Sen-Foong Lim
Designer / Developer / Writer
Selected Design Credits
Sen-Foong Lim burst onto the board game design scene in 2011 and quickly earned a reputation for being one of the most versatile designers in the industry. His diverse portfolio includes Belfort (a Euro-strategy game), But Wait, There’s More! (a party game about pitching wacky products), Junk Art (a family-oriented dexterity game), and Akrotiri (a game about unearthing lost temples in ancient Greece) - all co-designed with Jay Cormier.
Due to his skill and flexibility, Sen has had the privilege of working with some of the most beloved properties in all of Fandom including The Legend of Korra, Dragon Ball Super, Batman: The Animated Series, Kingdom Rush, MIND MGMT, the WWE, Dungeons & Dragons, the Rat Queens and more! He brings his love of each property to the forefront, ensuring that the design teams include other fans like Jay Cormier, Josh Cappel, Alara Cameron, Helana Hope, Erica Bouyouris, and Jon Cohn.
He and Jay also co-created the innovative Coded Chronicles system which takes escape-room-in-a-box games to a whole new level by integrating immersive stories with devious puzzles. So far, they have co-written Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Manor, The Shining: Escape from the Overlook Hotel, and The Goonies: Escape with One-Eyed Willy's Rich Stuff for the series. Expect more releases under the Coded Chronicles banner in the near future!
Selected Development Credits
Sen is also a skilled developer who has helped put the finishing touches on games for companies like WizKids, Everything Epic, Atheris Games, Underdog Games, Fantasy Board Games, Nauvoo Games, Skybound Tabletop and Darrington Press. He works with the Zone of Proximal Developers team that includes Scott Veenvliet and Alara Cameron.
Selected RPG Credits
A life-long role-player, Sen has written for many systems including Kids on Bikes, Teens in Space, Gears of Defiance, the North Sea Epilogues, Never Going Home, and The Curse of the House of Rookwood. He also co-authored a campaign for Mecha + Monsters II Evolved with frequent co-conspirator Banana Chan.
Sen has also written RPG systems. He and Alara Cameron started with "Ties that Bind," a one-page RPG in the Love and Resistance compilation that shines a light on state-sanctioned violence against families seeking safe haven. Sen then co-wrote Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall with Banana Chan. In this love letter to immigrants everywhere, players take on roles within a multigenerational Chinese family who must fend off hopping vampires while running their restaurant in 1920s North America. Both authors wanted to not only explore their roots as Chinese immigrants to North America but use the Jiangshi as an allegory for societal oppression. Currently, Sen is working on Avatar Legends: The RPG with a brilliant team of BIMPOC writers (including James Mendez Hodes, Yeonsoo Julian Kim, Sharang Biswas, and Daniel Kwan) to bring one of the best animated series in the history of television to the tabletop once more (Sen also co-designed the official Legend of Korra boardgame - see above).
Current Crowdfunding Campaign
Since he's always creating something, Sen is knee-deep in a campaign at any given time. This is where dreams become reality.Currently, Sen has another TTRPG on Kickstarter with Banana Chan - The Revenant Society: The Endless Loop Beneath The City, published by Van Ryder Games.It's a game where players are undead detectives desperately trying to solve their own murders lest they get stuck in a time loop for all of eternity!Check it out on Kickstarter!
Selected Awards
Sen is grateful to have been recognized within the tabletop gaming and comic book communities, by both consumers and peers. Some of his most prestigious awards and nominations include a 2014 Geekie for Game of the Year (Belfort), a 2022 Silver ENnie for Best Setting (Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall), and a nomination for the 2022 Harvey Award for Best Adaptation of a Comic or Graphic Novel (MIND MGMT). Probably, his most important award, though, is the 2020 James Mathe Mentorship Award, named in honour of one of Sen's many mentors (R.I.P. James).He knows that he could not have reached this level of success without all of the wonderful people he regularly collaborates with, especially Jay Cormier, Alara Cameron, Matt Kindt, Banana Chan, Helana Hope, Erica Bouyouris, Joshua & Helaina Cappel, Jon Cohn, Nate Murray, Scott Veenvliet, Tyler Smith, Gil Hova, Scott Rogers, Geoffrey Engelstein, the moderation team for the Card & Board Game Designers Guild, and all of the publishers who have faith in his work.
Selected Media Appearances
Sen’s work has been featured prominently in tabletop media, gaming media in general, and beyond. He has been interviewed for several stories, articles, and books, including publications in other languages like Japan’s Nikkei. Sen is more than happy to share his experiences around the gaming table.
Community Involvement
A frequent panelist, moderator, and speaker at industry events, Sen has been honoured to be a guest at Gen Con, AnimeNorth, Fan Expo, SHUX, GrandCon, Save Against Fear, Metatopia, Breakout Con, reCONvene, ProtoTO, D4 Tabletop Creative Conference, Big Bad Con, and San Diego ComicCon.
Sen values helping others gain traction in the industry. He has facilitated many workshops at the above conventions and through organizations like the Tabletop Mentorship Program and the Board Game Design Conference.
As a fierce advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tabletop industry, Sen helps to determine the recipients for the scholarships disbursed by New Voices in Gaming. Sen helps to curate the schedule for the Board Game Design Summit for the Game Developers Conference as part of their Advisory Committee.
Media
As one of the co-hosts the Meeple Syrup Show, a weekly design-centric webcast, since it's inception in 2015, Sen has carved out a niche in tabletop media. Sen also joined the Ludology crew in 2021 as one of the co-hosts for the podcast.
Meeple Syrup has been creating resources for game designers since its inception. One of the projects they completed was PechaKucha Kon 2021. Sen’s submission delves into how he uses psychological theories in game design.
Contact Information
Sen loves to help foster networking opportunities for freelancers. He enjoys interacting with designers and fans of gaming alike.Please reach out to him through any of the channels below!