2018 - The Idea
In late 2018, Eliot & Ben from Game Kings decided they wanted to start learning Te Reo Māori and thought there must be a game they could use to help them learn.
The idea for Tākaro came about when they realised how few Te Reo games there were on the market, especially those aimed at beginners.
They partnered with a friend who was studying Te Reo at Waikato University and Te Wānanga O Aotearoa to help them write and develop their idea into a reality.
2019 - The Kickstarter
A kick starter for Tākaro was launched by Game Kings in 2019, with an aim to deliver the product for Māori language week in September.
The kick starter campaign surpassed their target within the first 72 hours of the fundraising page going live and the game launched in time for Māori language week.
2020 - Expansions
Tākaro! Bits & Bobs features everyday household objects to make it even easier to start using Te Reo in your whare.
Tākaro! Into the Wild explores the outdoors so players can korero about Aotearoa’s beautiful ngāi kīrehe (fauna) & ngāi tipu (flora).
2021 - Two more versions released
A further two new versions of Tākaro in 2021 expanded the range to 5 games.
2021 - Koha For Kura
Koha for Kura
In 2021, Game Kings ran an initiative called Koha for Kura (Gifts for Schools). The goal was for every copy of Tākaro sold, Game Kings would donate a Tākaro game to an NZ school. The aim was to reach all 2,556 schools across the country (per a list from the MoE).
The goal wasn't quite reached but Game Kings followed through on their mission sending Tākaro to all schools across the country.
2021 - Custom Made for BNZ
In 2021 we had the privilege of partnering with The Bank Of New Zealand to create a custom version of Tākaro. This was gifted to all their staff throughout NZ in Christmas 2021.
If you have an idea for a custom Tākaro or your organisation would like to partner with us we'd love to to hear from you.