A new card game centred on human-pigeon conflicts adds a game-fied spin on the ongoing kabutarkhana politics in the city
Participants at a previous tabletop game convention dress to play the Kabutar part. PICS COURTESY/UPAR EK STUDIO
What do you think of pigeons? Once the sort of question you’d ask after one drink too many, or to rescue that sinking first date conversation, now has the entire city up in arms. The question has flapped its way to TV debates, dinner table conversations, and now a new card game. Set in a fictional building under siege by an elusive pigeon, it leaves players to their own discretion to pick sides to either hunt or protect the pigeon. A solution is on the cards, at least in Upar Ek Studio’s new party game, Kabutar.
Cards from the deck
“I was in sixth grade when a pigeon pooped on my science answer sheet in the exam hall. I was furious. Little did I know that it would be the beginning of a long war against the birds. Ever since, we’ve had more than a few ugly encounters,” admits co-creator Omkar Rege. Alongside co-creators Mayuresh Paradkar and Divij Ingale, this is not the first time a common thought has brought them together. The trio previously featured on the Memesys team behind Zain Memon’s popular board games Shasn and Azadi.
Colour coded action cards from the deck
The game begins when each player is dealt a hand of six cards. Your hand represents your apartment and the deck — which is left at the centre of the table — the building. “A single kabutar card hides somewhere in this deck. Between playing your cards, drawing from the pile, and exchanging cards, the goal is to zero in on the kabutar card’s owner. If you happen to have the card yourself, you can still win by protecting the kabutar till the end, essentially evicting all other residents from the building,” Paradkar explains.
The illustrations on the deck of 52 cards are equal parts side-splitting and unfortunately relatable. Among Hunt, Protect, Hide and Clean cards are Poop cards that cause players to discard cards from their hand, sending them closer to eviction. These monochrome cards depict pigeon droppings on clotheslines, scooter seats, windows and windshields. “We were at a game-testing event earlier this year, when a pigeon flew into the indoor space, sat on a fan and pooped on one of these cards. You can’t make this up,” Rege laughs.
Omkar Rege, Mayuresh Paradkar and Divij Ingale
In the works since 2019, the game debuted at popular tabletop game convention Meeple Con in 2024 before its release in May 2025. “What we found out during our pilot tests is that people often have strong opinions either for, or against the pigeon in the beginning. They undergo a gradual change of mind once they find the kabutar under their wing in their hand. It’s almost as if they feel the need to protect it,” Ingale reveals. It’s a great way to gauge how well you know your friends too, adds Rege.
The trio believes that the boardgame might make you reevaluate everything you think you know and feel about the birds. “We initially targeted younger audiences with the game. But recently, a group of 50-something-year-olds reached out to us saying they’re enjoying the game, and will soon take it to a family picnic,” Rege reveals.
As for the organic promotion the game has received this month thanks to Mumbai’s pigeon politics, the trio is not picking sides. “While I despise the birds, it is also true that we have fuelled the pigeon population by feeding them over the years. The threats are immediate and grave, but it feels wrong to evict them in one swift move. For now, I’m sitting on the fence,” Rege clarifies. He’s starting to sound an awful lot like a pigeon, if you ask us.
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