Board game unites players with fun, learning

A new board game centred on SA themes and pop culture aims to unite people through fun and learning.

Shesha 3.2.1 is similar to the well-known game 30 Seconds. It is a fast-paced general knowledge game designed for two or four players. 

The objective is to guess a word based on your teammate’s explanation as quickly as possible.

Each correct answer allows the team to move forward one square on the board, to be the first to reach the finish line.

However, unlike 30 Seconds, the creator, Sipho Maboshengo, said that it was developed by a group of black millennials deeply rooted in SA’s pop culture.

Maboshengo said the idea was conceived during the lockdown when he and his family and friends were confined to the house and spent time bonding over various board games.

“We didn’t have much to do, so we were playing board games. We played 30 Seconds a lot to the point that we knew all the cards. But then we thought, why not create our own, and we started drafting our own words on the spreadsheet,” he recalled. 

According to Maboshengo, most of the words they came up with were unique to locals, including trending words on X and slang.

“We are using a similar apparatus as 30 Seconds, but our game is more South African and uses language that is familiar to locals,” he said.

Some of the words featured in the game are names of ministers, local soccer clubs, football players, radio stations, and SA celebrities.

The business consultant, who runs student accommodations nationwide, said he was also consumed by ways to bring enjoyment to students on lockdown in campus residences.

It was in 2022 when Maboshengo decided to solidify the idea by registering his board game and patenting it.

He said his passion project cost him close to R400,000 for it to come to life – from importing the correct dye, and design to printing for the initial 1,000 games.

The goal was never to have a lot of people owning this game or chasing profit.

“We wanted to create an environment where people will play among each other in campuses, schools and historical places.”

Last year, they started a tournament among the local university students and the winners then travelled to Lesotho to compete with their peers.

“They played it and had fun. Even the Lesotho students felt the game was made for them because you can play it with any language.”

The 34-year-old said that he is now introducing the game to high schools.

“In high school, we used to have a Mathematics Olympiad and what I have seen now is that the recreational activities revolve around sport. That’s why we want to take it to [the] schools.”

Mathematics Olympiad are competitive exams which assesses students for their mathematical skills and abilities. 

The entrepreneur expressed his desire to host a game show based on his board game in the future, stressing the unlimited potential for success. – This article first appeared on GCIS's Vuk'uzenzele