Zain Memon Explained
Zain Memon is a game designer and entrepreneur based in Goa, India.[1] He is the co-founder of Memesys Culture Lab, a studio that works on films, board games, and virtual reality.[2]
Early life
Zain grew up in Versova, Mumbai. He dropped out of the 12th grade to pursue his interests in science, technology, and media.[3]
Career
In early 2015, Zain was on the team that created ElseVR, India's first Virtual Reality platform enabling filmmakers to tell “extraordinary and urgent stories” in the VR format accompanied by a piece of long-form journalism.[4]
In late 2015, Zain co-founded Memesys Culture Lab with Anand Gandhi, Khushboo Ranka, Vinay Shukla, Neil Pagedar, and Pooja Shetty.[5]
Memon was the creative director the 2016 film Cost of Coal by Faiza Ahmad Khan, the first Indian narrative non-fiction film in Virtual Reality, and which was produced by the Memesys Culture Lab.[6] [7] Memon also led the crowdfunding for the documentary film An Insignificant Man, the most successful crowdfunding campaign in India.[8]
Memon is also a ludologist.[9] In mid 2019, Memon successfully crowdfunded,[10] [11] and created SHASN, a political strategy board game exploring ideas of democracy and governance.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] In late 2019, SHASN won the Social Impact Award at IndieCade Europe[22] -- a festival that has been called “the Sundance” of the industry.[23] With the success of Shasn, Memon was recognized as a leading figure in Indian game design.[24]
In October 2021, Zain and Abhishek Lamba co-created SHASN:AZADI, a sequel to SHASN.[25] [26] SHASN:AZADI has a more cooperative element than the original. Players start by trying to overcome a common enemy, and if they succeed they then have to complete against each other. It won the title of ‘Best Board or Tabletop Game for Impact’ at the 2023 Games for Change Awards.[27]
Games
Release | Game | Description |
---|
2019 | SHASN | A game of politics, ethics, and strategy for 2-5 players designed to teach how modern democracies work. |
2021 | SHASN:AZADI | A semi-cooperative game for 2-5 players designed to teach stories from historical political revolutions. | |
Notes and References
- Web site: People Profiles Archive . 2023-12-21 . INK Talks . en-US.
- Web site: These Indian board game designers are distilling Indian politics into an immersive, gaming experience . 2023-12-21 . GQ India . en-US.
- Web site: 2016-05-22 . Anand Gandhi set to launch India’s first mega virtual reality lab . 2023-12-06 . Mid-day . en.
- Web site: Ghosh . Sankhayan . 2016-07-22 . Lounge preview: A VR family in Mumbai . 2023-12-06 . mint . en.
- Web site: 2016-07-19 . Filmmaker Anand Gandhi forays into virtual reality with new documentary . 2023-12-06 . Mid-day . en.
- News: 2016-08-06 . Cinema that really takes you places . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230521224138/https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/Cinema-that-really-takes-you-places/article14555224.ece . 2023-05-21 .
- News: Singh . Radika . 2016-12-04 . Cost of Coal: The Mind's Eye . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225090120/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/cost-of-coal-the-minds-eye-4385384/ . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Bhavani . Divya Kala . 2018-04-12 . TTTI International Storytelling Festival: a mosaic of moments . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041246/https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/ttti-international-storytelling-festival-hyderabad-a-mosaic-of-moments/article23509657.ece . 2020-11-09 .
- News: Malik . Ektaa . 2019-07-24 . A new political strategy game is trying to make politics and policy-making trendy for the apolitical . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225085809/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/shasn-board-game-political-strategy-anand-gandhi-one-play-at-a-time-ship-of-theseus-5846138/ . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Bhatt . Shephali . 2019-06-30 . How India caught on the new-age board game culture of the west to create an ecosystem of cafes & communities back home . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225084226/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/how-india-caught-on-the-new-age-board-game-culture-of-the-west-to-create-an-ecosystem-of-cafes-communities-back-home/articleshow/70005721.cms . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Majumdar . Rahul . 2021-09-20 . Shasn: Azadi Creator Zain Memon on the Journey From VR and Feature Films to Board Games and Esports in India . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225091559/https://in.ign.com/shasn/167018/interview/shasn-azadi-creator-memesys-lab-zain-memon-board-games-esports-india-interview . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Balasubramanian . Malavika . 2019-07-12 . When politics on celluloid spills over to a board game. After 'An Insgnificant Man', filmmaker Anand Gandhi teams up with tech enthusiast and partner at Memsys Culture Lab, Zain Memon, for their newest venture ‘SHASN’, a political strategy board game . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225091002/https://www.thehindu.com/society/anand-gandhi-zain-memon-memesys-culture-lab-shasn-board-game/article28407953.ece . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Khandelwal . Heena . 2019-07-12 . SHASN: New board game by Anand Gandhi's Memesys Culture Lab aims to put you in the shoes of politicians . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225092848/https://www.indulgexpress.com/life-style/2019/jul/12/shasn-new-board-game-by-anand-gandhis-memesys-culture-lab-aims-to-put-you-in-the-shoes-of-politici-16408.html . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Laghate . Gaurav . 2019-07-22 . Memesys Culture Lab raises Rs 20 lakh via crowd funding for political board game . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225083835/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/memesys-culture-lab-raises-rs-20-lakh-via-crowd-funding-for-political-board-game/articleshow/70328982.cms . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Bhot . Abhishek Mande . 2019-07-24 . This new Indian board game, Shasn, wants you to play dirty and think like a politician . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230320180056/https://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/content/shasn-this-new-indian-board-game-wants-you-to-play-dirty-and-think-like-a-politician . 2023-03-20 .
- News: Devidayal . Namita . 2019-07-26 . This new board game lets you play politics . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225064625/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/this-new-board-game-lets-you-play-politics/articleshow/70387891.cms . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Iyer . Aishwarya . 2019-09-28 . Forget Ludo: Boardgames are tackling power and politics . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225084935/https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/forget-ludo-boardgames-are-tackling-power-and-politics/story-MVP8cOstfEhJexIuHEA1ZI.html . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Banerjee . Chandrima . 2020-08-11 . How game developers are getting fund projects . . . 2024-02-25 . https://archive.today/20240225084536/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/17CC70CB6803F520&f=basic . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Lakshmanan . Remya . Aggarwal . Aarushi . 2021-01-10 . India plays: Time to realise domestic potential of boardgames . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225085935/https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/opinion-technology/india-plays-time-to-realise-domestic-potential-of-boardgames-queens-gambit-chess-7140483/ . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Riaz . Azmia . 2021-03-05 . Elections with Shasn: This board game allows people to talk politics, minus hostility and violence . EdexLive . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225092037/https://www.edexlive.com/happening/2021/mar/05/elections-with-shasn-this-board-game-allows-people-to-talk-politics-minus-hostility-and-violence-18767.html . 2024-02-25 .
- News: Chaturvedi . Swati . 2021-09-13 . Bored millennials get hooked to Shasn, the newest modern board game . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225084919/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/bored-millennials-get-hooked-to-shasn-the-newest-modern-board-game-101631546190373.html . 2024-02-25 .
- Web site: 2019 AWARDS . 2023-12-06 . IndieCade . en-US.
- Web site: Fritz . Ben . 2009-10-01 . Gaming's got the indie spirit . 2023-12-06 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
- News: Sharma . Priyanka . 2021-09-09 . Filmmakers Anand Gandhi & Zain Memon Announce Sequel To SHASN, The Blockbuster Board Game . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225092507/https://www.newsx.com/entertainment/filmmakers-anand-gandhi-zain-memon-announce-sequel-to-shasn-the-blockbuster-board-game/ . 2024-02-25 .
- News: 2021-09-08 . Anand Gandhi announces new board game Azadi, designed by Zain Memon . . 2024-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225091744/https://www.firstpost.com/art-and-culture/anand-gandhi-announces-new-board-game-azadi-designed-by-zain-memon-9946381.html . 2024-02-25 .
- News: 2024-01-05 . Your turn...: New Indian board games are playing on climate, ecology, politics . . 2024-02-25 . https://archive.today/20240225085321/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/196614B3CE9D2278&f=basic . 2024-02-25 .
- Web site: G4C Festival 2023 . 2023-12-06 . festival.gamesforchange.org.