More than child’s play   

BENGALURU : If you’re tired of playing the same old board and card games, here’s some good news for you. You can now try your hand at Ecotopia, a new board game by city-based company, Bare Necessities, which offers products that support a sustainable lifestyle. The fun part? This game also helps one learn more about sustainable living. Sahar Mansoor, the founder of the company, says the attempt is to make people believe that living a zero-waste lifestyle is not boring. “We wanted children to learn more about zero-waste living or how to compost, because they are the future. But this game is fun for adults too,” says Mansoor. 

The game is meant for 2-4 players. It includes challenges like composting or collecting stainless steel straws as they race to the finish line, with other game features like pit stops, bonuses and free items. The brains behind this board game is 22-year-old Kruthika Koushik, for whom it was an internship project. “The idea was an extension of an activity book that we had done for children.

It was interactive, educational and fun, so we thought why not ramp it up to a board game. We didn’t want to be preachy by giving out information about the environment so there are cards that give out fun facts on different things,” says Koushik. The conceptualisation and illustration took them around 2-3 months. The board game is priced at `1,500.

And since the game speaks about sustainable living, it only made sense to also ensure its making is also eco-friendly. “The board is made of certified kraft paper with all the components being 100 per cent recyclable. And the dice and darts are Chanapatna toys, which has organic ink used,” says Mansoor, who is conducting a workshop on zero-waste kitchens on Oct. 10, on Google Meet, at 11am.