See how David Chow took a classic card game and reinvented it into Catopomp. From design challenges to Kickstarter wins, he shares his journey and lessons for game creators looking to make their mark.
Q: Please give the readers a short introduction about yourself and your game: Catopomp. What is your “origin” story, and how did you come about creating games?
Hi everyone! My name is David Chow. I am the creator and illustrator of Catopomp.
I first got into tabletop gaming thanks to Joshua, a board game otaku I met during my National Service days. That introduction opened up a whole new world, and I’ve been exploring different genres ever since. It’s amazing how designers keep pushing the limits of existing ideas to create something fresh and exciting. Inspired by that creativity, I eventually started designing my own games.
Q: What inspires the ideas behind your game Catopomp? Why did the team choose to make this type of game?
Board games are fun and they are even better when you get to play them with more people! Apart from my friends and colleagues, I have also tried to introduce this wonderful world of modern board games to my Dad. Although he enjoys most of the games that I brought to the table, he would always fall back onto his childhood ladder-climbing card game, Chor Dai Di (Big Two). It has its charms, but I always feel that the game is not dynamic enough. If I start with a bad hand of cards, I just simply cannot win no matter what.
That’s when it hit me—could I tweak the game to give players more meaningful choices while keeping it simple? That question sparked a series of experiments, and through testing different ideas, Catopomp began to take shape.
Q: What is the unique selling point of your game? Who are the people that will enjoy this game the most? (Do share something unique about the game, whether it is gameplay mechanics, artwork, or components).
One of Catopomp's standout features is how it gives players more control in a genre that often feels ruled by luck. In many card-shedding games, making meaningful plays can be tough due to limited information. Catopomp tackles this with a few simple yet effective mechanics that keep the game strategic and engaging.
One of these mechanics is multi-hand management. Every time a player chooses to play cards from their hand, they must also reveal one card in front of themselves. As the round goes on, each player slowly builds up their own sets of revealed cards that need to be played as well. This mechanic forces players to plan ahead as they attempt to form a playable set of revealed cards. Concurrently, it empowers players to make better-informed decisions based on what their opponents reveal over the round.
Q: Congratulations on funding your game. Before you launch the campaign, what are the challenges of doing a campaign on Kickstarter? Which one is your biggest challenge while planning for the campaign?
Thanks! Launching Catopomp on Kickstarter was anything but easy. Aside from a few board gaming groups I play with, I had no real connections in the community. Spreading the word was a long, exhausting, and expensive journey—but one I was determined to see through.
The biggest challenge? Logistics, hands down. Finding a reliable manufacturer to produce prototypes at a fair price was tough. That’s why I’ve got to give a huge shout-out to Geoffrey from Good Spirit Games—he generously shared supplier contacts and offered invaluable advice to newcomers like me. Thanks to his help, I was able to speed up the prototyping process.
Q: The Kickstarter campaign is funded on day 3. What is your marketing strategy for getting the game funded so quickly? What did you think you did correctly? What are some of the things you feel you can work on to improve the campaign?
Like many board game fans, I get my tabletop news from YouTube and Instagram, so I knew these platforms would be key to reaching my funding goal. Eight months before launch, I started reaching out to board game content creators for collaborations. That gave me enough time to produce prototypes, send them out for playtesting, and get reviews. The effort paid off—I built a solid following on my Kickstarter pre-launch page before the campaign even went live.
For my future projects, I would probably be more stringent on my spending in marketing. Although it was effective, I do not think it is very sustainable.
Q: We noted that there are a lot of high-value pledges. What is your secret in getting your community to support the higher premium tier than the usual basic tier?
Apart from functional add-ons like the custom foldable dice trays that can be used for other board games, I also give huge discounts for high-value pledges. I even absorb a bit of the absurdly high shipping costs. Thus, the high-value pledges provide the backers with a lot of value and I believe they know that as well. Fortunately, I am financially stable enough to kickstart this passion project without worrying too much about profits and loss.
Q: Catopomp being your first entry into the local game industry, what is something that you would want to see more in the community spaces for tabletop gaming?
There are recently more board game meetups that provide new board game designers the opportunities to playtest their games. This is really good as they provide designers with invaluable insights. I hope to see more of such events.
Q: Any memorable stories, funny experiences, or motivating events stories you would like to share throughout your entire experience of designing the game, getting artwork, and running a kickstarting campaign?
One of the biggest highlights of my design journey was showcasing my Catopomp prototype to the renowned Daryl Chow at Play Play Fair 2024. When he told me I was on the right track, all my self-doubt vanished in an instant. But it wasn’t just Daryl—everyone at the event was incredibly supportive. It really showed me that while Singapore’s board game community may be small, it’s a tight-knit and nurturing one. And for that, I’m truly grateful..
Q: Where can we find out more about your Kickstarter project?
You can find out more about Catopomp at its Kickstarter page (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/swaggygames/catopomp-a-tactical-card-game-about-cats-and-souls)
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