Mississauga board game inventor launching brand new game show amid COVID-19 pandemic

When a global pandemic robs you of your job and confines you to your home indefinitely, you might choose to play a lot of board games (which is totally acceptable). Someone else, however, might just go ahead and invent an entirely new game that people from around the world can enjoy. 

Luanga (Lue) Nuwame, a Mississauga-based comic booker writer, board game creator and YouTube cardboard craft artist, has decided to make the most of the COVID-19 outbreak by creating a massive handmade modular board game that will not only keep him and his family entertained but also gamers from around the world.

“I’ve been designing board games since 2008, so I’ve always had an affinity for this,” Nuwame told insauga.com, adding that he’s had more time to spend on games since he was laid off from his full-time trucking job. 

“I wanted to know what to do to keep my family engaged but also be entertaining to other people, so I decided to turn my house into an entire board game.” 

Nuwame is indeed an experienced board game creator. In 2009, the proud Mississauga native was recognized by the World Record Academy for using plywood, spruce lumber and paint to create a 900-square-foot board game called In Search of Sauga. 

In Search of Sauga–which the World Record Academy deemed the world’s largest board game at the time–featured huge pieces spray-painted with the names of Mississauga neighbourhoods. The game was presented at the Vic Johnston Community Centre in Streetsville with players acting as the game pieces and moving around the board by answering questions about the city.

The World Record Academy said the game set a new world record for the largest wood board game made by one person.

Nuwame has also generated buzz with his cardboard crafting over the years. In 2011, he made a functioning cardboard swimming pool that held water. He says he’s also made a cardboard elliptical machine and a cardboard rocking chair. 

Now, Nuwame is hoping to bring the community–and the world–together by inviting people to participate in his newest game, which will be played on his Homemade Game Guru YouTube channel. 

While Nuwame will play with those in his household in order to follow physical distancing rules, he says he will turn the game into a game show by allowing select viewers to virtually attach themselves to a real-time player and maybe win some prizes. 

“I love game shows and have always dreamed of hosting my own,” he said, adding that the Price is Right is his favourite game show of all time. 

“Now I have the time and the free prizes to give away.” 

Nuwame says that each week, he will hold a tournament featuring himself and other players–such as his seven-year-old daughter–using the octagonal, modular board game set he created by hand out of cardboard. 

Those who want a chance to “play” and win prizes can subscribe to his channel and leave a comment on every video featured on the ‘Boardgame Game Show Playlist’ to be entered as a contestant. Each contestant, who will be randomly selected, will be linked to a person playing the game. 

If a contestant is not selected, his or her name will remain in the draw so that he or she may be picked for a future tournament. 

As for how the game works, Nuwame says the whole idea is to get up to 10 points and make it to the ultimate winner’s space at the end. 

Players get points based on what the spaces tell the player to do. Some spaces have fitness challenges, others have trivia challenges, and some require players to play rock, paper, scissors. Nuwame says there’s also a death space that can rob players of all their points. 

“You can also roll the dice to move death to disadvantage other players,” he says. 

The game can accommodate up to six players. 

Once a player wins a tournament, the participant linked to the winner will get to choose from a selection of prizes. Prizes include new collectable toys, comic books, electronics, and even disinfectant wipe packages. Prizes will be mailed to the winner for free anywhere in the world. 

Nuwame said the first batch of prizes–all of which come from his personal collection–will include an unopened container of Clorox disinfecting wipes, a Wayne Gretzky plush bear, and a sealed DVD collection of the Wonder Woman series from the 1970s. 

“I’m a comic book and sports memorabilia collector, so I thought ‘let’s share this stuff’ with people,” he said. 

Nuwame says that businesses are also welcome to sponsor spots on the game board and that they can decide what the player who lands on their piece does. Businesses who sponsor a space can also donate prizes. He says anyone who wants to sponsor a spot can email him at [email protected]. 

Nuwame says he hopes to launch the game show in the coming weeks and expand it once the pandemic ends.

“I want people to feel good and get excited,” he says. 

“Everything has completely changed, but I try to push hopeful optimism and show people having fun and enjoying something. I have stuff I can give away and make someone happy,” he says.

Photos courtesy of Luanga (Lue) Nuwame