Each upgrade was accompanied by additional playtesting.
Below are graphical prototyping samples that I upgraded throughout the design process. One of them is a scoreboard for tracking players' game progress. It evolved as we were conducting playtesting and eventually, we worked with illustrators to uplift all graphical components closer to their final form.
Here's another sample of the individual player board. Icons, colors, and their placements were tested to enhance accessibility for individuals with color deficiency. For example, I compared the board for those who can see green with those who can't. Colors with icons were used as a second visual cue for differentiation, and closely resembling colors were separated.
Due to significant prototype changes, playtesting the game again was essential. Despite the pandemic, we continued playtesting within the team and quickly adapted by shifting to online playtesting using Tabletop Simulator through Steam. This method allowed us to reach a diverse audience and refine the game further.
Tabletop games have a strong presence on Kickstarter. In 2021, the category broke records by raising $272 million on the platform. Utilizing Kickstarter was crucial for us as an indie publisher with no initial funds. To do so, we needed an effective marketing strategy to promote the game early.
According to a 2019 survey, the main age group of board game players is between 25 and 54, with 35-44 being the most dominant. Since this age group constitutes the largest audience on Facebook, we primarily focused our marketing efforts on the platform, while also implementing similar strategies on other social media platforms.
We actively engaged with the community by joining relevant Facebook interest groups to engage with potential audiences.
We also built our fan-based community organically. We recognized our fans would likely to become early adopters. They were the best crowd who would genuinely spread good words to other communities where we might never reached on our own.
I leveraged my technical knowledge and skills to maximize the potential of Facebook Ads in driving new and returning traffic to our Kickstarter campaign. A/B testing played a crucial role in optimizing the ads for optimal results, with a focus on metrics such as cost per link click, click-through rate, and return on ad spend.
We collaborated with diverse content creators on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms to release video and written content throughout the campaign. By working with creators from various backgrounds and languages, we aimed to increase accessibility and reach Asian North Americans.
While our Kickstarter funding campaign was generally successful, there were hiccups we needed to overcome along the way.
On Kickstarter, backers could comment on the campaign. While most comments were supportive, we also received demands and complaints like any customer-driven business. Some complaints, such as high shipping rates, prompted us to seek better deals with partners. Other times, we learned to positively say no with valid reasons.
Setting a reasonable funding goal was risky during the COVID-induced supply chain crisis, as the cost of everything, especially freight, experienced significant increases. Freight rates soared with a staggering 1000% price hike compared to pre-pandemic levels. Despite not needing freight for another year, we had to estimate a worst-case scenario and be prepared for potential cost hikes.
Below are the collective results of our crowdfunding campaign, followed by pre-orders. It was a success as an indie game publisher, raising over 1.2 million dollars in funding. Our success also indicates the market demand for a product like Steam Up among consumers.
As the recommended target market segment, I specifically suggested focusing on Asian North Americans aged 25-54. After our funding campaign, I reviewed the available metrics, which further confirmed that this was one of the key factors contributing to our success. For instance, one of the metrics indicated that the majority of support for our campaign came from the United States and Canada.
Obtaining funding was just the beginning of my journey as a board game designer and publisher. Earlier this year, we successfully delivered the games to our crowdfunding supporters ahead of the anticipated timeline.
Today, Steam Up is available in over 700 retail stores, including notable locations like Barnes & Noble in the United States. Furthermore, the game is available in four languages and has sold over 43,600 copies globally to date.
