Titansoft has turned 20!
This year, we gave ourselves a special anniversary project, turning all the learning and trials along the way into a board game we can play together: TITANPOLY.
Roll the dice, and your journey begins.
This isn’t just a game, it’s the opening chapter of an adventure.
Table of Contents
- Basic Overview: An Invitation to Join Our Journey
- Q&A: The Things You’ll Probably Wonder Before Playing
- A. Do the player characters’ names and designs have special meaning?
- B. If someone runs out of cash and goes bankrupt, can the game continue? What happens to their cards?
- C. I want to play TITANPOLY, how can I buy it?
- Behind the Scenes: From a Spark of Inspiration to the creation of TITANPOLY
- Continuous Learning: Bringing Agile from Methods into Everyday Life
1. Basic Overview: An Invitation to Join Our Journey
Titansoft began its journey twenty years ago, and a decade later, we transformed the way we work by adopting Agile. Along the way, we learnt that progress isn’t just about knowledge, but how we have learned to move forward amid uncertainty and, through each attempt, built the capability to face the next challenge. Bringing the culture and values embodied in A Roaming Whale’s Tale, TITANPOLY weaves the spirit of that book into every roll of the dice and every choice made.
But the vast blue ocean hides unpredictable currents, chances and challenges ahead. Sometimes, quick learning brings you wealth; sometimes, you must skillfully use tools to overcome difficulties. There are times to rely on your people and times to rely on your ideas. Let teammates multiply your strength, and let bold innovation turn crisis into opportunity. To navigate the ever-changing waves, rely on Self-Management, Continuous Learning, and Teamwork. But to ensure victory, make the mastery of tools, the effective use of talent, and being Value Driven your core focus.
We believe that fun is the best source of energy.
Titansoft’s vision is: “We are Producers of Fun.”
Our mission is: “Titansoft delivers fun to humankind.”
So don’t see this game as just a competition. It’s an experience of learning, collaboration, and growth.
“You don’t have to be ready to start. You start and you become ready.”
Now, we invite you to join us on this journey.
2. Q&A: The Things You’ll Probably Wonder Before Playing
A. Do the player characters’ names and designs have special meaning?
💛 Tiger represents #ValueDriven
“Tiger” was the name of the first Agile team Titansoft formed in Singapore when we adopted Agile in 2014. We weren’t “born Agile.” This name represents Titansoft’s spirit of daring to try, and “small steps, continuous learning and taking an iterative approach” are core principles of Agile thinking.
- Titaner (rugby ball): “Titaner” means a Titansoft employee; the rugby ball references where the word “Scrum” comes from, and it is also a key element in our 2024 T-shirt design.
- Time Timer: A must-have tool for big Titansoft meetings. Visualizing time helps us manage meetings better.
- Shiok: A Singaporean way to say “cheers,” symbolizing our drinking culture. We believe a well-timed drink and some relaxation can help with communication.
Extra note: “Tiger Team” isn’t a term we invented. Broadly, it refers to an emergency task force assembled to respond to unexpected situations, like a major criminal case task force, a cross-functional team formed to solve sudden quality issues, or a rapid-response team for high-profile incidents.
References: Scrum (Rugby), Tiger Team
🧡 Twenty represents #ContinuousLearning
“Twenty” literally means 20, symbolizing that Titansoft, founded in 2005, is turning 20! Over the years, we’ve never stopped learning. But learning isn’t just charging forward, it’s also about repeatedly pausing to check in with ourselves. That’s why Retrospectives matter so much!
- FUN: Titansoft’s vision: Producers of Fun.
- Agile / Titansoft flip-hourglass: A Titansoft-special merchandise designed in 2020. Whether read upright or upside down, it still spells “Agile” and “Titansoft” in Chinese. It represents how Agile flowed into Titansoft and changed us, and 15 minutes also happens to be perfect for daily stand-up meetings.
- Since 2005 / cake with 20 candles: Our founding year and 20th anniversary.
🩷 Tana represents #EmergentLeadership
Tana is modeled after our PR teammate Nana, swapping the first letter to T for Titansoft. Nana is also the Content Planner & Editor behind TITANPOLY.
- Tica & friends (Tio, Timi): Our mascots, orca Tica, seal Tio, and salmon-sashimi Timi, turned into a plushie, slippers, and hairband respectively.
- Titansoft Creations: On the shirt is the Titansoft Creations logo, designed with the shape of whales combined with the colours of the six core values, along with the letter ‘T’ representing Titansoft.
- Camera: Symbolizes our editors running channels like Instagram, TikTok, T.8ytes Blog, and LinkedIn to build our employer brand.
💙 Thao represents #Practical
Thao is modeled after our VP (Vice President), C.Chao, again replacing the first letter with T for Titansoft.
- Singapore: Symbolizes Titansoft’s origins in the Lion City.
- Coding: Represents our focus on developing and maintaining online software platforms.
💚 Titan represents #Being Adaptive
“TITAN” comes from “TITANSOFT,” representing Titaners who love to share. That spirit led us to create series like “For The Tech Evangelists”, sharing both Agile experiences and software skills as a way to deepen our own learning.
- T.alking stick: Titansoft’s 18th anniversary gift (in 2023) symbolizes the right to speak. Only the person holding the talking stick may speak, while others must remain silent, a tradition rooted in the wisdom of ancient Native American tribes.
- Chameleon: We cultivate T-shaped talent and encourage cross-skill growth, hoping teammates develop chameleon-like adaptability
- V-CEPAT: An abbreviation of our six core values; together it sounds like “5x faster” in Malay, so we designed it like a dashboard with the needle at 5x. It was part of our 2022 flight jacket design.
🩶 Toms represents #Transparency
Toms is modeled after our GM (General Manager), Tomas, removing the “a” from his name.
- A Roaming Whale’s Tale: Titansoft’s corporate storybook published in 2022, and the theme of this board game.
- Sticky notes: Essential tools for Titaners’ everyday work, whether for convenience, visualization, or enhancing the quality of face‑to‑face communication, these are values we prioritize.
- Titansoft dice: Titansoft’s 15th anniversary commemorative gift includes the Titansoft 15th Anniversary Dice, the Self‑Esteem Toolkit Dice, and the King’s Cup Dice, inspiring us whether we’re facing life’s challenges or simply enjoying a drinking game
B. If someone runs out of cash and goes bankrupt, can the game continue? What happens to their cards?
Right now, the game is set up so that the game ends when someone goes bankrupt, but if you still want to keep playing, the other players can absolutely continue.
During playtests, bankruptcy did come up. We adjusted things like salary and pricing ratios, and we discussed card handling issues many times. In the end, we decided not to hard-code one rule. Instead, we leaned into the spirit of self-organization and left the decision to the players.
That said, here are some methods you can consider:
- The bankrupt player sells all their cards for an agreed amount of cash so they can continue the game.
- The bankrupt player returns all cards to “OD”, other players continue the game and may purchase the cards at their original price.
- The bankrupt player returns all cards to “OD”, and other players are not allowed to purchase them.
These are the common approaches, but players can always discuss and come up with their own ways to play!
C. I want to play TITANPOLY, how can I buy it?
TITANPOLY is Titansoft’s 20th anniversary commemorative gift. The first batch is for all Titaners and the consultants who have worked with us, and it is not yet available for sale.
But if you’re a fan and want to try it, feel free to message us on Titansoft’s LinkedIn or Instagram.
3. Behind the Scenes: From a Spark of Inspiration to the creation of TITANPOLY
Brainstorming
Over the years, Titansoft has made plenty of fun merch. As Producers of Fun, we wanted something even bolder and more special for our 20th anniversary.
One day, someone posted a photo of Tica’s long-service award trophy in the Titaners Slack channel. A teammate’s comment sparked a sudden and audacious idea, and just like that, TITANPOLY was born.
The idea surfaced in late February 2025, and began to take shape in March. We were constantly brainstorming on chairs, pillows, and even in the restroom. The moment inspiration struck, we immediately wrote it down on our phones or laptops. We started from classic board-game mechanics, then slowly infused Titansoft’s culture, core values, and Agile mindset, carefully blending them into a version of TITANPOLY that belongs to Titaners.
But you can’t make a board game that only creates ripples inside your own head, it has to resonate with other people too. That’s where feedback became crucial.
Collecting Feedback
Once we had the first version, we jumped straight into user interaction. We laid things out in Keynote and Word, then went through endless cycles of printing, cutting, laminating, and pasting. At last, the super‑duper rough version of TITANPOLY 1.0 was born!
From March to September, we ran five playtest sessions in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. We listened to feedback from nearly 30 players, constantly discussing, revising, and iterating, stumbling our way to TITANPOLY 6.0. We naively thought we were almost done… nope. The design and layout stage turned out to be the SSS-rank final boss.
Continuous Iteration
As we moved from version 1.0 to 6.0, we were also working on visual design and English translations. From the original concepts of Tiger, Twenty, and Titan, to the chibi-style depictions of Tana, Thao, and Toms; from 30 role-based character illustrations of Tica, Tio, and Timi, to the final key visual where Tica transforms into “Mr. Titanpoly”, every element and detail carries a piece of Titansoft’s story.
For the English translation, we collaborated with our Singapore teammates. It wasn’t just about converting Chinese into English, but also about refining the Chinese wording based on English phrasing and tone, and even sneaking in a few Singlish Easter eggs. Strictly speaking, this is no longer TITANPOLY 6.0, but TITANPOLY 99.9!
At this stage, you might think it’s done, but nope!
The “Four-Eyes” Proofreading Stage
Have you heard of the Four-Eyes Principle? It means that important documents must be reviewed by at least two people (four eyes). But in product development… four eyes are nowhere near enough.
On the last page of the rulebook, you’ll see two words: ‘Copy Proofreading.’ Those two simple words cost us a long, long four months. From Chinese to English, design to layout, FINAL to FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL, in an endless loop of “read it 100 times, revise it 101 times,” we finally rolled out the version you’re holding now.
Retrospective
At Titansoft, every sprint and every event ends with a retrospective. The goal is to keep what worked well and honestly face what we can improve next time.
With zero experience in board game design, we dove in headfirst fueled only by passion, and only after getting soaked did we realize we hadn’t prepared our clothes, shoes, or bags. Our PR team has just four people, each person is 25% of the total power. On top of that, we were juggling other projects at the same time, so the social channels we usually maintained had to be “frozen” like wet laundry shoved into a freezer. If we ever do another massive project, the Bus Factor is definitely something we’ll need to manage more carefully.
No matter how tough the process was, we still pulled it off.
But honestly, we also know it’s hard for any product to be perfect in one go. While playing, you might still find small bugs, or feel like a small tweak would make things smoother, and that’s totally normal.
To us, TITANPOLY is more like a work-in-progress that we’re finishing together. Each version reflects the choices everyone made together in that moment, not some single “perfect standard” answer.
Done is better than perfect.
Play first, feel it out, then fine‑tune, that’s how this game came to life.
Before the next big project arrives, we invite you to join us in enjoying TITANPOLY, a creation that took ten months to bring to life.
4. Continuous Learning: Bringing Agile from Methods into Everyday Life
When we designed TITANPOLY, we intentionally made Continuous Learning the core engine that drives the game forward. We believe that growth doesn’t happen all at once. Instead, it’s built from the accumulation of every attempt, correction, and step forward. Every choice and every action is experience gained.
This design comes from what we’ve learned by practicing Agile: what truly determines whether a team can go far and stay steady is often not the technology itself, but how people work together.
Agile emphasizes self-organization, cross-functional teams, and fast feedback. But for those ideas to truly take root, everyone needs enough “soft skills” to support them: the ability to express themselves and listen to others; to hold their viewpoints while respecting differences; to take responsibility and also ask for help at the right time.
That’s why TITANPOLY is not just “Agile turned into a game.” It’s a way to transform those critical yet hard‑to‑measure abilities into experiences that can be felt, practiced, and reflected upon.
And when the game ends, the real learning is only just beginning.
We organized the learning into four core dimensions, each corresponding to abilities that appear repeatedly in the game, and are most frequently needed in the workplace:
- Growth: Steady yourself to go farther.
Connected to emotional management, self-management, resilience, and the ability to face setbacks and change. - Thinking: Finding direction in the midst of chaos
Covers problem‑solving, systems thinking, decision‑making, and understanding complex situations. - Influence: Earning trust and inspiring followership
Focused on communication, cross‑department collaboration, building trust, and motivating teams. - Business: Turning effort into real value.
Helps in understanding organizational context, resource allocation, value judgment, and seeing the bigger picture.
T.8ytes by Titansoft 