A Shoreditch company is changing the way that people have fun with a series of funny, quirky and sometimes mischievous games for adults and children.
Big Potato, a company launched by a trio of board games enthusiasts, has been featured on Dragon’s Den and the BBC’s quiz show The Link, is even based on their game, Linkee.
Co-founder, Tristan Williams, said he designed Linkee, a category-based quiz game, with fellow co-founder Ben Drummond while working at an advertising agency.
He said: “People kept saying it was really good. Dean Tempest [co-founder] was working in the same agency, he came over and we showed him the game.
“He had a vision to form Big Potato, was willing to take the plunge, and bravely did.
“A year a later we had been on Dragon’s Den and we got it into loads of stores like John Lewis and WH Smiths.
“Dragon’s Den was a big help, even though they laughed at us when we said we could make Linkee into a television show.”
Big Potato, which is based in Sunbury House, Swanfield Street, has fundraised through Kickstarter to make game ideas into a reality.
Tristan said he thought joining the industry as games novices had allowed the team to approach it with fresh eyes and fresh ways of doing business.
He cited their advertising background as useful to appeal to a mass market.
He continued: “Some of the real big players like the fact we are maverick and different and not afraid to buck the system.
“But we have been able to create all of these really cool games because of Kickstarter which wouldn’t have been looked at by big games companies. We can get really inventive.”
Community manager, Massimo Zepptelli, who is charge of building Big Potato’s brand profile internationally, said: “I think they design very clear games you can pick up instantly and are very eye catching. They are not challenging and not geeky, but very much quiz based of like Bucket of Doom, which has a Cards Against Humanity kind of feel.
“I think it’s a really good way of bringing people together that isn’t digital. It’s a timeless thing and has definitely become more popular – there has been a massive resurgence in board games.”
Tristan added: “I think it helps just being in this very creative neighbourhood.
“This whole area, silicon roundabout, Dalston, everyone around you just feels creative and we all support each other.”
For more, visit bigpotato.com
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