[SBA x IT Donga Joint Planning] The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) have established startup hubs (centers) in Chang-dong, Seongsu, and Dongjak in Seoul. They aim to discover startups and support them with stage-specific programs from initial startup to growth stages. Here are promising startups with high growth potential that have shown remarkable activities by 2025.

Market research firm Fortune Business Insights forecasts that the global board game market will grow from USD 143.7 billion (approximately KRW 202 trillion) in 2024 to USD 158.9 billion (approximately KRW 223.3975 trillion) in 2025. The domestic market is also expected to grow from USD 352.07 million (approximately KRW 494.97521 billion) in 2024 to USD 384 million (approximately KRW 539.8656 billion) in 2025.

Why is the board game market growing? Market research firm Global Market Insights analyzed that modern people feel the need for human interaction amidst being surrounded by smartphones and digital devices. Although living in an era of infinite digital connectivity, people conversely feel a deeper sense of disconnection than ever before.



Consumers are focusing on board games to experience digital detox. Korea, which used to only import famous foreign board games, is now showcasing its own developed board games. However, board games like Lexio, introduced by Didanonia, which expand their universe into both online and offline markets, are rare. To hear about the secret to Lexio's success and future goals, an interview was conducted with Lee Kwang-hee, CEO of Didanonia.

Wishing to Create a Healthy Communication Platform through Board Games

CEO Lee Kwang-hee, formerly of the Korea Game Industry Agency, the predecessor of the Korea Creative Content Agency, has been involved in board game development since 2003. In the early 2000s, the Korean game market was rising with online games at its core, driven by the success story of 'Lineage.' However, issues of addiction and gambling related to online games also emerged. CEO Lee Kwang-hee discovered the potential to solve these problems in board games, which he encountered by chance.

In 2003, CEO Lee left his job and developed the creative board game 'Three Kingdoms Story.' The game gained attention, being designated as the official game of the Gyeongju World Culture Expo. In 2005, he won the 'Game of the Month Award' for the first time in board games with 'Lineage 2 Board Game.' In 2007, he established the Korea Board Game Industry Association to lay the foundation for the industry.

However, CEO Lee's efforts did not see the light. At that time, the domestic board game market was limited to importing and distributing famous foreign games, with no distribution network or market infrastructure for creative games. As a result, even though he created products, he had nowhere to sell them, leading to the pain of his first business closure.

Didanonia is CEO Lee's second venture, embodying his dream of creating a healthy and meaningful communication platform. The company name 'Didanonia' is a combination of the Greek words 'Didache' (education) and 'Koinonia' (fellowship), encapsulating the value of forming healthy and beneficial relationships through games.

CEO Lee emphasizes that board games are not just ordinary entertainment but a medium that connects people and allows them to experience pure joy, temporarily escaping the stress of reality. Instead of providing instant gratification through dopamine, it seeks serotonin that arises from intellectual enjoyment and mutual interaction.

Strategic Game 'Lexio' for Adults

Didanonia proposes the board game 'Lexio' as an alternative to alleviate the dopamine excess in modern society. Lexio was targeted at the adult market from the design stage. It adopts the basic rules of the Western card game poker but uses heavy plastic tiles reminiscent of Eastern mahjong tiles instead of regular cards. CEO Lee explains that he aimed to enhance the tactile experience in addition to the game's accessibility.

In Lexio, the goal is not to eliminate the opponent's tiles but to achieve victory through an overwhelming combination of tiles. Upon winning, the player gains the 'lead' to start the next game. The player with the lead can initiate attacks under desired conditions, thus leading the game flow. Participants must strategize by saving or boldly discarding tiles to seize the lead, even if they have good tiles. This process is short, lasting about 2 to 3 minutes, reducing boredom.

CEO Lee devoted considerable effort to product design to implement the concept of a game for adults. First, the score chips were made of the same material as casino chips, but their size was reduced to 3 cm to minimize the gambling feel. The tiles were designed to be heavy, providing a pleasant sound and tactile experience. This is an important factor in making Lexio perceived as a collectible object.



CEO Lee is preparing a systematic system to develop Lexio beyond a board game into a sport. The introduction of a rank system and the operation of the Lexio Championship are representative examples.

Lexio was designed with global competitions in mind from the early stages of development. The game system minimizes the influence of luck, with victory determined by skill. Currently, the Lexio Championship has grown into a full-fledged league, selecting the final winner through regional preliminaries at the end of the year. In addition to the domestic league, a Korea-Japan match is held, where top-ranked players from Korea and Japan compete. The winner of the Korea-Japan match is awarded a gold key engraved with the phrase 'Lexio World Champion,' stimulating competitive spirit.

The Lexio official rank system, modeled after the Go rank system, is also noteworthy. The top 20% of gamers in regional preliminaries are granted the official 1st rank, and those who achieve high results in the finals can be promoted to 2nd, 3rd rank, etc. As of 2025, over 500 ranked players are active, including 3 with 3rd rank, 44 with 2nd rank, and about 440 with 1st rank. CEO Lee stated, "Although the rank is practically useless, it provides motivation and a sense of belonging to gamers enjoying Lexio."

Expanding the Pleasure of Analog to Digital

Didanonia, which has built a solid fan base offline, aims to expand into digital and global markets next. First, Lexio will be developed for mobile platforms to increase accessibility. The biggest limitation of board games is that players must gather, but mobile games can be played with just an online connection. CEO Lee said, "There were many requests to make Lexio mobile. I anticipated that building the game online would enable the operation of global competitions."

The expansion to mobile platforms is one of the blueprints for Lexio's offline world championship. The Lexio mobile game serves as a platform to discover players and conduct global preliminaries. Didanonia strengthens Lexio's competitiveness with a hybrid strategy combining online and offline, challenging a new realm of 'K-board game sports.'



Didanonia is earnest about expanding Lexio's mobile platform, even recruiting developers from 'Everyone's Marble.' The Lexio mobile game, in the beta testing stage, is in the final stages of preparation, aiming for a March 2026 release.

The business model (BM) is designed considering the game's characteristics. It adopts a free-to-play model, benchmarked from the globally successful card game Uno Mobile. Gamers can enjoy the game for free, replenishing in-game currency through ad viewing or microtransactions when it runs low. Additionally, revenue will be generated by selling customization items such as tile skins and table designs that express gamers' individuality.

However, Didanonia's concern is securing stable investment. Investment is essential to enhance the completeness of the mobile game and provide stable services, but mobile game investment is relatively overlooked. CEO Lee cites the concentration of the investment market on specific fields such as AI, autonomous driving, and deep tech as the reason. He added, "The investment market is skeptical about mobile games. Although we are seeking external investment, it is difficult to receive favorable evaluations."

Didanonia plans to overcome the difficulty of securing investment by entering overseas markets. In October 2025, they plan to enter the German market, the heart of global board games. Once Lexio Mobile is commercialized in March 2026, they expect the pace of global expansion to accelerate.

All-in on Lexio's Success, Seeking the Next Lexio

Lexio proved its growth potential by achieving KRW 630 million in investment through crowdfunding (personal investment) platforms. It also secured KRW 270 million in investment on overseas crowdfunding platforms in Japan and the United States. Recently, it received a KRW 100 million investment from an angel investor. Didanonia plans to expand the countries where Lexio is sold after analyzing the German market trends.

The Seoul Business Agency (SBA) Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong serves as a solid base for Didanonia's challenge towards the global market. Having moved in June 2025, Didanonia is actively utilizing the hardware infrastructure of the Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong. This includes a professional studio equipped with filming and lighting equipment, media business, and support project announcements. CEO Lee said, "Even before moving in, we used the studio at the Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong for product photo shoots. After moving in, we produce content necessary for Lexio promotion in the studio. The space, facilities, and programs of the Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong are expected to be a solid support for Didanonia's growth."



"In a society where stress is rampant, feeling new joy even for a moment is important. I feel happiness and pride when I see people happy through Didanonia's board games. I hope more people share joy and happiness. To achieve that goal, I will focus on expanding the Lexio mobile service and overseas market entry."

Didanonia does not intend to rest on the success of Lexio. After Lexio Mobile successfully establishes itself in the market, the development team plans to gradually mobilize board games based on Didanonia's intellectual property (IP). They will also continuously develop the next-generation board games to follow Lexio.

IT Donga Reporter Kang Hyung-seok (redbk@itdonga.com)

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