Masala Lab

MASALA LAB
3 family games about Indian food.
Based on the best-selling book "Masala Lab" by Krish Ashok

Boxes of the boardgame Masala Lab placed next to each other on a wooden background

What is special in Masala Lab?

3 Games-in-1

That's right, not 1, not 2, but 3 games you can play with the components in the box! The games are of varying duration and difficulty.

Rulebook illustration in comic style - showing two sections of a game board split in the middle, with the word "OR" in between. The bubble reads "The 3rd action is to access your pantry with your cubes. Move your cube to a space in your pantry to “access” it. You can move twice per turn- move 1 cube twice, or 2 cubes once! Always start a column from its top-most space. "

rules are not boring!

We have a fully illustrated comic-style rulebook, because it's way more fun to read comics than an instruction manual. Just look at the pictures instead of parsing complex grammar!

Two boxes of games named Masala Lab Mini and Masala Lab placed side by side, slightly angled and facing each other.

choose your box

There are 2 options to suit your budget. The Standard box with 3 games, or the Mini box with just 1 short & sweet game.

What is special in Masala Lab?

3 Games-in-1

That's right, not 1, not 2, but 3 games you can play with the components in the box! The games are of varying duration and difficulty.

rules are not boring!

We have a fully illustrated comic-style rulebook, because it's way more fun to read comics than an instruction manual. Just look at the pictures instead of parsing complex grammar!

choose your box

There are 2 options to suit your budget. The Standard box with 3 games, or the Mini box with just 1 short & sweet game.

what is masala lab?

Book - Masala Lab - The science of Indian Cooking by Krish Ashok

the book

A book about food-science in the Indian kitchen by best-selling author Krish Ashok that deals with the science behind everyday cooking. You needn’t have read the book to play the game, but it’s a great book to read anyway!

Board game Masala Lab placed against a wooden background. Title reads Masala Lab - 3 family games about Indian food. Based on the best-seller by Krish Ashok

the game

Inspired by the book, but more food than science. In the book, Ashok talks about “Prepping” building-blocks that can then be converted into a dish with minimal effort by adding protein or vegetables. This is the core theme of the game. Masala Lab is illustrated by Meghna Menon. Check out her work here.

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what are the 3 games?

Comic style illustration of an Indian woman wearing a saree, sitting in front of a meal served on a banana leaf. Speech bubble reads "The first card game, “Tiffin” is a short game (~30 min) which is not Rummy, but easy to pick up if you’re familiar with Rummy. In this game, you will collect food “Items” to make chutneys and gravies (Prep). "

game 1: tiffin

Breakfast is popularly called "Tiffin" in South India, and this is a nice little starter game to break your fast. This is a game for 2-4 players.

Comic style illustration of an Indian woman wearing a saree, sitting in front of a meal served on a banana leaf. Speech bubble reads "You can use the rules of Game 1 and a few more rules and components to play a slightly longer 2nd game, “Sadya*” (~60 min). In this game, you use the “Prep” you made to serve “Dishes” like biryani on the banana leaf!"

game 2: sadya

Sadya is the Malayalam word for "feast", and this game is the main course, something to really sink your teeth into. This too, is a game for 2-4 players.

Comic style illustration of a Tetris console. Speech bubble reads "The 3rd game, “Dessert” (~30 min), is the easiest to learn, but will ask your brain to burn the most calories! You have to fulfill orders from some fussy customers who want their plates arranged in Tetris shapes during service!"

game 3: dessert

If you're of a certain vintage, and spent several hours playing "Brick-game" on a little handheld console, this is a little nostalgic hat-tip to those times. This is a game for 2 or 4 players.

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what are the 3 games?

game 1: tiffin

Breakfast is popularly called "Tiffin" in South India, and this is a nice little starter game to break your fast. This is a game for 2-4 players.

game 2: sadya

Sadya is the Malayalam word for "feast", and this game is the main course, something to really sink your teeth into. This too, is a game for 2-4 players.

game 3: dessert

If you're of a certain vintage, and spent several hours playing "Brick-game" on a little handheld console, this is a little nostalgic hat-tip to those times. This is a game for 2 or 4 players.

Buy it Now

What's in the box?

MINI BOX

STANDARD BOX

Boardgame box Masala Lab Mini placed next to two stacks of cards.

The Mini box is travel friendly, and easy to carry. You can play only Game 1 (Tiffin) with the contents of the Mini-box!

In the Mini box, you get:

2 packs of cards (110 cards in all)
A foldable, comic-style, illustrated rule-sheet.

Boardgame Masala Lab with contents laid out - illustrated cards, banana leaf board, and a comic style rulebook.

The Standard box is for the value-seekers. You can play all 3 games (Tiffin, Sadhya, and Dessert) with the contents of the Standard box!

In the Standard box, you get:

3 packs of cards (165 cards in all)
4 playing boards (2-sided)
A comic-style, illustrated rule booklet
20 playing tokens (in 4 colours, for the 4 players)

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what is in the boxes?

MINI BOX

The Mini box is travel friendly, and easy to carry. You can play only Game 1 (Tiffin) with the contents of the Mini-box!

In the Mini box, you get:

2 packs of cards (110 cards in all)
A foldable, comic-style, illustrated rule-sheet.

STANDARD BOX

The Standard box is for the value-seekers. You can play all 3 games (Tiffin, Sadhya, and Dessert) with the contents of the Standard box!

In the Standard box, you get:

3 packs of cards (165 cards in all)
4 playing boards (2-sided)
A comic-style, illustrated rule booklet
20 playing tokens (in 4 colours, for the 4 players)

Buy it now

what is the price?

Masala Lab Mini. Rs. 1499/- incl. of all taxes. Free shipping within India.

MINI BOX

Mini box is priced at INR 1,499/- inclusive of all taxes.

There's free shipping all over India!

Buy it Now

Masala Lab. Rs. 2499/- incl. of all taxes. Free shipping within India.

STANDARD BOX

The Standard box is priced at INR 2,499/- inclusive of all taxes.

Here too, there's free shipping all over India!

Buy it Now

what is the price?

MINI BOX

Mini box is priced at INR 1,499/- inclusive of all taxes.

There's free shipping all over India!

Buy it Now

STANDARD BOX

The Standard box is priced at INR 2,499/- inclusive of all taxes.

Here too, there's free shipping all over India!

Buy it Now

Great value for everyone!

new to boardgames?

Welcome to the hobby! This game is perfect for you, and we have worked very hard to make it as easy as possible for new gamers!

Familiar

A familiar theme! Who doesn't love Indian food?

Familiar rules. Game 1 is an easy leap if you have played Rummy.

Easy to Learn

A lot of new gamers suffer from rule fatigue, so we simplified the learning process. Firstly, you can learn them in smaller chunks. The rules of Game 1 are fully used in Game 2. Secondly, we made the rulebook fully illustrated in comic-style, so that it's easier to look at the pictures if there's a doubt!

Mild challenges, Reasonable duration

The games are 30-60 minutes long. They need a little bit of planning, but nothing that will break your brain!

Buy it Now

boardgame veteran?

Maybe this is the game to finally convince those friends and relatives, whom you've been trying to get into gaming all this while!

Familiar

Invite them over with an image they are familiar with - A game about food, served on a banana leaf! Who can resist?

Easy to teach

Teach the games progressively over 2 or 3 sessions. Players don't need to learn all the rules at once!

A buffet of mechanics!

Across the 3 games, we cover set-collection, engine building, worker placement, and pattern formation, so your friends can sample a bit of everything before deciding what they like before jumping into the deep end!

Buy it Now

Great value for everyone!

new to boardgames?

Welcome to the hobby! This game is perfect for you, and we have worked very hard to make it as easy as possible for new gamers!

Familiar

A familiar theme! Who doesn't love Indian food?

Familiar rules. Game 1 is an easy leap if you have played Rummy.

Easy to Learn

A lot of new gamers suffer from rule fatigue, so we simplified the learning process. Firstly, you can learn them in smaller chunks. The rules of Game 1 are fully used in Game 2. Secondly, we made the rulebook fully illustrated in comic-style, so that it's easier to look at the pictures if there's a doubt!

Mild challenges, Reasonable duration

The games are 30-60 minutes long. They need a little bit of planning, but nothing that will break your brain!

Buy it Now

boardgame veteran?

Maybe this is the game to finally convince those friends and relatives, whom you've been trying to get into gaming all this while!

Familiar

Invite them over with an image they are familiar with - A game about food, served on a banana leaf! Who can resist?

Easy to teach

Teach the games progressively over 2 or 3 sessions. Players don't need to learn all the rules at once!

A buffet of mechanics!

Across the 3 games, we cover set-collection, engine building, worker placement, and pattern formation, so your friends can sample a bit of everything before deciding what they like before jumping into the deep end!

Buy it Now

How to Play Videos

Game 1: Tiffin

Game 2: Sadya

Game 3: Dessert

How to Play Videos

Game 1: Tiffin

Game 2: Sadya

Game 3: Dessert

when will the game be ready?

We plan to launch in late - September / early - October 2024! We hope to stick to this timeline barring any unforeseen events and calamities.

You can reserve a copy of Masala Lab now, and get it in time for gifting during the festive season, or as something to play during your year-end holidays! Here is a tentative time-plan below, for the inner project-manager in you.

Timeline of events: Apr-May - completion of artwork May-Jun - Test prints Jun-Jul - Final printing Aug-Sep - Quality check & packing Sep-Oct - Shipping

when will the game be ready?

We plan to launch in late - September / early - October 2024! We hope to stick to this timeline barring any unforeseen events and calamities.

You can reserve a copy of Masala Lab now, and get it in time for gifting during the festive season, or as something to play during your year-end holidays! Here is a tentative time-plan below, for the inner project-manager in you.

what is a pre-order?

You're just placing an order in advance! In a pre-order, you place an order before the game has been printed. The game will be shipped to you once the product is ready.

What's in it for you?

You'll get the game of course! This is not a donation, or an investment, just a plain old purchase, except you get the game after a few months! If you've been to purchase a vehicle, you might have been told there's a "waiting-period" before you receive it, this is a similar concept, though on a much smaller scale. Pre-orders are a great boon for small businesses like ours (we explain why below)!

What's in it for us?

We use the money from pre-orders towards developing and printing the game, plain and simple! It reduces the cash burden on small companies like ours. It also helps us get a great handle on the demand, allowing us to order only the right quantity, so there's no wastage! Like we said, it's a big deal!

what is a pre-order?

You're just placing an order in advance! In a pre-order, you place an order before the game has been printed. The game will be shipped to you once the product is ready.

What's in it for you?

You'll get the game of course! This is not a donation, or an investment, just a plain old purchase, except you get the game after a few months! If you've been to purchase a vehicle, you might have been told there's a "waiting-period" before you receive it, this is a similar concept, though on a much smaller scale. Pre-orders are a great boon for small businesses like ours (we explain why below)!

What's in it for us?

We use the money from pre-orders towards developing and printing the game, plain and simple! It reduces the cash burden on small companies like ours. It also helps us get a great handle on the demand, allowing us to order only the right quantity, so there's no wastage! Like we said, it's a big deal!

order now

Masala Lab

₹2,499.00

Add to Cart

Masala Lab Mini

₹1,499.00

Add to Cart

order now

Masala Lab

₹2,499.00

Add to Cart

Masala Lab Mini

₹1,499.00

Add to Cart

Masala Lab in Play

Masala Lab in play

Masala Lab in Play

Masala Lab in play

What if . . . ?

Ah yes, the fine print... we're putting up the major questions you may have , but if in case you have any other query, feel free to write to us at contact@xotoxo.com with your questions. These questions are also covered in our Returns & Refunds policy & Shipping policy.

What if the project is cancelled?

We have been working on this game for the last 1 year and we have put our lives and souls into it, and we will very much see it through to its end! Barring something really unfortunate or unavoidable, we hope to publish this game by Oct '24. However, (since this is all about howevers), if by any chance the project does get cancelled due to reasons totally beyond our control, we will issue a refund to everyone who pre-ordered. We will refund almost the whole amount, minus 2-3% (which isn't for us, it's just what our payment gateway charges us!). By project cancellation, we mean an inability to complete the printing of Masala Lab, and not a cancellation of orders. For cancellation of orders, read the next section.

What if i want to cancel my pre-order?

We will be committing funds to artists, printers, packaging vendors almost immediately after receipt in order to meet the timeline, and to bring the game to you as soon as possible. However, if you do decide to change your mind within 48 hours of placing the order, write to us at sales@xotoxo.com and we will refund your amount, minus 2%-3% (which our payment gateway will retain). After 48 hours of placing a pre-order, funds will likely be committed to various vendors at various times, and you should receive your game as per the time plan, and you will become eligible under the Returns policy.

Why does it take so long for the game to arrive?

Though it seems like Oct '24 is far away, this is quite a tight schedule, as we need to co-ordinate with multiple vendors to bring the project to life. Add to it, that our company is tiny (we are 2 people on a good day, but mostly 1), most work happens serially. You can see that in the time plan! We've been working on this game for about a year now, and we're ready to accept pre-orders only when we are close to project maturity, so we can reduce wait times and get the game in your hands as soon as possible!

What if i live outside India?

If you live outside India, but want to order to an address within India, please pre-order on the website! We support international cards, and your order will be shipped to an Indian address with free shipping! This is a great option if you have family or friends in India who can receive and hold the game for you.

If you live outside India, and want to order to an address outside India, shipping will be charged at actuals, which we will have to estimate at the time of shipping. Please write to us at contact@xotoxo.com to know more. More details are also available on our Shipping policy page.

what if I want to make a group-buy?

Great idea! Write to us at sales@xotoxo.com if you want to pre-order 5 copies or more, and we will sweeten the deal a little more for you by offering 20% off on the MSRP. Do note that the entire order will be shipped to one address, and will be on one invoice. This is a great deal if you find like-minded people who all want to order at once.

What if I want to retail Masala Lab?

Write to us at sales@xotoxo.com. We have wholesale pricings for retailers. We will start shipping to retailers only once the product is ready in Oct '24.

What if I want to purchase on Amazon?

We plan to eventually sell on Amazon, but we are accepting pre-orders only on our website at the moment. Once the game is ready, we plan to explore Amazon listings.

What if . . . ?

Ah yes, the fine print... we're putting up the major questions you may have , but if in case you have any other query, feel free to write to us at contact@xotoxo.com with your questions. These questions are also covered in our Returns & Refunds policy & Shipping policy.

What if the project is cancelled?

We have been working on this game for the last 1 year and we have put our lives and souls into it, and we will very much see it through to its end! Barring something really unfortunate or unavoidable, we hope to publish this game by Oct '24. However, (since this is all about howevers), if by any chance the project does get cancelled due to reasons totally beyond our control, we will issue a refund to everyone who pre-ordered. We will refund almost the whole amount, minus 2-3% (which isn't for us, it's just what our payment gateway charges us!). By project cancellation, we mean an inability to complete the printing of Masala Lab, and not a cancellation of orders. For cancellation of orders, read the next section.

What if i want to cancel my pre-order?

We will be committing funds to artists, printers, packaging vendors almost immediately after receipt in order to meet the timeline, and to bring the game to you as soon as possible. However, if you do decide to change your mind within 48 hours of placing the order, write to us at sales@xotoxo.com and we will refund your amount, minus 2%-3% (which our payment gateway will retain). After 48 hours of placing a pre-order, funds will likely be committed to various vendors at various times, and you should receive your game as per the time plan, and you will become eligible under the Returns policy.

Why does it take so long for the game to arrive?

Though it seems like Oct '24 is far away, this is quite a tight schedule, as we need to co-ordinate with multiple vendors to bring the project to life. Add to it, that our company is tiny (we are 2 people on a good day, but mostly 1), most work happens serially. You can see that in the time plan! We've been working on this game for about a year now, and we're ready to accept pre-orders only when we are close to project maturity, so we can reduce wait times and get the game in your hands as soon as possible!

What if i live outside India?

If you live outside India, but want to order to an address within India, please pre-order on the website! We support international cards, and your order will be shipped to an Indian address with free shipping! This is a great option if you have family or friends in India who can receive and hold the game for you.

If you live outside India, and want to order to an address outside India, shipping will be charged at actuals, which we will have to estimate at the time of shipping. Please write to us at contact@xotoxo.com to know more. More details are also available on our Shipping policy page.

what if I want to make a group-buy?

Great idea! Write to us at sales@xotoxo.com if you want to pre-order 5 copies or more, and we will sweeten the deal a little more for you by offering 20% off on the MSRP. Do note that the entire order will be shipped to one address, and will be on one invoice. This is a great deal if you find like-minded people who all want to order at once.

What if I want to retail Masala Lab?

Write to us at sales@xotoxo.com. We have wholesale pricings for retailers. We will start shipping to retailers only once the product is ready in Oct '24.

What if I want to purchase on Amazon?

We plan to eventually sell on Amazon, but we are accepting pre-orders only on our website at the moment. Once the game is ready, we plan to explore Amazon listings.

who are we?

XOtoXO Games (pronounced "ex-oh-two-ex-oh"), is a 2.5 year old indie boardgame publisher based in Chennai. Run by a husband-wife duo out of a room in our house, where one of us works on games full time, and the other part-time, we focus on making games themed on various facets of Indian culture - architecture, food, travel, daily-life. Our first game Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad was launched in 2022. We celebrated its 1st anniversary with a custom hand-made limited edition in 2023. Masala Lab, in collaboration with author Krish Ashok, is our second major publication. If you'd like a simple nostalgic, and most importantly, free game, do check out Book Book Cricket, in which we re-invented the classroom classic during the cricket world cup in 2023!

Visit Store

Boardgame named Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad, placed next to a jute pouch, and some tiles from the game, on a straw mat

who are we?

XOtoXO Games (pronounced "ex-oh-two-ex-oh"), is a 2.5 year old indie boardgame publisher based in Chennai. Run by a husband-wife duo out of a room in our house, where one of us works on games full time, and the other part-time, we focus on making games themed on various facets of Indian culture - architecture, food, travel, daily-life. Our first game Athangudi: Artisans of Chettinad was launched in 2022. We celebrated its 1st anniversary with a custom hand-made limited edition in 2023. Masala Lab, in collaboration with author Krish Ashok, is our second major publication. If you'd like a simple nostalgic, and most importantly, free game, do check out Book Book Cricket, in which we re-invented the classroom classic during the cricket world cup in 2023!

Visit Store

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MASALA LAB​​​3 family games about Indian food.Based on the best-selling book "Masala Lab" by Krish Ashok

MASALA LAB​​​3 family games about Indian food.Based on the best-selling book "Masala Lab" by Krish Ashok

What is special in Masala Lab?

3 Games-in-1

rules are not boring!

choose your box

What is special in Masala Lab?

3 Games-in-1

rules are not boring!

choose your box

what is masala lab?

the book

the game

what are the 3 games?

game 1: tiffin

game 2: sadya

game 3: dessert

what are the 3 games?

game 1: tiffin

game 2: sadya

game 3: dessert

What's in the box?

MINI BOX

MINI BOX

STANDARD BOX

STANDARD BOX

what is in the boxes?

MINI BOX

STANDARD BOX

what is the price?

MINI BOX

STANDARD BOX

what is the price?

MINI BOX

STANDARD BOX

Great value for everyone!

new to boardgames?

boardgame veteran?

Great value for everyone!

new to boardgames?

boardgame veteran?

How to Play Videos

Game 1: Tiffin

Game 2: Sadya

Game 3: Dessert

How to Play Videos

Game 1: Tiffin

Game 2: Sadya

Game 3: Dessert

when will the game be ready?

when will the game be ready?

what is a pre-order?

what is a pre-order?

order now

Masala Lab

order now

Masala Lab

Masala Lab in Play

Masala Lab in play

Masala Lab in Play

Masala Lab in play

What if . . . ?

What if . . . ?

who are we?

who are we?

Subscribe to learn about our latest products and offers, and for the occasional juicy titbit we will send your way. ​Read our Privacy Policy before you sign up.

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MASALA LAB
3 family games about Indian food.
Based on the best-selling book "Masala Lab" by Krish Ashok

MASALA LAB
3 family games about Indian food.
Based on the best-selling book "Masala Lab" by Krish Ashok

Subscribe to learn about our latest products and offers, and for the occasional juicy titbit we will send your way.
Read our Privacy Policy before you sign up.