In the quiet rhythm of life before COVID hit, something special began taking shape in my family. Our kids were all grown up and launching into their own lives and careers, but we’d just started reconnecting through something wonderfully simple - family games nights.

One of our favorites was Sequence. It struck the perfect balance between fun and strategy, and it quickly became our go-to. But I had this little spark in the back of my mind: What if I could create a game that was ours? Something brand new, simple but clever - something we could all enjoy and truly connect over.

That spark became Trigahex, and this is the story of how it came to life.

I can still remember the exact moment the idea clicked. I was driving down the Gold Coast Highway, stuck in traffic, letting my thoughts wander to potential game ideas. I’d been noodling around the idea of something involving colour-matching - easy to play, accessible - but everything I came up with felt a little too familiar.

My dad had insisted I carry one of those in the boot of my car. I hadn’t seen one in years.

Call it nostalgia. Call it fate. But in that moment, it felt like the universe was giving me a sign - literally and figuratively.

I started imagining how triangles could form the structure of a card game, how players could connect them using colour-matching edges. I didn’t know if the finished layout would make an octagon or a hexagon - or how many cards it would take - but the idea had some merit.

As soon as I got home, I burst through the door, laser-focused. I told my daughter (who was living with me at the time), “Please don’t talk to me for a minute, I need to get this out of my head before I lose it.”

I sketched everything I could remember: gameplay ideas, triangular card designs, potential mechanics. The following weekend, I hand-cut the first prototype triangles from cardboard. But before gameplay, I had to figure out logistics:

• How many cards would go in each deck?
• How many cards in a player’s hand?
• How many on the table?
• How many cards would be left in the draw pile?

Then came the colours. I liked the Life-Saver colours or I liked the colours found on the Rexel Paper Ream. Both very distinctive and bright.

Then I kept coming back to the number three. Three sides to a triangle. Three’s always been a meaningful number in my life - it’s even my late dad’s birthday. So, three primary colours and three secondary colours felt right.

I spent months refining the colour combinations. Excel spreadsheets became my best friend. I wanted the gameplay to feel just challenging enough, not too easy, but not impossible either.

I also knew I wanted a little twist—something to shake things up. That’s where the action cards came in. After much trial and error, I settled on 10 Trash cards and 10 Replace cards. They added just enough devious fun to keep players on their toes.

One day in the shower (where all great ideas are born), I thought: What if players could “stack” on top of another card (especially high value cards) - trapping them? That’s when the Stack card came into existence. I limited it to three per pack (3 again) - it was powerful, but needed to be rare.

As a single mum, I’d had my fair share of “Monopoly-at-dinnertime” moments. I wanted Trigahex to be flexible. A game that could be played individually (1 vs 1) or in teams (2 vs 2). One that could run for 10 minutes or an hour. That way, it could meet players needs - regardless of time, group size, or ability. This kept the game interesting and replayable, and the player had the power to play how they wanted.

The goal was clear: A strategic card game that was easy to learn, quick to play, and endlessly replayable.

Naming the game became a family affair. We played with words like:

• Trigonometry (too academic)
• Tri (short and snappy)
• Hexagon (perfect for the shape a player is trying to achieve)

Eventually, through a flurry of group texts and domain checks, we landed on Trigahex.

It felt just right.

Back to square one.

That weekend, I made another 162 cards and put them out of the way. Lesson learned.

I invited a close friend over - someone I deeply respected - for the first real playtest outside of the family.

I needed the truth: Was I just wearing rose-coloured glasses, or was this actually good?

Her response after a few rounds?

“This is b!@@#$ good. You need to commercialise this.”

That was the push I needed.

As a Virgo, I’ve always believed everything should have its place - so when it came to the Trigahex box, I wanted the inside to be just as thoughtful and engaging as the game itself. I didn’t want players opening a box full of loose cards or clutter; I wanted a sense of order, a design that sparked curiosity before the first card was even played.

Luckily, my son-in-law is an engineer, and he was just as enthusiastic about the challenge as I was. We spent hours brainstorming the perfect internal layout - one that would store the cards neatly, feel satisfying to use, and reflect the game’s clean, clever feel. The size of the box was carefully considered as we researched the Australia Post costs for sending the game. He 3D printed the insert for me at home, but since his printer was small, he needed to produce it in two parts and carefully bond them together. 

It turned out beautifully. Everything has its place, and it sets the tone for the experience from the moment you lift the lid.

My first 3d printed box design (housing my prototype) with the outside printed in parts and stuck to the outside of the box.

I toyed with a blue box initially (my favorite colour) - but something felt off.

So I enlisted my Mum to help me do a little research. We went to Mind Games (Australia Fair, Gold Coast) and silently scoped out the shelves. Without saying a word, we both gravitated to the white box games.

Decision made. Trigahex would be bright, clean, and white.

With every aspect of the game purposeful, I now had an idea of how the game might look.

• Simple branding and easy-to-the-eye design to match the simple and easy game mechanics
• Neat and tidy internal design to match the orderly formation of the puzzle 

I teamed up with a graphic designer and played my prototype with her - I’d worked with her before. 

I started Googling everything I could about the board game industry. That’s when I discovered PAX Australia, a huge gaming convention held in Melbourne.

Most booths were booked out but by some stroke of luck a cancellation opened up. I took it.

You might notice the Trigahex sample hexagons started life with a White border. It was difficult to get these exact and even. Therefore, for ease of printing and quality, I removed the border. They are now a solid colour of each deck.

At PAX, I set up my booth with the samples, feedback forms (with QR codes), and pre-order options.

Over the weekend, hundreds of people played Trigahex. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Most people loved the game as-is, though a few minor tweaks to the instructions were suggested for clarity.

"I had to pinch myself"

To my surprise, I took 84 pre-orders on the spot.

I also met the team from Board Game BBQ, who gave me invaluable feedback and even interviewed me on their podcast.

I returned home, made the instruction changes, and went straight into production for my first 1,000 copies in October 2022 - just in time to ship for Christmas.

Since then, I’ve sold approximately 2,500 games and I’m about to enter my third print run.

• Approx. July 2021 - I had the idea
• July 2021 - April 2022 - created prototypes and played with family & friends
• April 2022 - Trigahex Business Name registered
• April 2022 - Trigahex Domain Name registered
• Early June 2022 - Logo finished
• End of June 2022 - Applied for Australian trademarks
• Early July 2022 - Confirmed the electronic file game design
• End of July 2022 - I ordered my 1st five Trigahex samples
• August 2022 - Applied for international trademarks
• October 2022 - I took my 1st five Trigahex samples to PAX Australia to test the waters and seek customer feedback.
• October 2022 - I ordered my 1st batch of 1000 Trigahex games and flew some over so I could fill my order for Christmas 2022
• December 2022 (5th) - my first games arrived in Australia
• 2023 - Trigahex was in the background - just a hobby
• 2024 - I decided to give Trigahex one last try
• August 2024 - Facebook Marketing Campaign Started
• October 2024 - A website redesign and paid more attention to its content
• 2025 - Working on building organic traffic to the Trigahex website

Trigahex is more than a card game. It’s a strategic experience that connects people of all ages and abilities. It’s quick, colourful, and cleverly crafted to grow with you. Whether you’re playing (individually (1vs1 or 1vs1vs1), teaming up (2vs2, 2vs2vs2 or 3vs3) at work, or having a quick round after dinner, it’s about connection, challenge, and fun.