A Dollis Hill bus driver has launched a free Ludo-inspired gaming app to bring the well-known board game to life on all hand-held devices.
Otis Nelson, who lives in Denzil Road, was initially furloughed when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the UK into lockdown a year ago.
However, the 35-year-old father-of-four used his time to come up with his board game inspired innovation - Ludi Clash.
Ludi, as the board game is known in Jamaica, is traditionally known for its ruthless rules, which Otis wanted all gamers to have access to.
The former Queen's Park Community School pupil said: "Everything nowadays has been computerised with people increasingly enjoying strategy games through digital experience. We have seen this with Monopoly during lockdown, with social interaction limited due to the pandemic.
“Ludi-Clash offers people the chance to continue to enjoy the joy and excitement of Ludo from the comfort of their homes, despite us not being able to gather around a table like you normally would with friends and family.”
Ludi involves two to four players navigating each of their four markers clockwise around the board by rolling two dice and trying to avoid obstacles.
After identifying a gap in the strategy-gaming market, Otis approached Virgin StartUp. However, it warned him of the high costs associated with his idea and advised him to get in touch with game developers in India.
Otis successfully secured a deal with Capermint Technologies based in Gujarat, India - which agreed to work alongside him and develop Ludi-Clash.
Like the physical board game, Ludi-Clash includes two dice game-play and allows users to use two markers on a single place to prevent their opponents from progressing.
The bus driver said he wanted to deliver on his gaming ambition to encourage the younger generation to pursue the things they feel passionate about.
“At the age of 35 I never thought I would be in the position where I would have launched my own gaming app, but it just goes to show it’s never too late to strive towards something you feel strongly about,” he added.
Ludi-Clash is available to download for free on both Google Play and the Apple App store.
To find out more, visit: https://ludiclash.com.
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