SINGAPORE – After spending 14 years in the United Kingdom, Singaporean Lim Yee Hung returned home to find that he had forgotten much about his home country.
Diving into the National Archives of Singapore to school himself, he became captivated by all the stories that lay hidden away.
Rather than let them remain dormant, Mr Lim, 37, decided to transform them into a self-guided outdoor game named Hidden.sg.
The game uses simple WhatsApp messages and an artificial intelligence chatbot to help Singaporeans and tourists find hidden gems in the city’s many neighbourhoods, including Tiong Bahru, Dakota and Toa Payoh.
Among the tales players might learn is that Dakota estate was named for the Douglas DC-3 aircraft, fondly dubbed “the Dakota” by the British. This plane was once a common sight at the now-defunct Kallang Airport nearby.
Another intriguing stop might lead players to a modest three-room Housing Board flat in Toa Payoh, which the late Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1972.
Mr Lim, a co-founder of Move Technologies, the company behind Hidden.sg, said it aims to support local businesses by featuring them in the game.
“We don’t charge them a dime to be featured. In fact, we pay them, and in some cases we become their biggest customer because we bulk-buy their products to give to our players during the game,” said Mr Lim, who was in property development in Britain.
Mr Lee Fund, director of Tea Chapter, a traditional Chinese teahouse that has been in Tanjong Pagar since 1989, praised the game for boosting his teahouse’s visibility and patronage.
On a good day, he gets 30 redemptions for teabags and tea eggs from players, he said.
A standard game is priced at $25 a person and requires at least two participants. Each game includes surprise gifts.
Launched in May 2022, Hidden.sg has since attracted more than 15,000 participants, said Mr Lim. Revenue for the game comes from ticket sales to the public and to companies which use it as a team-building activity.
The game has generally received positive reviews from users, who find it both informative and entertainingly immersive.
One player wrote on Tripadvisor: “Played my fourth game from Hidden.sg today. The game is great whether you’re a tourist in Singapore for the first time or you’re a local looking to rediscover the area. I was surprised by cool facts I never knew and hidden gems I never knew existed! I got to interact with local businesses... occasionally with complimentary gifts too.
“Best of all, the game can be played at your own pace and even with kids.”
To date, the game covers 10 locations, including Holland Village, Toa Payoh, Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. Some of the game locations, such as Seletar Aerospace Park, which was built in partnership with JTC Corporation, and the Land Transport Authority’s Tiong Bahru/Redhill trail, are free to play.
One-north, Bras Basah and Marina Central Business Improvement District are game locations in the pipeline, said Mr Lim.
There are plans to expand the Hidden.sg concept overseas.
“It’s part of the company’s plan for internationalisation, so Hidden London or Hidden Perth could be next,” Mr Lim said.
