Colin Cliffe launches strategy board game after 34 year development

Colin Cliffe released his two-player strategy game, Tri-Armi, after developing the concept during his honeymoon in Greece 34 years ago.

Cliffe conceived the idea while playing Connect 4 in a remote area of Greece. He initially struggled to refine the game because his first version resulted in a draw 50% of the time. He eventually put the project aside for years before his daughters rediscovered the prototype and began playing it regularly.

Cliffe faced numerous personal and professional obstacles during the development process. He paused work on the game to care for his wife, Bernadette, who died in 2015, and later faced the loss of several other family members. The Covid-19 pandemic delayed his plans for another two years. Additionally, the production firm he initially hired for manufacturing went into administration.

Cliffe eventually secured a new production company located just a few miles from his home in Audlem, Cheshire, in the United Kingdom. He now handles the packing and shipping of the game himself. Cliffe believes the game is simple and addictive and plans to develop two more board games and a card game in the future.