Turning play into purpose
A leading wildlife destination in Singapore wanted to extend its mission of inspiring children to care for animals and the planet beyond the park. The initial idea was a digital sandbox game where kids could explore, experiment, and learn from home.
Through in-market validation, we refined the concept and eventually launched a personalised story experience that helps parents connect with their children through shared storytelling and meaningful memories.
Project deep dive
Challenge: Competing without an advantage
Entering the games industry meant competing in a crowded space without existing capabilities, distribution channels, or brand presence. The right to win was low, and early estimates showed that building a full 3D sandbox game would be expensive and slow to bring to market.
From sandbox to storybook
We pivoted toward interactive storybooks as a faster, more age-specific way to enter the market. Testing early concept mock-ups with parents at the zoo showed strong interest in stories that teach positive values. We also learned that parents were looking for experiences they could enjoy together with their children.
Lean experiments in the wild
With a clearer understanding of what parents and children wanted, we built our first PWA prototype in three sprints and tested it directly in the zoo. We set up stations to attract visitors, gave them access to the app, and gathered feedback in real time.
Through these tests, we learned that the proposition was drifting away from the core reasons families visit the zoo, making it harder to attract and onboard users. We needed to simplify the experience and connect it more closely to the actual zoo visit to improve adoption.
Driving adoption through familiarity
In the next iteration, we focused on making the experience simpler and more natural within a day at the zoo. Families were already queuing for souvenir photos, so we turned that moment into a story-creation touchpoint. Instead of selling just a photo, we offered a personalised storybook featuring the child and their favourite animal. This instantly captured interest and validated willingness to pay.
We also simplified the flow and shortened the time to the “aha” moment. In the first version, families had to complete photo missions to unlock animals before seeing their story. By setting up a booth near a popular animal like the penguin, children could get their first story right away and explore the rest of the experience later.
From Vision to Validation
What began as a pilot quickly proved its potential. More than 1,000 families purchased personalised stories, conversion rates reached 8.3 percent, and satisfaction rose to 76 percent with an NPS of +38.
We built the venture from the ground up, shaping the product and go-to-market strategy, setting up fulfilment operations, and assembling a 12-member cross-functional team across design, product, engineering, and pedagogical expertise.
The traction unlocked over six million dollars in investment and opened the door to new growth partnerships, including a collaboration with Club Med that is now expanding across their resorts. What started as a small experiment has grown into a platform that continues to inspire families through stories that connect play, learning, and care for the planet.