Zenwood Games Global Store

📢 Tycoon: India 1981 at Essen Spiel 2025!
5 months ago – Wed, Oct 22, 2025 at 09:34:08 PM

We’re excited to share that Tycoon: India 1981 will be at Essen Spiel 2025, thanks to Australia Design Group (ADG) who have procured the game and will be demoing and selling it at Hall 4, C210.

While I won’t be there in person this year, it’s incredible to see an Indian-made economic strategy game represented on the world’s biggest board-gaming stage.

If you’re attending, drop by ADG’s booth in Hall 4, near the Galleria end to check it out and grab a copy!

Cheers,

— Sidhant

✉️ Final Official Kickstarter Update – Closing the Campaign 🌃
7 months ago – Mon, Sep 08, 2025 at 01:01:47 PM

Dear Tycoons,

Wow.. this has been quite some journey. When we set out with Tycoon: India 1981, I never imagined it would test every part of my patience, persistence, and resourcefulness quite like this. And yet, thanks to your support and faith, here we are, finally at the finish line!!

🚚 Fulfillment Complete

Fulfillment is now 100% complete - this I assume as it has been a while since I got any troubles with replacements/delivery delays... I hope it is all clear, then! Every backer across every region has received their copy, and it has been wonderful to see the photos, comments, and stories of you enjoying the game, digging into strategies, and outsmarting your friends. Keep tagging us in photos and writing to us about what you liked and what would you love to see next. 

So far, issues with damages or missing components have been minimal, and I have responded directly to those who reached out. If you still encounter any problems, please message me here or email me and I will make sure you are taken care of.

📖 Resources for Players

As you dive deeper into your games:

• The Card Appendix and Box Arrangement Guide are available on the BoardGameGeek page here. I will continue uploading clarifications and extra aids as needed.
• A lot of forum threads on BGG have been useful in rule clarifications, misprints, errata etc. I am also active on the BGG forums, so feel free to post questions, impressions, or strategy discussions there.
• Share your best Tycoon photos, moments, thoughts and tag us! We are present on instagram, facebook, X and bluesky! 

🌟 Community Love and Reach

Tycoon: India 1981 currently holds an average rating of 8.0 on BGG from 180+ ratings, which is a milestone that means a lot for an indie studio like Zenwood Games!

Beyond Kickstarter, many players discovered the game in 2024 and 2025 and were able to order directly from the website, or through 30+ modern board game retail stores across 20+ countries worldwide. For the first time, an Indian strategy game of this scale is available locally across the globe. You can find the retailer list here

Tycoon also received coverage and love from the community, recently:

• Chris Yi (Dice Tower) gave it another try! Thoughts incoming 🤞
• Heavy Cardboard (thanks to Paul for backing, and Edward for hosting) ran two live playthroughs — one Patreon-exclusive (4p) and one public stream (3p) on Heavy Cardboard Youtube Channel, which you can watch here (don't miss the ending!): 

❤️ Gratitude and Reflections

This campaign was not easy. From production delays, surprise tariffs, figuring out everything alone.. it has been a year of hurdles, lessons and learnings. Your patience and kindness gave me the strength to keep pushing forward. Whenever possible, I have always tried to pass on the benefit to you, my dear backer... because to me this project has always been about more than just a game. It is about building trust, creating a community, staying sustainably indie so that Zenwood can focus deeply on what matters the most - GAMES. 

It is also about showcasing Indian origin board games that can stand proudly on the world stage! You have helped bring to life what I believe is the most elaborate Indian board game ever designed and produced (so far). That is something all of us, not just me, can be proud of!! 🎉

While this officially marks the end of the Tycoon: India 1981 Kickstarter campaign, but the game will continue to live on — available at zenwoodgames.com, played at tables today, and, I hope, for many years to come. 💜

It is also the beginning of something bigger. I've been working on the standalone sequel, codenamed T91, and some other game design projects that build on this foundation.

For now, I just want to pause, breathe, and say thank you. Thank you for believing in this project, for waiting with me through the ups and downs, and for finally welcoming Tycoon into your homes.

We did it. 🥂

There! I bid adieu my friend, and I hope to see you in the next campaign ;)

With deepest gratitude,
Sidhant
Zenwood Games

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📜 Postscript: Reflection from the Table (and Suggested Watchlist)

During Heavy Cardboard’s stream, Edward noticed the city of Indore on the Tycoon main board and connected it to nearby city of Bhopal, sparking a moment of reflection on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. He recalled the incident thoughtfully, (showing us how well read he was!)

The Bhopal Gas tragedy was one of the world’s worst industrial disasters. On the night of December 2–3, 1984, toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Ltd. plant in Bhopal. Thousands died immediately, longer-term estimates put fatalities in the tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands were exposed. In 1989, the Supreme Court of India approved a US$470 million settlement with Union Carbide, and in 2010 seven UCIL officials were convicted of negligence and sentenced to two years. Extradition efforts for then–CEO Warren Anderson were unsuccessful; he died in 2014. To this day, studies continue to document long-term health effects and environmental contamination.

Board games often become conversation starters, and in this case Tycoon reminded players worldwide of a history that must not be forgotten. For many in India, Bhopal remains a living wound and a reminder of how easily profit can be placed above people.

I have curated a list of films and one TV series that are powerful starting points if you wish to learn more. Warning: some scenes could be disturbing/overwhelming:

🌸🌸 The scars of greed remind us of our fragility, but the courage to remember keeps the flame of hope alive 🌸🌸

📦 🚚 Fulfilment almost complete! (and, announcing IBGDC's first project) 🧡💜
9 months ago – Thu, Jul 17, 2025 at 01:33:24 PM

Dear Tycoon: India 1981 backers,

I hope this message finds you well, and that most of you have received your copies of Tycoon and are enjoying the game! ♥️ For those who haven’t yet received theirs, please know that I am actively working with VFI and Gamesquest to track and resolve any outstanding pending shipments, missing parts etc. Thankfully, most shipments have arrived safely, and I’ll share a final long and detailed update once I am assured that each of you have received their box of magic✨

Today, let me share with you lovely people, something very close to my heart.

I'm reaching out to introduce you to something special we've been passionately working on for the past two years—the India Board Game Designers Collective (IBGDC). We're a dedicated group of Indian designers, developers, and artists who came together to create authentic, culturally rich, and engaging games for the global gaming community.

To make our games affordable, accessible, and to overcome international shipping and logistical hurdles that we all are aware of, we chose to release these titles as Print-and-Play (PNP). This approach ensures that players worldwide can easily enjoy our carefully designed experiences without worrying about high costs or delivery delays.

On July 22nd (Tuesday), we launch our very first Kickstarter project as IBGDC, offering three distinct, meticulously crafted games:

🛕"Sinauli Unearthed" by Neha Mittal, art by Amit Ghadge: Lead archaeological digs at Sinauli, discover ancient relics, and publish groundbreaking research, inspired by real-world Bronze-Age excavations.

🐅"Tadoba: Jungle Quest" by Amit Ghadge, art by Purnima Mandloi: Explore India's oldest tiger reserve, spot wildlife, and contribute to conservation through an engaging safari.

⚓️"Traders of Muziris" by Deepak Muraleedharan, art by Anshika Gaur: Navigate Kerala’s historical spice-trade routes, trade with ships from faraway lands, and strategically build your spice empire along the legendary Malabar Coast.

Bringing the designers and artists together under one banner, I (Sidhant Chand) along with my close friend, mentor, and fellow game designer Andy Desa took on the responsibilities of game development and Kickstarter administration. 💪😄

Our Kickstarter Pre-launch page is live: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sidhantzen/tadoba-sinauli-muziris-3-in-1-pnp-games-by-ibgdc 

Our collective has worked tirelessly, using a studio model where each team member contributed their personal time beyond regular work hours, covered expenses from their own pockets, and poured heart and soul into these designs purely out of love for great, sensible, and ethical game design. We're committed not just to creating more exciting games, but also to fostering education around game design, supporting aspiring designers, and cultivating a culture of thoughtful playtesting and ethical design practices in India and beyond.

Your support means everything to us. For just $4, you can pick any one of these thoughtfully designed games, or for $9, receive all three and experience diverse stories and innovative mechanics crafted from the passion of our small yet ambitious team.

We warmly invite you to join and support our new journey with IBGDC on Kickstarter, launching on July 22nd. You can check out more details on our website ibgdc.com, our instagram handle @indiabgdc, and most importantly, do sign-up to get notified of our launch on our Kickstarter Page 🧡💜

Thank you sincerely for your continued support, enthusiasm, and trust. Your backing would mean the world to me and to our growing game design community—together, we can build something truly special. :)

Tycoons! I will write again soon..

Regards,

Sidhant Chand
on behalf of the entire IBGDC Team

✅📦 US fulfilment begins! 📦✅
10 months ago – Wed, May 28, 2025 at 04:53:15 AM

Dear Tycoons,

I’m very glad to finally share that the US shipment has cleared all roadblocks — tariffs, customs, and paperwork — and fulfillment is now underway! You should begin receiving tracking notifications shortly, and your copies will be on the move very soon. 🚚

All the major shipping bills have now been cleared — a huge relief. That said, we were hit with a 20% import tariff on the US shipment, something I was really hoping to avoid. Thankfully, since our games had already left port before the new rates kicked in, the impact was less severe than expected. After careful thought, I decided to absorb the cost personally. It wasn’t easy — I hadn’t budgeted for it — but like I mentioned in an earlier update, I didn’t want to pass this burden on to backers unless it was absolutely necessary.

My goal has always been to deliver the best possible experience and to build a long-term relationship with you — a community of incredibly kind, thoughtful, and patient patrons. ♥

Meanwhile, fulfillment in other regions is also moving steadily — India is fully delivered, Asia & ROW are nearly complete, and UK/EU shipments are actively going out. With the US now in motion, we’re nearing the final stretch. Canada is being fulfilled directly from the GQ Canada warehouse, and deliveries there are progressing as well.

So far, we've had very few issues with deliveries or damages; I’ve responded personally and resolved most of the cases raised. If anything comes up on your end, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me over messages or over email.

For any questions related to rules, card clarifications, or setup, please visit the Tycoon: India 1981 page on BoardGameGeek. You’ll find useful files like the card appendix and box arrangement guide there. I'll keep updating and uploading more files when necessary. I’ll also be active in the BGG forums — feel free to post your questions or thoughts, and I’ll do my best to respond quickly.

Thank you once again for your patience and belief in this project! We are indeed coming close to the end of this project :)

Sincerely,
Sidhant

🚢 Tycoon Shipping Update 2 🚢
11 months ago – Fri, Apr 25, 2025 at 04:33:32 AM

Hey Tycoons!

Got some news on shipping — we're inching closer each day, and I can't thank you enough for your continued patience and support.

🌏Asia & ROW are currently being fulfilled by VFI, and it's been lovely to hear that many of you already have the game in hand. If yours hasn’t arrived yet, it should be on its way very soon. India is now fully fulfilled — seeing your photos, messages, and first impressions has truly meant the world to me.

🏰UK/EU stock has just arrived at the port and cleared the stock check. Door-to-door fulfillment will begin shortly — hang tight, it’s almost there!

🏈US/Canada shipments were expected to land last weekend, but we’re still waiting on the final update. It should arrive soon, and once it does, we’ll get a clearer picture of any tariffs.

To be honest, if a significant unexpected tariff is applied, I may need to reach out to US backers for a small contribution to help cover the difference. This is not something I take lightly, and I’ll only do so if absolutely necessary. The last few months have been tough for many in the tabletop world — between rising costs and beloved publishers shutting down, it's a challenging time. But I truly believe this is just a phase, and we’ll get through it — together.

In the meantime, I’ve put together a couple of resources to help you get started with Tycoons: India 1981 — including an appendix for the cards and a guide to organizing the components in the box. You’ll find the links below, and I hope they make your first (and future!) games even smoother and more enjoyable. 

Tycoon: India 1981 - Appendix of Cards

Component Organization Guide

These files will also be active under BGG Files Section, shortly.

Thanks again, truly, for being part of this journey. We’re almost at the finish line!

Warmly,
Sidhant Chand