New WhatsApp-based game Hidden.sg revives Singapore's forgotten tales | The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – After spending 14 years in the United Kingdom, Singaporean Lim Yee Hung returned home to find out he had forgotten much about his home country. Diving into the National Archives 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. Hidden.sg 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, to which the late Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit in 1972. Mr Lim, a co-founder of Move Technologies, the company behind the game, said Hidden.sg 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
Read More