Board games are all the rage these days. First there was the Singapore version of Pictionary, complete with local Singlish slang, and now there's Journal: Singapore. It's the first board game based on the history of Singapore from its early colonial days to the struggle for independence in 1965.

The premise of the game is pretty straightforward: You take on the role of Singapore’s early pioneers (with special pioneer 'abilities') and play through an era in Singapore's history, where you face challenges such as "foreign domination, drastic resource shortages and vicious infighting." The idea is to work with other players to see the dawn of an independent nation (or trample them into the dirt). The game was developed by Monsters Under the Bed with the support of the National Heritage Board.

Local blogger Dee Kay considers Journal: Singapore as being quite replay-able. "Every game is different since there are 12 different events in each Era and the order of these events will change the strategy and game play. I understand that there will also be expansion packs in the future," he posted.

Journal Singapore is now retailing for $59.90 and can also be found at some of the board game cafe in Singapore. Check out the website at www.journalsingapore.com.