In today’s society, digital games such as mobile and computer games dominate the gaming landscape.

However, the popularity of board games, where players manipulate game pieces 

with their own hands and engage in direct communication with opponents, remains strong. 

This is evident in the easy accessibility of board game cafes in bustling areas like university districts, 

and the continuous release of new board game products both domestically and internationally.

Despite the steady popularity, board games were expected to suffer a significant blow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Surprisingly, however, board game sales have seen an upward trend since the onset of COVID-19. 

With limited outdoor activities and increased time spent at home with family, 

there has been a growing demand for board games as a means of family entertainment. 

Consequently, the board game market has shown continuous growth even amidst the pandemic, 

indicating a promising future for the board game industry.

In light of the steady growth of the board game market, Magic Bean Games, as a specialized board game development company,

is striving to develop a variety of board games to bring joy to many people.

 I had the opportunity to meet with Hwang Youn-su, The CEO of Magic Bean Games.

Magic Bean Games is a company specializing in board game and design and production. 

Equipped with in-house facilities for board game production, we handle all processes from planning to graphics and production domestically. 

Currently, we sell our products online and offline, and we have developed over 100 boards games in

 consortiums with government agencies and corporations.

With the slogan ‘Where Everything Imagined Becomes a Game’, 

Magic Bean Games places passion, values, and joy as its core value. 

We strive to provide more enjoyable games and high-quality content through sustainable content research, 

collaborating with board game enthusiasts.

Our management philosophy revolves around humanity and fun. We aim to create board games that 

bring laughter to families, based on the principles of ‘valuing people’ and ‘valuing fun’. By fostering a culture of 

communication within families, we aspire to become a global board game company that contributes to family bonding.

Magic Bean Games is a board game development company that directly utilizes various illustration designs and 

3D work using related software. We also have various facilities and factories, 

with all employees focusing on research to develop excellent products. 

These products are the sold either directly through web pages created after image shooting or through distribution channels.

Our flagship games include ‘Sixteen’, ‘Code Talk’, ‘Shake shake’ ‘Egghead’, and ‘Hangul Day’.

 Among them, ‘Sixteen’ garnered significant interest from overseas companies and users at last year’s Essen Fair in Germany. 

Currently, we are in discussions with European publishing companies to sign contracts. 

Additionally, ‘Sixteen’ and ‘Code Talk’ have completed IP agreements and are preparing for 

global enjoyment as board games in the metaverse from September to October this year. 

Furthermore, we organize conferences and forums related to board games to provide relevant information and 

networking environments to those interested in board game development. 

We also consistently train experts who aim to leverage the value of board games.

In addition, we are also developing educational apps for character design and coding. 

For character design we have over 250 characters of various designs,

 including 2D, 2.5D, and 3D, created using design-related programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Maya. 

We use our own design character IP to expand production into various content platforms such as board games, 

mobile games, and goods.

For the coding education app, we have developed various unplugged board games to make coding more accessible and enjoyable,

 focusing on research on computer principles, the main content of coding education. Our flagship app, 

’POPCORN’, is particularly designed to enhance understanding of binary numbers,

 a difficult concept, and is widely used in schools and academies.

As for our future goals and direction, just as Magic Bean Games has done so far, 

our ultimate goal is to become a global board game company based on unique ideas and 

new fun by quickly adapting to changing trends and developments. 

Initially, Magic Bean Games did not receive much attention, 

but over the past 14 years, we have quietly grown, and now many people are watching us with interest.

This has instilled in us a heavy sense of responsibility and obligation to nurture Magic Bean Games better. 

As we continue to receive attention from those around use, we believe we can continue to grow and thrive. 

We ask for continued interest and support from everyone. 

Lastly, we aspire to become a company where people who love creating and enjoying things 

together can gather to turn everything imagined into a game. 

Source: Economy News/ Reporter Heo Guseul  hgs@newseconomy.kr