Two first-time Indian creators just out-funded major American board game publishers

Tabletop crowdfunding is a space usually dominated by established American and European publishers with large fan bases. Mrinalini and Nyonika Mitra, two first-time creators from Lucknow with no major publisher or advertising budget behind them, entered it anyway.

Their hand-drawn card game, built in the living room of their Rajendra Nagar home while caring for their mother during her cancer treatment, now has buyers in more than 40 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Canada. The business has crossed the $100,000 revenue mark.

The game blends ancient mythology with handcrafted illustrations, original music and storytelling, an experience the founders describe as resembling ‘reading a magical book brought to life.’ Mrinalini, an Oxford graduate, said the sisters wanted people to ‘stay happy with things that relate to their day-to-day lives,’ which is why they built the game around their dog, Yasu.

The sisters, who deliberately chose crowdfunding over outside investors to retain full ownership, say their global response shows there is real demand for distinctive storytelling and artisanal design from smaller markets, not just established studios. ‘Our focus was never just on launching a game. The challenge was building systems that could support customers across dozens of countries while maintaining momentum throughout the campaign,’ said Nyonika, a London School of Economics graduate who runs operations and logistics.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Gamester81