Unboared: from idea to business
From Insight to Idea: The Genese of Unboared
In a world where cloud gaming eliminates the need for physical consoles and where smartphones are omnipresent, a clear opportunity emerged: what if people could turn any screen into a multiplayer console, using only their phones as controllers?
After the pandemic, QR codes had become a near-universal behavior. Combine that with the insight that local multiplayer games, straddling the line between social board games and digital entertainment, were beloved but underserved — and Unboared was born.
The name says it all: « Unboared » plays on two ideas — breaking out of the traditional board game format (« un-boarded ») and defeating boredom (« un-bored ») by turning any screen into a shared playground.
2. Designing the MVP: Research-Driven Product Framing
We kicked off the product design process with a qualitative research sprint to validate our assumptions. Through interviews with 30+ early adopters (gamers, casual players, group activity lovers), we identified key success factors:
Access must be frictionless: no app download, no setup.
The experience must feel exclusive and novel.
The platform should offer more than a single game — a catalog is expected.
Armed with these insights, we developed the first MVP in just under a month: a browser-based platform, instantly accessible via QR code, allowing up to 20 people to join and play simultaneously. We included three test games to explore behavioral preferences:
A music quiz (« Unblind Test »)
A « bomberman-like » action game
A digital version of Jungle Speed (used for testing only — later withdrawn after copyright notice from Asmodee)
3. MVP Testing: Learning Through Focus Groups
To evaluate traction and usability, we ran 5 focus groups of 7 participants each.
Sessions were designed as 1-hour play sessions with free interaction. Observations and post-tests revealed:
65% of users said they wanted to play again
However, onboarding was inconsistent; some users struggled to understand how to join a game
We added a layer of behavioral measurement: post-session access tracking. Despite a primitive UI, 22% of participants returned to the platform voluntarily within 30 days. This validated our core proposition.
4. Iteration: UX, UI, and Game Design In-House
We immediately focused on reducing friction:
Streamlined onboarding: optimized QR code landing, clearer CTAs, visual confirmation of game joining
Brighter, more accessible UI for group visibility
Testing multiple input methods (tap, swipe, mic) for more intuitive control schemes
Unable to afford licensed games or studios, we chose to build all our games in-house. This required upskilling in game design, and we embraced a test-and-learn approach.
5. Go-to-Market and Pivot to B2B
We launched our alpha publicly after 4 months and attracted several thousand users with just €300 in Meta ads.
A successful crowdfunding campaign raised €40,000 (We have raised a total of €110,000 in non-dilutive financial aid in 2023). We joined a startup incubator (Thank you Telecom Paris ✌️) and recruited interns (game dev, game artist) to strengthen our delivery.
At Vivatech, our booth constantly drew crowds of 20+ people playing. That’s when airport operators noticed us: they lacked space, staff, or scalable solutions for engaging travelers. Unboared, requiring only a screen and a QR code, became a compelling proposition.
Pivoting to B2B became a strategic move — not just for product-market fit, but also for revenue generation. Unlike the B2C model, which required scale before monetization, the B2B approach allowed us to generate revenue more quickly through targeted deployments, while tailoring our offer to very specific operational needs. This shift was instrumental in ensuring the company’s early sustainability and growth.
6. Product Redesign for Public Environments
The B2C design couldn’t handle real-world public contexts. New constraints emerged:
In public spaces, users must be able to join mid-game, without interrupting ongoing sessions
The interface must be visible and engaging from afar
Game-switching needed to be intuitive and quick
We redesigned the platform to support:
Real-time connection of new players during a game
Visual clarity at a distance (large fonts, bright visuals)
A passive « attract loop » mode when no one is playing
7. First Deployments: Airports and Arenas
We launched in two very different spaces:
Marseille Airport: passive usage while waiting, minimal interaction
Zenith of Strasbourg: active usage during events with large groups
Each use case taught us different lessons. We fixed major bugs, optimized latency, and introduced:
High-score boards to encourage replay
Session duration balancing to increase retention
8. Emergence of the « Animator Mode »
At Zénith, staff began using Unboared not passively but as a facilitated group activity. This revealed a new use case: entertainment with a human in control.
We created an « Animator Mode » allowing:
Game pause/resume
Manual game launching
Remote QR code display
This mode became essential in the hospitality use case, leading to new pilots with bar chains like Ninkasi.
9. From Game Platform to Engagement Engine
We continued building:
A data dashboard to monitor usage
More proprietary games
UX improvements based on field feedback
We’re now adding marketing features like « Drive to Store »: users unlocking discount codes by setting new high scores.
10. Vision: Unboared Everywhere
Our ambition is to become the go-to platform for collective entertainment in high-traffic locations.
We aim to scale across:
Airports
Bars and restaurants
Stadiums, malls, amusement parks
With a simple screen, a QR code, and a catalog of unforgettable multiplayer games, Unboared transforms passive waiting time into shared memories.
