Mohammed Azharudheen, Flemin Fernandez, Arif Ali, Riyas Shajahan, and Ashiq Samad became friends at Cordova Public School in Ambalathara, Thiruvananthapuram, in 2002. After class, the group would kick back to enjoy tea and snacks until they had to head home late at night.
They wanted to hold on to this friendship. “We used to meet daily until college. We decided we should do something together to stay connected, meet occasionally, or at least talk on the phone. This eventually led us to start the venture Kidinyou,” says Riyas, a cinematographer.
Kidinyou, a startup which creates handcrafted wooden games, was founded after they had discussed other options such as cafes or eateries, popular choices in recent times. “We have always been into games. It was one of the things that connected the five of us, along with food and movies,” says Flemin, a schoolteacher. Other members of the group, Arif, Azharudheen, and Ashiq, work at a graphic design agency, finance company and an IT firm, respectively.
Kidinyou games at an event
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“Then we had to identify what kind of games. Since there are plenty of PC games and PlayStation games out there, we thought of bringing in non-electronic board games,” says Flemin.
Their catalogue currently features 12 games, with new additions being made regularly. The games are challenge-based, with a specific objective and a given time limit. “We have adapted a few party games from the US and Europe into wooden arcade games too,” says Flemin.
Among the games in the list are Dare Drop, which tests hand-eye coordination as players guide a ball to a hole, Red Rush, a one-on-one puzzle game, and an ice hockey-style game. “Bestseller is a memory game with 15 pairs of tiles arranged in a grid. The players must flip them and match the tiles,” he adds.
The games were first presented at TriCult 2026, a three-day urban cultural festival held in Thiruvananthapuram, early this year. They were also featured at Olam, a city-based annual creative and cultural fete, celebrating art, music, fashion, and local entrepreneurship, which the founders consider their biggest event till date.
Their games are part of family gatherings, parties, corporate events, product launches, and so on, across the State. “The response has been positive across events and ages. Irrespective of their profession, people have played our games and enjoyed themselves. At a time when recreation is just a touch away, we are offering them something different. Our USP is that we are turning screen time into play time,” says Flemin. “We do accept the importance of phones and technology, but once in a while we need to disconnect and be with real people in real time. This has been our motto and goal,” he adds.
Kidinyou games at an event
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The games can also be modified to suit occasions. “We recently collaborated with an electric two-wheeler manufacturer for an event, incorporating specifications of their scooters into games as part of a brand promotion. We also have organised charity events at companies and have participated in flea markets,” says Flemin.
The team is also planning to propose their games to schools as an extra-curricular activity to de-stress. “Many of these games are helpful for a child’s development, especially in building hand-eye coordination, precision and problem-solving skills,” says Flemin.
The team is planning to set up an experience centre. Flemin says, “Often, those who know our games ask us where can they play them. We want to create a space for those people.”
Contact Kidinyou via the Instagram handle @kidinyougames
Published – October 01, 2026 05:00 pm IST
