Lucknow: A tabletop card game developed as a stress buster by two young women in the living room of their Rajendra Nagar home in Lucknow while caring for their mother, who was battling cancer, has over time grown into a global business.The game, created by siblings Mrinalini Mitra (27) and Nyonika Mitra (26), was built around hand-drawn artwork and traditional storytelling on cards. It soon evolved into a startup after they realised that others were equally interested in it.Gradually, the startup went global and today has buyers in more than 40 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Canada. The business has now crossed the $100,000 (around Rs 95.45 lakh) revenue mark.Mrinalini, an Oxford graduate, and Nyonika, a graduate of the London School of Economics, said they gave up internship opportunities and plans for careers abroad to return to Lucknow to care for their mother’s health. To cope with the stressful period, the family spent every Sunday playing board games together, an experience that inspired the sisters to create one of their own.The duo said the game was their brainchild. “We wanted people to stay happy with things that relate to their day-to-day lives,” they said.Mrinalini, an Oxford graduate, and Nyonika, a graduate of the London School of Economics, said they gave up internship opportunities and plans for careers abroad to return to Lucknow to care for their mother’s health. To cope with the stressful period, the family spent every Sunday playing board games together, an experience that inspired the sisters to create one of their own.The duo said the game was their brainchild. “We wanted people to stay happy with things that relate to their day-to-day lives,” they said.“So, we created a card game around our dog, Yasu, a cheerful companion who always wants to play with us even during challenging times. That distraction made us feel happy and stress-free,” they said.“When card games helped us through a stressful period, we realised they could bring the same joy to others. We first introduced our card game characters through YouTube, where they received an encouraging response. That motivated us to develop a full-fledged card game,” said Mrinalini.The game combines ancient mythology, hand-crafted illustrations, original music and storytelling to create what the founders describe as an immersive fantasy experience.Despite its artistic appeal, the sisters said the venture has been built on a disciplined business strategy.“There is a persistent myth that work perceived as feminine or handmade lacks commercial rigour, but that has not been the case with our card games,” said Mrinalini.She added that the game’s central characters were inspired by real-life relationships, including the bond she shares with her pet dog, Yasu. After gaining popularity through YouTube and among family and friends, the sisters launched the game commercially through their website.Nyonika, who oversees operations, logistics and international fulfilment, said the founders deliberately chose crowdfunding to retain complete ownership of the company instead of raising external investment.“Women are often advised to accept the first cheque they are offered, which can lead to under-ownership. By validating demand through global pre-sales, we were able to retain 100% equity. Building a supply chain capable of serving customers in over 40 countries from day one was our biggest challenge,” she said.The sisters also chose to create every illustration by hand at a time when many creative businesses are increasingly relying on AI-generated artwork. Although the decision increased production time and costs, they believe it has helped build trust among customers looking for authentic, handcrafted products.The game is designed as an immersive fantasy universe that blends ancient mythology with handcrafted illustrations, original music and narrative elements. The founders describe the experience as resembling “reading a magical book brought to life,” with an emphasis on calm, cosy play.Mrinalini said the studio’s creative approach is intentionally analogue in a market increasingly influenced by AI-generated visuals. “Everything we make is drawn by hand by people, not by computers. We even use elements such as specially designed scents and original music to make players feel as though they are part of the story,” she said.Nyonika, who handles operations, logistics and international fulfilment, said the business required building robust systems to serve customers across geographies. “Our focus was never just on launching a game. The challenge was building systems that could support customers across dozens of countries while maintaining momentum throughout the campaign,” she said.The sisters said their decision to avoid AI-generated artwork increased production time and costs but strengthened credibility with customers seeking original, human-created art. They also pointed to the competitive nature of tabletop crowdfunding, a space often led by established American and European publishers with large fan bases.As first-time creators from India without a major publisher or significant advertising budget, they said the response to One More Page demonstrates the global demand for distinctive storytelling, artisanal design and creator-led entrepreneurship emerging from smaller markets.
