A group of friends who created Damnashavis Logika as a class project had no idea that it would become a successful startup, inspiring spin-off games and a whole new generation of mystery lovers.
The game, in which players can take on the roles of detective, forensic scientists and prosecutor, to solve a crime, has taken advantage of Georgians’ growing interest in board games.
“Board Games have this ability to bring people together and take them out from the virtual world,” notes Mariam Buadze. She created the game with her five GIPA classmates – Anano Chikhladze Anuki Shatakishvili Mariam Khukhunashvili Mariam Lazaria, and Nuka Koridze.
“They bring people for hours together, and it is a great opportunity to bond as well.”
The more they thought about the idea, the more they were drawn to it. The team had to come up with a physical assignment, and they wanted something that would connect people in person, not online.
Mariam loved classic board games as a child. She especially enjoyed Monopoly, and its Georgian equivalent, Manager. The team soon discovered that they also shared a love of mysteries.
They quickly realized that there was a market gap in Georgia for board games when they decided to incorporate this shared love of mystery and make the title about being a police detective. There are few statistics available on companies that develop board games in Georgian. Globally, board games are expected to grow to $12 billion in value by 2028 according to the Global Board Game Market Overview, 2024-2028.
Creating a New World
Each A Criminal’s Logic comes with a criminal case (mostly murder), and can be played either by one player or multiple players. The box contains all the information needed to solve the case: fingerprints, witness testimony, a map of the crime scene, suspect photos, etc. To win, players must solve the case. Each game has a QR code that can be used to verify if the solution is correct.
The team had a steep learning curve as they developed the game. They used their social networks to find professionals who could give them advice and share ideas. It was difficult to find supplies and printers, as the first production coincided with a pandemic. They also had a budget of only l750, and were required to generate l1000 from the first batch.
They decided to make 50 units at 39 Lari each for the first batch so that they could recover the costs. The first batch was sold out within a couple of days.
Social media was the first place they heard about their success. Parents would express their happiness that their children had stopped using their phones. Players would rave that they were captivated by this game and excited to “be Sherlock Holmes.”
The group didn’t think it was worth continuing because they were still in college. But they saw demand when they presented their game at the Caravan in Tbilisi, an event to promote small businesses. Buadze admits, “We don’t know how we ended up there.” “We were running out of gas in terms of product stock and we only had half of the stall full, but we were still there.” This led to an article about them in a TBC Bank magazine on startups.
Anano: “We realized this wasn’t just a homework assignment anymore and that what were doing was important.” “People have told me that playing our game helped them choose their future professions. They’ve found themselves. This is a good enough reason to do this.”
A Criminal’s Logic is a game that has been in the market for over two years. This is proof of its success. Anuki Shaktakishvili, teammate, says that despite the fact that they are still newcomers to the market and, according to our social media analytics we’re not household name yet, people everywhere we go have heard of the game.
Globally, board games are expected to grow to $12 billion in value by 2028 according to the Global Board Game Market Overview, 2024-2028
Most sales are made through social media. Caravan and other in-person events are good for startups. Mariam explains that when the games are displayed physically on market stands, sales are comparable to online sales if our content goes viral on platforms like Tiktok. “There were days when we sold up to 120 units at live markets.”
A Criminal’s Logic, now in its fourth series, is preparing for its fifth edition. The case ideas are loosely based off of real-life criminal cases, movies, documentaries, and the team members’ imaginations. “When we begin working on the case we are like ‘I’ve got this idea, let me see how it works’ and then we work around it. We make it up as we go and make sure that it makes sense,” Anano explains.
Each case is created using the same method: research, more research and even more research. The game’s concept is based on “Unsolved Cases” in America, but they had to completely remake it based on Georgian customs, laws and practices. The team relies heavily on the help of law students, relatives who work in the medical field and parents, as well as other acquaintances in law enforcement, medicine, and forensics.
The team is currently working on a new game that will address the fans’ complaints about A Criminal’s Logic only being able to be played once. The Secret 187 is a classic board game, inspired by mafia-style games, but defined as the style that the team has developed in its four A Criminal’s Logic titles.
The team’s commitment to building their gaming company has been complicated because everyone has graduated and is pursuing their own career. Mariam Buadze, co-founder of the company, notes that each member has acquired new skills and interests through A Criminal’s Log. She built the website herself, and her teammate Anano was the de facto designer of the game. This experience inspired Mariam to consider it as a possible career.
She says, “This business helped us to see what we wanted in the future for our professions.”
Anuki Shaktakishvili, a teammate, adds: “If we can do this, then what else can we do?”
By Giga Beruashvili for Investor.ge
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge