Strategy Board Game Born in Champaign: Benjamin Moy & Sabotile

Meet the creators of the board game "Sabotile" Benjamin Moy and his team and learn their story.

From Left: Sehoonie Roy ParkMark Fuelle, Alex Corrao, Ervin Yoochun Tsay and Benjamin MoyImage from Sabotile facebook page) 
     

Ben and His Illinois Experience

Ben is from New Lenox, IL. After high school, he wasn’t sure about his future but decided to follow his friends’ steps and came to Illinois.“To this day I keep my friends close to my heart and still don't know where I'll end up, though I have a better idea now.”  His Illinois Experience taught him a lot about himself and challenged him to try various things that he never thought he would do. For example, he took the president leadership role of Industrial Design Society of America Student Chapter at Illinois and had his own exhibition at Asian American Cultural Center in Champaign. He appreciated the academic knowledge he learned in the classroom, but more importantly the people he met here. Now, he is very excited to enter the “real” world to apply everything he learned from Illinois.

Sabotile - Ben and Company’s Board Game Creation

“My team members are my highly talented classmates, in alphabetical order, Alex Corrao, Mark Fuelle, Sehoon Park, and Ervin Tsay.” The game is a complete team effort because everyone contributed in multiple areas throughout the developing process. Once the idea was created, three main concepts: board, tile, and mystery were made into a prototype on paper for mechanism movement testing. After several tests and feedback from players, the team narrowed down to one theme that the entire team enjoyed resulting in the birth of Sabotile. Since inception, the game has undergone process improvements and game piece refinement. 

Fun and Challenges of Board Game Creation

“The most enjoyable part is there are no limits of the entire process” Ben said. The development process is like a non-stop mini quest of problem solving for the team. The most rewarding part for them is to watch players enjoy themselves through winning or, enjoying the spirit of the game, and impeding others. 

Generally speaking, the game creating process went smoothly, especially the communication part because everyone was trained in the same design environment. The most challenging part was balancing between difficulty and rewarding experience. The goal of the game is to have fun but still be challenging. The team also wants people to think how “powers” could be used collectively by engaging with others.  

A Rising Star in the Game Industry

Ben and the team were inspired and encouraged by an alumna. She was one of participants from last year's of CUDO Plays, a local board game contest hosted by the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization (CUDO). Currently, the team is in the process of getting the game patented and working with marketers about how to begin a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. They also hope to attend a couple upcoming conventions as well to get Sabotile out to the gaming community at large and find a publisher who believes in the team. For Ben, he is planning to remain in Champaign for another year to get Sabotile off the ground.

Ben and the team are graduating in May 2015. 

They invite you to visit the Sabotile and learn more about it. Also “Like” the Facebook page. We wish them for bright futures ahead!