“Every game is a world of its own”
What belongs in a handbag? A quick, collaborative game is taking Germany by storm. Its inventor Martin Ang from Indonesia talks about the reasons for the game’s success.
Mr Ang, you invented the game Dito! that was named Game of the Year 2026 in Germany. How did you come up with the idea?
We are a young game company from Indonesia. We do not have an established board game culture the way Germany does, this has just started to emerge. This is why we wanted to create a party game that appeals to everyone, young and old, in Indonesia and around the world. We spent two years doing research before the final concept was complete.
How does the game work?
The first step is that a category is named, such as, “people would sell their soul for this”. Each player then writes down a number of answers. The players must try to guess the other players’ thoughts and associations, because points are awarded not for the most original answers but for matches. The game encourages people to see things from other people’s point of view.
Board games bring people together. This is why they continue to be so popular.
The board game industry in Indonesia is relatively small. How did you get into game development?
I’ve loved board games ever since I was a teenager! Every game is a world of its own. I actually studied chemical engineering at university, but games have always been my true passion. Alongside my studies I used to organise board game events and I also opened a games library. About ten years ago, I made my hobby my job and became a game developer. It takes a lot of patience, but everybody on my team is passionate about board games.
The Game of the Year 2026 Dito! is the first game from the Global South to receive this award in Germany. However, a number of games from Asia have been very successful in Germany in recent years, such as Bomb Busters from Japan, which was named Game of the Year 2025.
“Games from Asia are currently striking a chord in Germany, because they tend to be very accessible and unexpected at the same time,” says Kevin Wegener, spokesperson of the Kosmos games publishing company. Many games are characterised by an original, minimalist style. The cultural influence of Asian countries is generally growing, thanks to Korean pop music and TV series, Japanese anime and Chinese videogames. “This has been reflected in the games market for a while now,” Mr Wegener says. “The Asian market is a key innovation motor that we are monitoring carefully,” he adds.
Martin Ang’s game JinxO was renamed Dito! to make it compatible for Germany, and around 130 category cards were replaced. “In pop culture categories, such as ‘animes from Japan’ or ‘zombie movies’ many people would struggle to find three answers,” Kevin Wegener explains. These were replaced with prompts such as “things in an odds and ends drawer”, “childhood dream jobs” and “conversation topics to ruin dinner”.
How do games bring people together?
Most importantly, they must be easy. A simple idea for a party game is enough to reach a broad audience. The reason board games continue to be so popular is that they bring people together, even in this age of videogames and VR glasses.
Dito! is a successful game not only in Germany, but also in Thailand and South America, for example. What makes it a game that works across borders?
This type of game initially works in any culture because the basic principle is a simple one. The decisive aspect of our game are the questions that are tailored strongly towards the local audience in the original version. This is why we encourage our international partners to not simply translate the questions but to come up with new questions to adapt the game for their respective audience and culture.
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Open consent formWhat is your impression of the German games market?
Germany is the second biggest board game market in the world, the country has a significant games culture. The Indonesian market is tiny by comparison. That is why it is important for us to position our game in Germany. In 2024 I went to the Spiel trade fair in Essen to present the game to German publishers. I spent our company’s last savings on that trip. Luckily we were able to find buyers! If a game is successful in Germany or the USA, this will also increase demand in Indonesia. This is exactly what happened after we got the Game of the Year award.
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Open consent formWhat does this prize mean to you?
It is a real milestone for us. Things are not easy in the games industry in Southeast Asia. People in many countries have a low income. If a company such as ours wants to survive, it must bring its game to the international market. This offers enormous opportunities for developers from Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
