One of the best things about PAX is how it manages to highlight small creators. Of course, upcoming releases from big developers are always front and center; you couldn’t take three steps at this year’s expo without hearing about Final Fantasy VII Revelations, Stranger Than Heaven, or Silent Hill: Townfall. But most of the convention, especially when it came to table-top experiences, was dedicated to the indie crowd. And for good reason – stumbling upon a charming and often humorous card game about chickens was not on my bingo card.
When my friends and I first saw the Chicken Challengers’ booth, we were intrigued. Though the game had officially released last September, we hadn’t heard of it. Sensing this, the Chicken Challengers’ creator, Dwight Ong, offered us a demo. The goal was to be the first to collect eight chickens using offensive and defensive cards.
As a mixture of Uno and I Declare War, where players can challenge one another using high (and sometimes low) cards to steal chickens, this was easier said than done. We all had a blast, though; if it wasn’t the lovely illustrations and comical descriptions or the game’s simplicity that won me over, it was seeing my sister Zuri’s delighted face after defeating everyone at the table. Basically, Dwight Ong had designed an entertaining game that seemed to resonate with everyone who stopped by.
This wasn’t by accident of course. One of Ong’s goals was to create something that was easy to understand within a few minutes of play. “When developing [Chicken Challengers], it was actually originally a lot more complex,” explained Ong. “The best way to develop a game is to build it up first and [then] cut it down.” He alluded to the fact that people sometimes shy away from the harder to pick up board games. It’s less about them being too difficult to learn and more how daunting they seem at first. That’s not the case with Chicken Challengers.
Even the idea of using funny looking chickens makes sense. The illustrations certainly lowered our guard when surveying the booth. When asked about them, Ong mentioned that he once had pet chickens. “It’s a little passion of mind to kind of spread the joy of chickens,” laughed Ong. Being a fan of anime (and pop culture in general), he made sure each chicken was unique. “If you look at each of these cards, there’s actually lots of hidden easter eggs. You’ll notice that there’s [a lot of] references the more you look into the cards.” I especially liked Quantum, given his similarities to Doc from Back to the Future.
Ong definitely wanted to make people smile through his art. Beyond that, he also wanted to foster meaningful connections, a notion that sprung up during covid. “A lot of my inspiration was during covid. All we kind of had was board games. All I wanted to do was kind of enjoy and build community while locked up.” So far, it seems to be working. Not only did we sit and chat with Ong for a bit, my friends and I made multiple purchases. I’m looking forward to playing Chicken Challengers again, especially during family game nights!
