When Sandra Harewood developed the word game RAID, now available in the App Store and Google Play, it was suggested she find a man to front her company. There was a fear that people wouldn’t want to play a game developed by a woman. Harewood refused, and now her game is being downloaded on mobile devices around the globe.
Sandra Harewood is an inspiring, determined woman who convinced the largest game developer in the world, Cartamundi, to manufacture both the board version and digital version of RAID. The board version of RAID is now available for purchase.
RAID is the world’s fastest and coolest word game. It’s designed to keep players engaged from start to finish. The idea for RAID came to Harewood after a frustrating game night that had one player taking too long to play their turn causing everyone to lose interest.
Christina: What is your SwagHer? What makes Sandra, Sandra?
Sandra: I am a woman who loves to laugh and see my friends and family laugh. I find this often happens when we are playing board games together! That’s the main reason why I invented and developed the board game RAID – so that we would have more good times laughing together.
Christina: What inspired you to develop RAID?
Sandra: I was at a game night playing a board game with friends, but there was one particular person who was taking ages to play. Other players and I were frustrated and bored waiting for our turn to play. The game was eventually abandoned, and we spent the remainder of the evening chatting, eating, and drinking.
The host was a good friend, and so I stayed behind to help her clean up. She was saying her goodbyes at the front door. During that time, I drank some red wine and played around with the letters that were strewn on the carpet. A cold breeze blew in from the front door, and EUREKA – the idea for an exciting, fun game where everyone was involved for 100% of the game came to me! RAID was born on that carpet!
Christina: Can you tell our readers what RAID is?
Sandra: RAID is a word game where players form words drawing from the same pool of letters, which are constantly being added to. Players compete against each other to fill up their rows with words before the other players.
Players can “RAID” or steal words from opponents by adding one or more letters to another player’s word and changing the meaning of that word. For example, you can RAID the word EAR by adding a D to form the new word DEAR, or HUG can be raided from an opponent by adding L + A and rearranging the letters it becomes LAUGH.
Christina: How can someone play RAID? Is it a mobile app, or is it available on a website? Sandra: The RAID game app is now available to download and play on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and Google Play for Android devices. Just search for the keywords RAID word game.
Christina: How did you come up with the name RAID? Does it stand for something?
Sandra: The game has been playtested with diverse focus groups in San Francisco, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, The Caribbean, and London, UK. Several names were suggested, and all players chose the name RAID as really reflecting the quick and exciting thrust of the game!
Christina: Do you have any advice for people who want to create games?
Sandra: I love playing games and so am totally immersed and involved in this area. My advice would be to think about what you love doing and seeing if you can build a business from that.
Sandra: Christina: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you want our readers to know about?
Sandra: I am launching the RAID board game sales for $45 and the five-year subscription to the Advert Free App for $10 on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform. Now Kickstarter may be new to many of your readers, but it is a platform used by creative entrepreneurs to accept orders for their products. It has taken $6 billion of orders since its inception in 2009. I recommend that more women and minority-owned businesses look at this way of doing business to spur their growth.
Christina: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Sandra: There are early bird discounts of $24 for orders received in the first few days of the campaign. Game boxes will be delivered in November, so I am inviting you to do your Christmas shopping with a female entrepreneur.
Connect with Sandra below:
Website: www.RAIDwordGAME.com
Facebook: RAIDwordGAME
Instagram: RAIDwordGAME
