For most
of us, ‘summer’ means two things – mangoes and school holidays, both of which
offer some compensation for the intense heat. The beginning of the holidays is
celebrated with movie nights, late mornings and basically just lazing around.
But this soon gets old and then begins the age-old refrain, ‘Mom, I’m bored!!’
Most
parents have realized the futility of buying batteries for bright, noisy
contraptions and look for alternatives that don’t necessitate breaking the
bank. They’d also love it if the kids learnt something in the process. Enter MadRat Games.
The
company that launched the first ever board game in an Indian language has come
a long way and now has an in house IP of more than 70 games to its credit. With a presence in 2000 stores across India and on popular ecommerce websites like
Flipkart and Amazon India ,
MadRat has become a big player in the board game business.
Launched
by IIT graduates Rajat Dhariwal, Madhumita Halder and Manuj Dhariwal, MadRat Games is an
inspiring story of entrepreneurship.
Aksharit, the Hindi board game, was
their starting point and they recently crossed their milestone of 2 lakh board
games, manufacturing about 25,000 box units of games a month. But the most
impressive fact is that they come up with 4-5 new ideas every month –
yes, every month!!!
Source |
After Aksharit,
they’ve released several popular games including My Toy Factory, which helps kids learn scientific concepts through
simple experiments and play. They also have official licensed Chhota Bheem board games, which are
unsurprisingly a huge hit, considering how popular the character is among
Indian kids. In addition to Bheem, Chote and Bade, popular comedy characters on the channel 9X have their own games.
Source |
MadRat
has also gone international; the company has launched an imported line of
Modular Toys in India .
These are construction toys similar to Lego, but priced much lower. They are
targeted towards both boys and girls and the models range from simple castles
to complicated race tracks.
Source |
Have I
mentioned that they think up more than 4 new ideas every month? Well, here are
some of their latest releases, hot off the shelf and the best part – they’re all
under Rs. 600.00!!!
No. of
Players – Any
Ages – 4+
This is
an eco friendly game where kids can plan their own town layouts. The set
contains buildings, vehicles, trees and more for children to play around and
arrange on the town mats. It’s a planning and construction game rolled into one.
No. of
Players – 2
Ages – 8+
An
interesting take on the classic Tic Tac Toe, you have to manage 9 different Tic
Tact Toe boards at the same time!! With magnetic components, this sounds like
the perfect way to keep those brain cells active even when not in school!
No. of
Players – 2-4
Ages – 4+
Kids have
often accompanied their parents on shopping trips, but here’s the chance for
them to do it by themselves. The MadRat Mall is stocked with all kinds of stuff
and the players have to move quickly to fill up their carts. Of course, it isn’t
as simple as it sounds as they have to encounter quite a few surprises on the
way!
In
addition to these, there is this range called Puzzle+, a completely innovative
theme which combines a game and a puzzle into one set.
Source |
Impressed?
So were the people who decided to give the company these awards:
Source |
MadRat
games make great gifts and are sure to be loved by kids and parents alike. Kids
will find them unique and exciting; while parents will be relieved they don’t
have to buy any more batteries! What’s more, most of the games encourage
multiple players, so that there are many opportunities for bonding. Happy
Playing!!
Do check out the reviews of ‘My Toy Factory’ and ‘Bheem Team’.