SINGAPORE - While their peers raced to build Internet-related businesses, the co-creators of I Heart Board Games went back to the basics.

In mid-2009, Mr Andrew Chia, 28, and Ms Marjorie Van Der Straaten, 31, decided to pursue their shared passion for board games and turn that into a business.

An initial idea to set up a retail store quickly grew into a far more ambitious undertaking.

A business advisory committee from the Singapore Polytechnic pushed the pair to re-think their business model and formulate an offering that had a greater point of difference.

Their final business model - a games publishing venture that conceptualised, developed and brought to market original board games that combined fun and education.

"We've encountered people who didn't think there was a market for games in Singapore, others who thought that board games were so last century and we should go digital because everyone else is," Ms Van Der Staaten said.

Their first product, Weird Tales, was a success. The pair sold 1,000 units of the game within the first year of launch and are about to do another run.

Since creating Weird Tales, I Heart Board Games has developed new lines of businesses.

"Having grown up playing board and computer games, we recognised the opportunities presented in game play - there is so much to learn and even more that can be taught," Ms Van Der Straaten said.

This month, the company released its newest game - Regimen: The Lions of Bukit Chandu.

Unlike Weird Tales (which Mr Chia and Ms Van Der Staaten professed were purely manifestations of their collective imaginations), the new game incorporates historical facts that simulate the Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place just before the fall of Singapore during World War II.

"We wanted to create a game that allowed players to empathise with the Malay Regiment soldiers who defended Bukit Chandu," Mr Chia said.

With this release, I Heart Games has finally ventured into the online sphere and created a digital version of the game.

In addition to its board version, the game will also be available on IOS platforms.

Their efforts to bring this new game to market did not go unnoticed, with the National Heritage Board and the National Archives of Singapore lending their support.

In February 2010, the company also received a significant boost in the form of a grant through SPRING Singapore's Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Start-ups (YES! Start-ups).

The scheme matched S$4 for every S$1 of funding raised by I Heart Board Games.

The support worked and I Heart Board Games - which in its early days had to cold call and persuade bookstore retailers to feature their product - is now available in boutique bookstores and is currently in talks with a regional distributor to market their products to a wider audience.

"We're looking forward to distributing our products globally. We have a few more games in the pipeline and intend to release a couple of titles this year," Mr Chia said.

"We are keen on collaborative products. We've met some very creative individuals who aren't game designers by trade but have great ideas and need a platform to realise them."

The company now also develops enrichment programmes that are run in local primary and secondary schools.

To date, I Heart Board Games has worked with more than 30 schools to craft specialised programmes for their students using alternative learning resources, such as games, to make it fun.

Despite the odds stacked against them, the end of this month will not only mark I Heart Board Games' second year in business, but also the expansion of their team to 10 staff.