Once upon a time, dragging out a table-top board game at a get-together would send a sizeable chunk of friends fleeing into the next room.
But while oldies such as Monopoly may be collecting dust on the shelf, “Sorry!”, Newmarket board gamers make no apologies for basking in the glow of a cultural board-game comeback.
The 517-members strong Newmarket Board Gamers is part of a global and highly addictive hobby games industry that topped $1.4 billion in Canadian and U.S. sales from 2014 to 2016, according to the statistics search engine, Statista.
“It’s pretty crazy,” the local group’s founder, Mike Barnett, said of the still-growing membership. “Board games bring people together. There’s the competition of winning a game, but it’s more social.”
When Barnett moved back to Newmarket in 2015 with his wife and three children, he began looking for an outlet to enjoy his love for hobby board games. There wasn’t any, so he decided to start one. As an aficionado of the table-top fun all his life, he decided to reach out to like-minded gamers on Meetup, a social platform that helps people connect and grow community online and face-to-face.
“A lot of the gamers in the group are new to the area and just want to meet people,” Barnett said. “It’s not just people playing games, we’ve provided support to one another during rough periods, like when a member’s mother passed away.”
The group has come a long way from its first gaming meetup at Newmarket Public Library. These days, you can find a core crowd of about 20 to 25 people spread out at Market Brewery every Wednesday night, and on alternate Fridays at Cardinal Press.
“The core concept was to make the meetup as cheap as possible, so I worked with the local businesses to get some space. There’s no fee to come out and play. Members just have to make at least one purchase while we’re there,” Barnett said.
With 2,000 to 3,000 new games flooding the market each year, what are the Newmarket gamers playing?
On a recent Wednesday night at Market Brewery, the popular card game Parade was underway. Two to six players take turns adding cards of Wonderland characters to the parade, with cards quickly lining up in the middle of the table. Adding cards to the parade bumps others off, and if the colour on the card matches yours, then you add it to your pile. These cards count against you, and the object is to get the least amount of points. The strategy is to keep the parade going as long as you can.
Azul is another game the group plays regularly. It’s an abstract game where players have a board in front of them, and they try to build a tableau with plastic tiles, similar to chess or checkers, Barnett said. The games Code Names and Root are also a group favourite.
“Azul is kind of like a puzzle,” he said. “Now, the games are based on making choices that might affect your game play. You have to negotiate during the game. It’s incredible how much the industry has grown.”
Barnett’s own children, aged 3, 4, and 6, are developing a love for the game, as well.
“They learn to take turns, and give up the dice when it’s not their turn,” he said with a laugh.
The Newmarket Board Gamers meet every week for an evening of table-top board gaming and socializing.
To join and learn more, check them out here
