12-year-old mates sign global card game deal for an idea they came up with in class

Three 12-year-old mates have signed a deal with a giant United Kingdom games company after they created a card game at school.

Friends Jacob Brumby, Sam Hawkes and Ben Logan devised* the game Swipee in 2022 from the back of their Stirling East Primary School classroom in the Adelaide Hills. Now they have struck a deal with The Fantastic Factory, which will see the boys earn a percentage* of sales from across the world.

Their game, which has already sold more than 1200 packs locally and through their website, will be stocked on shelves in 16 countries including across Europe.

The cards became more than just an idea when one of Jacob’s relatives, who works in the games industry, “took it to the next level”, Ben, 12, said.

“With the help of our parents we set up a business,” the Year 7 student now at Prince Alfred College said.

Inspired by games such as Uno, Go Fish and Snap, Swipee players try to get rid of their cards by lining up three in a row along a grid.

Players yell “Swipee” each time they achieve a line of three identical cards.

Last year, the trio, who are all keen footy players, raised more than $1000 to buy new sports equipment for their primary school by selling 350 packs.

Packs, featuring different emojis, are available on their website for $12 and they have made thousands of dollars in profit*.

They caught the attention of The Fantastic Factory after they were nominated for a South Australia Young Achievers Award.

“I’m very proud to know that a small game in the back of the class has gone this far,” Ben said.

His friend, Sam, said the success of their game “hasn’t set in yet”.

“We’re worldwide and I never could have expected this,” the 12-year-old, now at St Peter’s College, said.

Sam wants to “keep trying to make new designs and get it in more countries” in the future.

The cards are expected to hit shelves later this year or in early 2025.
POLL

GLOSSARY

• devised: planned with careful thought
• percentage: a share of something
• profit: the money you make after all costs have been paid

EXTRA READING
How to be a teen entrepreneur
Kids, it’s time to start your own business
Angus’ sweet eye for business

QUICK QUIZ
1. How will the boys benefit from the global deal?
2. What is the aim of the game Swipee?
3. When will it be available to buy from stores?
4. In how many countries will it be sold?
5. How did they gain the attention of The Fantastic Factory?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Name of the Game
After reading the Kids News article and description of the card game, how do you think these three mates came up with the name of the game Swipee?

Using a deck of cards, re-read the description offered in the article, and the instructions below on how to play the game, and play it with a partner. After playing a few rounds, what do you think makes the game successful enough for a famous games company to want to produce and sell it?

INSTRUCTIONS
(From website: swipeegames.com)
Deal out nine cards each and arrange them into a 3 x 3 grid pattern face down.
Flip the cards over. You can only move one card each turn either vertically or horizontally, not diagonally. 
To remove cards, you need to get three identical cards in a row. When you get rid of a row it can only be in a vertical or horizontal plane. You get to yell SWIPEE each time you do!
If you have a SWIPEE when you first flip the cards, you can remove them then.

During play, you can ask to trade cards with an other player.
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

2. Extension
Look at the game packaging for Swipee. What do you like and dislike about the game cards and box design. What would you change?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

VCOP ACTIVITY
1. Summarise the article
A summary is a brief statement of the main points of something. It does not usually include extra detail or elaborate on the main points.

Use the 5W & H model to help you find the key points of this article. Read the article carefully to locate who and what this article is about, and where, when, why and how this is happening. Once you have located this information in the article, use it to write a paragraph that summarises the article.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science