They say a smile a day keeps the doctor away. If that is true then Weiding and those around him would probably be immortals as there are more than a few smiles when he is in the room.

Han Weiding is a Research Engineer in one of the more famous Universities in Finland and in his youth had dabbled in true classics like the game of Chess. His first introduction to the modern world of board gaming was with the ever popular game of Munchkin.

Now though he did enjoy his plays of Munchkin with his friends, he did find that it lacked in strategy which made him seek out more board games that suited his strategic play style better.

It was then he was introduced by a friend to Meetup.com and attended his first meetup at Toa Payoh in August 2010. He was hesitant at first as he had not attended many social gatherings with strangers before but his curiosity for board games drove him to give it a go. Since then he has attended more than his fair share of meetups and has met many people to indulge in the tabletop hobby.

The outstanding nature of Weiding is how he is a man of his word. In a world, where lateness and similar behaviours are almost seen like a "personality quirk” by some, he is a breath of fresh air. This is because he always tries his best to be on time and will sincerely apologise if he is late. Also, he is accommodating and open to trying any game with an open mind. He is also one of the rare players that like both thematic and strategic games with almost equal vigour but admittingly does lean towards the strategic side more.

All in all, Weiding is a person I hope stays in the hobby for a very long time, bringing smiles to many more.

His recommended game of the day is Food Chain Magnate by Splotter Games. In Food Chain Magnate, you play a major fast food brand trying to be the most successful of all by gaining the most money at the end of the game.

In a player’s turn, you first restructure your company by rearranging your available employees into limited slots. These workers are the ones who will be available to be activated and need to be paid for that turn.

Then you use your employees to make the food or drinks, employ more staff, etc. The last thing you will do is sell your food based on several factors in the game such as distance, price, so on.

The reason why Weiding likes Food Chain Magnate so much is it mimics one of his favourite kind of video games, city builders. And even though the game is considered rules-heavy, it is relatively accessible with a simple turn structure. The fast food theme being the icing on this already lovely game.

The cons of the game for him though are first, the game is a very unforgiving and during a player's turn, there is a lot of choices and this can be overwhelming, especially for newer players. Also, this is a game where experienced players will have a big advantage as there is so much information to take in. Thus an experienced player may be able to steal the sales of a less experienced player. 

Weiding has played hundreds of games and the fact he has chosen Food Chain Magnate as his recommended game along with its multiple awards is testament enough of its excellence. So pick up Food Chain Magnate, as it is an order Weiding makes more often than not. 

E: [email protected]

Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.

Many Facebook groups also face the challenge of an absentee admin and in thus resulting in a silent group. This is where Andy comes in very strongly. He is one of the admins for Board Gamers SG, a Facebook group dedicated to organising board game sessions for, as at the writing of this article, 1061 members. On top of that, he is often the host of organised games at the meetups, making sure people enjoy themselves but the rules are followed.

Andy first started his modern board gaming experience when a friend of his introduced him to the Heavy Wargames Meetup (HEW), which is sadly now defunct and the first game he played was Struggle of Empires. The leap straight to such a heavy game and liking it leading to the creation of the Facebook group as these longer and more intense games usually requires quite a bit of planning and preparation rather than the usual spontaneous play. 

Another identifying factor for Andy in the community is his support for local designers. Not only will he often demo and teach the local games but also help to sell the games at the meetups. Andy identifies that the local board game design scene sure needs more support from the local populous! 

Related: Boardgamers of Finland #2: CX a.k.a Chuan Xin (The Undefeatable), Local Designer Series: Xeo Lye, Designer of Wongamania

Andy's recommended game for the day is Saboteur (Compilation Editions). This edition of the game having both Saboteur and it's expansion all in one box. 

In Saboteur, you play as a gold-digging dwarf or a saboteur who wants to hinder exploration of the gold mines. Each player only knows their own role so one never knows whether the dig will go as planned.

Game play is as follows, each turn, a player either lays down a tunnel card to dig from the start card toward one of the goal cards or away possibly if you are playing the saboteur or plays a action card to aid or hinder someone. If the diggers manage to find the gold hidden under one of the goal cards, then the diggers share the loot found there; if the gold can't be reached before the deck runs out, the saboteurs wins instead. After three rounds, the player with the most gold wins.

The expansion included in the compilation is Saboteur 2 which adds new role, actions and tunnel cards featuring doors, ladders and bridges. Also, gold seekers can now be divided into teams.

Saboteur is a versatile game, that lasts a very manageable 1 hour and can be played in a large group. Although Andy suggest that it be played by 5 to 11 players. The game is also easy to learn and feels intense all the way through. This game brings about a very inclusive and interactive experience.

The downside of Saboteur is that there are many roles involved and thus if a person is lacking in experience for the teaching of games, the roles may be hard to explain clearly and that might make the game flow less than satisfactory! 

In any case, if you wish to try Saboteur or any other games, do join Board Gamers SG or a board gaming meetup from Meetup.com and keep a look out for Andy.

E: [email protected]

Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.