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Board games used to mean Ludo or Snakes & Ladders a decade ago. Now, they take you into various realms, each sculpted by a common dimension — the tabletop. This evolution has manifested into exclusive venues for board games. In Chennai, The Board Game Lounge, The Board Room, and most recently, Gameistry Entertainment, have joined the bandwagon. Clearly, there is a rising interest in rolling dice and diving into fantasy worlds.
Gameistry Entertainment, which was started by Vijaykumar V in August this year, sprawls over 1,600 square feet and has 703 games, out of which 350 belong to the founder. Vijaykumar, who has been passionate about board games from when he was eight, felt the need for a space where people could unplug from technology, clear their head, and bond over a new hobby.
The venture began with employee engagement programmes at companies like Saint Gobain, Sundaram Group and Cognizant, before moving into their current venue at Montieth Road, Egmore. Funky graffiti, bold signage and quirky installations adorn the interiors, which are divided into cabins, cocoons and high tables, catering to the different types of groups that come in.
Usually divided into 51 different mechanics or categories such as storytelling, dexterity, strategy, memory and connection, board games can range from single-player games to ones that involve 20-30 people.
With personal interaction at the fore, the owners typically take customers through the most played games, trying to gauge their interests while presenting alternatives to the classics. While some games extend for five to six hours, most are quick with a learning curve of five to ten minutes. And whether you are a hardcore geek or someone who likes to chill, the range is so vast, there really is something for everyone when it comes to tabletop games.
Chennai Board Gamers, a Facebook group that was started by Arjun Sukumaran, who is also the co-founder of The Board Game Lounge, brings the growing community together. According to Arjun, the community has been gathering strength over the last four years and reached a tipping point this year.
A venue for board games appeals to people, presenting an alternative to the beach, malls and restaurants as a space for families, friends and co-workers to relax. These venues not only act as stress busters, but also cater to serious gamers, as seen in the Dungeons and Dragons game nights at The Board Game Lounge and Open Table Thursdays at The Board Room.
“Often, people do not find company or groups to play games with. To prevent this, we invite people over to interact and compete with strangers, building a sense of community,” says Shravan Santosh, co-founder of The Board Room. These cafés also double up as event venues and co-working spaces. Customers can bring their laptop and work, grab a bite, and also have the luxury of taking a quick game break.
Speaking of which, did we mention the wide range of snacking options offered? Boasting pizzas, pastas and milkshakes, these venues have curated menus to keep players well-fuelled. The Board Room, for example, serves a whopping 32 varieties of tea.
What the numbers say
The rise of the games has been accelerated by crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, which enabled the production of the popular game Exploding Kittens. The numbers are staggering. There are over one lakh games currently in existence. At the 2019 Internationale Spieltage SPIEL at Essen, Germany, 1,500 games were released over a span of four days.
Closer home, Varun Devanathan, co-founder of The Board Room, published Legend of Vyas in 2015, a card game based on the rich details of the Mahabharata . As with the case of video games, tabletop recreation has evolved too, incorporating technology to iron out complications.
“Holographic projections, app support and scanners have now been weaved into games. This is a case of leveraging digital to serve practicality,” elaborates Vijaykumar.
Whether you are the sore loser, snack master or the alpha gamer, board games are addictive while being inclusive. Here, anyone can take the upper hand. Vijaykumar concludes, “Board games transcend barriers like language, age and anonymity.”
