Mumbai, July 9, 2026: In an era dominated by digital screens and high-octane video games, a Mumbai-based IT professional-turned-social entrepreneur is looking to impart ancient Indian culture-based life lessons through a board game.
Sahil Shirke, the founder of the social ventures Bharatam Reawakening and Subhiksha, has spent the last two years developing Mumukshu, a deeply researched simulation board game based on Indian civilisation, history and the Indian Knowledge System (IKS).
The game, whose name translates to "a seeker of moksha (spiritual liberation)", aims to fill a massive void in the global gaming industry by offering an authentic representative of Indian soft power.
Unlike traditional fantasy or role-playing board games, Mumukshu is an immersive life simulation game wherein players play as themselves, competing with fellow players to live an ideal, perfect life according to the traditional Indian way.
Game Rooted In Indian Philosophy
The game is thoroughly rooted in core dharmic concepts, including the purusharthas (the four ultimate goals of human life), grihastha dharma (the duties of a householder), maya (illusion and distraction), and karma (deeds).
Winning the game does not rely on simple luck or ruthless financial accumulation. Instead, the key to victory lies in resource management, overcoming life challenges, strategic decision-making and activating siddhis (unique superpowers).
To simulate the true complexity of Indian philosophy, players must maintain a delicate five-fold balance across their personal goals, fulfilling familial needs and wants, societal responsibilities, spiritual endeavours, and their broader contribution to the larger dharma and civilisation.
To achieve this, the gameplay mechanics require players to manage financial wealth and kripa points (divine grace), earned through righteous actions, which allow players to undertake extraordinary works.
If a player accumulates sufficient kripa points, they can activate a siddhi (superpower) to gain a strategic edge. However, players must also constantly calculate the destabilising effects of maya, which represents the real-world distractions that can derail a well-planned life strategy.
The professions within the game are inspired by the Upavedas (applied traditional knowledge), ensuring that every mechanic is tethered to historical realities.
Furthermore, the game board maps Akhand Bharat, the historical cultural sphere of India that once influenced regions stretching from modern-day Syria to South-East Asia, allowing players to organically absorb the history and geography of the civilisation during gameplay.
Vision Behind Mumukshu
The inspiration for Mumukshu struck Shirke much before he returned to India in 2024 from Thailand, where he had been working in the renewable energy sector. Back in Mumbai, through Bharatam Reawakening, a youth discussion forum, he regularly organised debates on culture and governance. However, he soon noticed a recurring flaw in the format.
"We used to organise debates and discussions among youngsters, but once people left the room, they forgot about it. This was always at the back of my mind. I wondered how to create a long-term impact on people, and I realised entertainment sources are the perfect vehicle," Sahil told The Free Press Journal.
Shirke points to the endurance of India's epics as historical proof of this concept.
"The Ramayana and Mahabharata have sustained for thousands of years not just through texts, but due to Ramleela performances and televised series. When a child plays a game or engages with a narrative visually, it gets stored in the back of their mind. Games have a major impact on our decision-making."
While board gaming culture is inherently Bharatiya, with ancient roots in games like Pachisi and Chaupar, Shirke notes that the modern board gaming boom has been overwhelmingly dominated by the West, China and Japan. Mumukshu is an attempt to reclaim that space.
Shirke's vision aligns closely with a broader national push towards indigenous gaming. In his Independence Day speeches in both 2024 and 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi consistently highlighted the immense soft power potential of the gaming industry, urging developers to create games rooted in Indian concepts and IKS.
"Indian education needs to be centred around the IKS. There is a massive void in the education and entertainment sector. Mumukshu blends history and IKS with high-stakes entertainment," Shirke said.
Launch Planned Next Month
The commitment to authenticity extends to the physical design of the board game itself, as Mumukshu features artwork inspired by 21 distinct Indian art styles, some of which are nearly extinct. By integrating these endangered art forms into the game's visual identity, the project also acts as a preservation tool for traditional Indian craftsmanship.
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As Mumukshu nears its final release, it stands as a testament to how ancient philosophy can be gamified for the modern age—proving that the quest for an ideal life can be fought, won and understood across a tabletop. The board game will be launched in a month, followed by digital and virtual reality versions.
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