WTF Swims plans to make a splash in the board game market
“Eh, open-water swimming is already so boring, why do you want to create a board game?”
That was Ridzwan Rahim’s (main image, left) initial reaction when long-time friend Cedric Gan (main image, right) proposed documenting the former’s historic swims in Terengganu in a fun way.
That was two months ago, and after some brainstorming, Gan, who has designed 15 games and published five in the past four years, had the prototype for WTF Swims.
WTF Swims stands for Wan’s Terengganu Four Swims, but is also the most common phrase Ridzwan utters when alone in the water!
For those who do not know, Ridzwan is on a mission to complete the ‘Terengganu Four Swims’ challenge he set back in 2021.
Last year, the former journalist became the first person to swim from Redang Island to Bari Beach, Kg Bari Besar, Terengganu. Two years ago, he swam from Pulau Perhentian Kecil to Besut.
On March 1, he will embark on his third challenge – swimming 17km from Perhentian Island to Lang Tengah, while in June, he will swim from Lang Tengah to Redang Island (10km).
Although he has received his fair share of publicity, Ridzwan never considered having a board game to mark his achievements.
He only agreed as he and Gan are cartoonists and had collaborated on comic books since 2003.
.“We will know at the end of the month if we are among the finalists,” said Gan, whose published games are Ichi Ichigo, Prosperity Race, Moonlight Mooncake, Pip Pip Panda, and Berus Lee.
“If chosen, we have to produce an upgraded prototype. I have already submitted the rules and a video explaining the game.”
For the record, the Cardboard Edison Award honours outstanding unpublished game creations. The organisers will publicise the winning entries on its website and social media platforms.
All finalists will receive comprehensive, in-depth comments from the judging panel, and the winners are permitted to use the award’s logo in their marketing materials.
“The feedback we get is invaluable,” said Gan, who turned to game designing at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I can be considered a beginner as I only started designing board games in 2020. I have met Malaysians who have been doing this for over 20 years.
“You will be surprised to know that many Malaysians have won international prizes.”
On the surface – no pun intended – WTF Swims is deceptively simple, but it requires plenty of thinking and strategic planning as the swimmer and support boat must move simultaneously.
The box it comes in is just as simple – ocean blue that has a shimmering effect, with a tiny figure swimming and a WTF Swims logo.
“We kept the packaging simple to help people visualise what Ridzwan feels during his swims – all alone (except for his support crew) in the vast ocean,” explained Gan.
“But to add a dash of fun, we are including a swim cap. You can use it while playing the game if you want to.
“It is a solo gameplay – just like Ridzwan feels when he is out on the water – but you can play with a partner and take turns rolling the dice.”
There are four dice, but two are used to reach the number four – by adding or subtracting – and the other two dice determine the distance the swimmer or boat moves.
The main challenge Gan faced while developing the game was adhering to the rules of open-water swimming.
“When developing a game, I can make up the rules, but for this game, there are existing regulations I have to follow,” said Gan.
“The biggest challenge was that the support boat could never be ahead of the swimmer. If that happens in real life, you are disqualified.”
Twentytwo13 had the chance to play the game last Saturday. We were so engrossed in trying to complete the four swims that we did not realise the game lasted more than an hour – as there are penalties to punish you and some bonus cards to help you along.
Ridzwan and Gan hope to launch the game at the final swim in June.
Good luck next week, Ridzwan.
The post WTF Swims plans to make a splash in the board game market appeared first on Twentytwo13.
