Anand Gandhi announces new board game Azadi, designed by Zain Memon

“This land belongs to no one, my lord.” A close up of blood-red eyes bore into the camera as these first words are uttered. The camera tracks out slowly to reveal a soot-covered face as flames flicker in the background. The voice of a revolutionary delivers a searing indictment of colonisation. This 90 second teaser, directed by Anand Gandhi, is a perfect introduction to the world of SHASN: AZADI. Designed and produced by Zain Memon, AZADI is a board game about revolution and politics. Every player steps into the shoes of a revolutionary, struggling to liberate their nation from the clutches of a tyrannical Imperial power as they relive and rewrite histories. AZADI is a standalone expansion to SHASN - the hugely popular political strategy board game which reintroduced India to tabletop gaming. The creator of SHASN, Zain Memon has been a driving force in the country’s growing board game industry. Joining him on the designer’s table this time is debutant Abhishek Lamba, one of the region’s top emerging game designers. “Games are the future of storytelling. As a creator, games allow me to create lived personal experiences for the players. With AZADI, I wanted players to relive the greatest moments in history where democracy was born. And in doing so, understand better what it takes to protect our freedom,” shares Zain. This is not the first time Anand Gandhi has introduced disruptive creators to the world. AZADI is his latest outing as producer, adding to an impressive list of credentials, which includes the likes of Ship of Theseus, An Insignificant Man, Tumbbad, and Hotstar’s OK Computer. “Our studio wants to facilitate the most exciting, new creators, telling the most groundbreaking stories. AZADI is the latest chapter in our ambition to share powerful media experiences that resonate with people all around the world,” says Gandhi. SHASN: AZADI is launching on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter on 7 September. Watch the launch trailer here: