Singapore-made game heading for New Zealand to tell stories of Maori heritage

SINGAPORE - A Singapore-made game that takes players on journeys through local neighbourhoods and communities will be going to New Zealand to tell the stories of the country’s indigenous Maori people’s heritage.

The company behind the game called Hidden has received a $1 million investment from Ngati Kahungunu ki Tamaki-nui-a-Rua, which represents one of New Zealand’s largest Maori tribes.

Hidden, the gaming company, will establish an office in New Zealand and hire a local team to create games that weave Maori stories into the country’s landscapes.

Since it was launched in 2022, the game has attracted more than 40,000 players in Singapore, according to 38-year-old co-founder Lim Yee Hung.

The self-guided game format uses

WhatsApp messages and an artificial intelligence chatbot

to take players on journeys to find hidden gems in the city’s neighbourhoods, including Tiong Bahru, Dakota and Toa Payoh.

It has generally received positive reviews from players, who find it both informative and entertainingly immersive.

A standard game is priced at $29.90 a person in Singapore.

For each game, players solve a trail of clues around a neighbourhood on foot. Clues will be delivered to all players’ phones via WhatsApp. A player who successfully solves each clue will get to unlock hidden secrets and the next clue.

Players can ask for hints if they get stuck.

In April, Hidden was part of a national effort to promote the rich heritage of Singapore’s neighbourhoods. Partnering the National Heritage Board, Hidden provided a virtual quest in the Katong-Joo Chiat precinct.

In New Zealand, the game will be called Hidden Aotearoa, a Maori-language name for the country.

Players there will journey through landscapes imbued with Maori heritage. They might even explore whakapapa (genealogy), or the spirit of kotahitanga, which emphasises unity and togetherness.

The investor, Ngati Kahungunu ki Tamaki-nui-a-Rua, represents the Ngati Kahungunu people in the Tararua District, near the south-east corner of New Zealand’s North Island, and advocates for the interests of the community.

Through a tribe member who knew Hidden’s Mr Lim, the gaming company and the New Zealand investor met about a year ago and started a conversation about the collaboration.

As part of the investment deal, the Maori partner will receive equity in Hidden and hold a director position in the Singapore company’s board of directors.

Mr Hayden Hape, chair of the tribe authority, told The Straits Times: “People will be able to guide themselves and see the underlying stories of our history through Hidden Aotearoa… We have a beautiful, rich history that goes right back to Taiwan. We believe that we originated from Taiwan.”

He added that he aims to reach out to people from other Maori tribes to share their stories through the game, and also has plans to reach out to tourism companies and local government agencies to promote Hidden Aotearoa.

The game will not be limited to any particular part of New Zealand, he said.

For example, a visitor who arrives in Auckland can scan a QR code, join the game on WhatsApp and be guided throughout his trip to Wellington.

“We are excited to also give domestic and international visitors to our country the opportunity to personally engage directly with our culture,” said Mr Hape.

He said many tribal groups have heavily invested in tourism to promote Maori culture for many generations, but they lack a tool that can connect with people. He believes Hidden Aotearoa is the solution.

Mr Lim said: “The Maori are the best storytellers in the world, and we are so excited to be able to work with them to create a potent combination of storytelling and technology to share with the world.”

Mr Lim added that the partnership in New Zealand is the first step for Hidden’s internationalisation plans.

The next stop could be London or Perth.