From Dice Rolls to Diet Meetings

What I enjoy most about board games is how it brings people together. A group seated around a table, sharing laughter over unlucky dice rolls and engaging in banter with fellow players. Games create shared memories and shared memories create community. Thus, I wrote about board games as part of my Rice application. 

When I came to Rice during O-Week, I felt how amazing our community was. Everyone genuinely wanted to get to know me and help me explore my passions. My Advisor Arjun (Will Rice ‘23) loved board games as well and invited me to game nights with his friends, which helped make the social transition to college smoother. 

Building Game Culture at Will Rice

Board games were the first way I got involved with student government. At the first Diet (name for Will Rice’s student government meetings), I decided to propose new board games. Throughout freshman year, I would gather friends in our Commons and play these games, creating fun memories while building a board game culture. 

With how impactful O-Week was to me, I got involved as an Advisor sophomore year and Coordinator junior year. Through O-Week, I was able to share my love for my favorite games by hosting chill board game breaks and even creating a “board game” floor at Will Rice. I used my passion to connect with New Students and help them feel welcome just as Arjun had done for me. In the following months, we had regular board game sessions, with new players joining in, learning rules, and having fun. We even got together to organize Codenames Tournaments. More than just a culture, I was able to create a community. 

The Rise of Criminal Rush

My senior year I decided to pursue a passion I had always wanted to explore: designing my own board game. I wanted to create a game that could foster community and bring people together. That’s how Criminal Rush became an idea. My Will Rice community was incredibly supportive. My friends helped print, cut, and paste cards together to form a prototype and were eager to try the game out. Regular board game nights became near-daily Criminal Rush play tests, as both peers and strangers gave feedback and proposed new ideas.

My friend Edison (Will Rice ‘27) saw potential and encouraged me to explore funding with Rice’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (LILIE). I never thought this passion of mine could count as a business venture! I applied and was accepted to LILIE’s Launchpad program, connecting me with mentorship and even $400 in funding. Through this program, I learned about the board game industry, identified my target market, and set next steps for Criminal Rush. 
 

To prospective students, Rice is a place where your passions and community intersect. My Will Rice community supported my love for board games from day 1, and in return, I’ve been able to use board games to build community. Our caring community can help you turn your ideas into reality and your passions into impact — no matter how small or quirky they may be. 

-Jonathan, Will Rice ‘26 (Published on 5/12/26)