Banpu Public Company Limited has updated the progress of the board game design contest under the “Energy on Board by BANPU B-Sports Thailand” project. Set under the topic of “Driving Thailand’s E-mobility”, Banpu has conducted the contest in partnership with Board Game Night or BGN, a board game cast online program attracting the biggest audience in Thailand. The contest has selected 9 finalist teams, which consisted of 27 students from 11 universities across the country. They have earlier participated in a workshop to gain knowledge about electric vehicles and learn about board game development and design by guest speakers from the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand, Haupcar Company Limited, which is the first car-sharing platform developer and service provider in Thailand, together with a team from Banpu’s e-mobility business unit, and the experienced board gamers. This has allowed each team to gain very good knowledge and inspiration to develop their board game.

Previously, all 9 finalist teams had brought their board game prototypes to the First Impression Review activity to let commentators from Banpu and board gamers play online through the Tabletopia website. Each team clearly interpreted the topic of Driving Thailand’s E-mobility in diverse yet interesting ways. For example, there were teams that created board games from the perspective of being an electric vehicle manufacturer and user. The others put their focus on business and service aspects related to transportation. Some focus on EV goals, policies, and privileges from the government as well as supply and demand of the electric vehicle. In order for the teams to improve and develop their board games to be more attractive and also more realistic, the commentators gave them various comments and suggestions including the mechanics of the game, the interesting way of storytelling, and perspectives on numerous factors that help drive the country’s e-mobility industry. After that, they met once again in the Playtest activity to let the committees try out the adjusted and developed games. And apparently, many teams took their advice to good use as they have added more depth and dimensions about the electric vehicle industry to their board games, making them even better.

A board game design by “TU Next”, a team of students from Thammasat University, called “EV City” is an example. The game’s main mission is to push forward Thailand to have more than 30% of vehicles in the country to be electric vehicles. Players will take turns taking on the role of both government and private agencies to jointly develop electric vehicle industry in the country. In each turn, the player must respond to the consumer’s demand that comes with various conditions from each customer group. It allows players to learn about the types of electric vehicles, production, resource management, as well as knowledge of taxes and policies from the government at the same time.

We also have “Delivery Road” board game from “Derm Derm Party”, a team that has brought students from 4 universities together, including Thammasat University, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, King’s Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, and Sripatum University. The game was created from a logistic company’s perspective, which connected to the government’s policy to support the electric vehicle and transportation industry. Players must take into account about changes in policy and fuel prices that fluctuate according to consumer demand. This game, therefore, reflects the linkage of all sectors in driving the use of electric vehicles domestically.

Another board game to highlight is “The Driver” from “Baby Driver”, a team of students from Khon Kaen University. The game invites players to take on the role of a company’s owner that provides delivery services of goods and passengers. The game has embedded knowledge about a 30/30 policy which stated that by 2030, 30% of all domestically produced vehicles must be Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV). The game is also divided into 3 phases, according to the 30/30 policy, and has simulated various events to determine the situation in the game to be more challenging. The players will have to manage the delivery of goods and passengers, together with controlling the amount of CO₂ emissions that do not adversely affect the community and environment.

Mr. Rattapon Sukhunthee, Head of Corporate Communications of Banpu Public Company Limited, talked about the progress of this year’s board game design contest that “After the workshop and observing the board game presentations from 9 finalists, it is clear that every team has poured their knowledge gained from the guest speakers and board gamers into creating and developing their work. They managed to design board games that are both fun and allow players to learn more about the electric vehicle industry in various dimensions. Banpu, as a project owner, is delighted to be involved in promoting board games as a learning tool and allow young generation to participate in acknowledging and exchanging ideas on economic and social issues that affect people’s lives in the future. It also provides opportunities for students to show their talents and bring out their best potential in producing this creative media that can be used to communicate on such topic. Now we are eager to see what would happen during the Final Day event. Which team would step up as the winner of this year’s contest, it is really exciting to know.”

Let’s keep updated whether which student team from any university will win the board game design contest from the Energy on Board by BANPU B-Sports Thailand project this year. In the meantime, those who are interested can follow more details about the competition and follow the latest news from the project on Facebook BANPU B-Sports Thailand: https://www.facebook.com/BanpuBSportsThailand.

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About Energy on Board by Banpu B-Sports Thailand

Banpu Public Company Limited has organized BANPU B-Sports Thailand for the fourth consecutive year, with the aim of supporting board games, a creative learning tool, to be more widely known, especially among young generations because board games help develop soft skills that are essential in current life and work. In 2021, the Company is committed to enhancing the knowledge and understanding about “developing the electric vehicle industry in Thailand and various factors affecting the use of electric vehicles in the country” for young generation and general public. Therefore, the “Energy on Board” project has been organized to allow university students to compete in a board game design contest with “Driving Thailand’s E-mobility” as the main subject.

About Banpu

Banpu Public Company Limited is an international versatile energy provider with 3 core groups of businesses: energy resources, energy generation and energy technology in 10 countries – Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Singapore, Japan, the United States of America and Vietnam.