Check out this new board game on arranged marriages

Elements that make up the board game ArrangedGrowing up in a conservative home in Karachi Nashra Balagamwala started to feel the pressure to get married when she turned 21 Her family would line up boys hoping to find an arranged match Her relatives would approach her with rishtas I began to think of creative ways to seem undesirable to them I would get a tan be seen in public with male friends and even wear fake engagement rings I kept negotiating with my family to buy time I still am and will continue till I feel ready for marriage says the 24yearold via email from PakistanShe has depicted her struggle and that of friends forced into loveless marriages with strangers their family picked for them in Arranged her latest board game that is in the last leg of crowdfunding on Kickstarter having achieved its goal of 6000Early beginningsThe experiential designer who was based in USA for five years until now has studied at the reputed Rhode Island School of Design While Balagamwala began working in the games industry two years ago her love for board games goes back to when she was not even old enough to understand the rulesShe recollects I would be the banker or team up with cousins when we played Monopoly I also began to experiment with their design at a young age My cousin and I would buy several games throw out the rules and create our own versions As I grew older I realised I was interested in the medium and took a class on game design Ive designed games independently and worked with game design companies too The latter includes the American firm HasbroEnter Rishta AuntyTo be played with three or four players Arranged features various characters mdash a matchmaker aka Rishta Aunty potential suitors and teenage girls and a deck of cards The former chases the girls to get them married The girls have to try to come up with creative ways to avoid her and a loveless marriage These are mentioned in a deck of Girls Cards many inspired by the ones Balagamwala used in her lifeAt one point the aunty comes across the Golden Boy that girls wish to marry so they begin to get closer to the aunty by flaunting their talents and saying things like I pray five times a day or I have only female friends The girls also have the chance to come across someone they would readily marry but such chances are slim because I wanted the game to be an accurate reflection of Pakistani culture she reasons The game ends when all the girls are married off either by choice or to someone chosen by the matchmakerThe designers earlier board games include Paltering Politicians a role play of Pakistans politiciansLets talkThe idea behind creating a physical board game instead of a digital version was to make the experience interactive It provides a platform to discuss a serious topic in a lighthearted manner The game also tackles other issues that are part of South Asian societies like skin whitening secret boyfriends and dowries I hope it can become an educational experience for those who havent dealt with arranged marriages By learning about it they can be better equipped to help others facing the same situation she says adding that several Pakistani and Indian girls have reached out to thank her for finally speaking up about animportant issue However she has also received criticism from Pakistanis who have made it clear that Im a disgrace because Im badmouthing societyWhen the campaign wraps up the game will be available for advance orders on Balagamwalas portal It will be printed and manufactured in Pakistan and the shipping process available in India too will commence by the end of the year I shall donate a percentage of profits towards childrens education in Pakistan she signs offLog on to kickstartercomCost 30 approx 1918