The popularity of board games continues to boom. The screen-less form of entertainment helped many people through lockdowns during the pandemic. Now, board games are opening doors for new businesses and competitions.
In a recent report, the Washington Post says the global board game market is projected to grow by seven to eleven percent in the next five years.
In fact, the board game industry has thrived so much, there was the first ever World Series of Board Gaming last year in Las Vegas.
People from around the globe competed for the $25,000 grand prize.
This year, The Haven, a board game store in Parker, hosted the first ever regional qualifiers for the World Series tournament.
William Gregory, one of the owners of The Haven, said the rising popularity of board games has been seen all over the country.
“Board games kind of had a little bit of a surge in popularity, because of that people opened up the cabinets and dusted them off and cleared the cobwebs and started playing some games and decided, you know, actually we enjoy this," said Gregory.
Even post pandemic, board games are bringing people together.
Antonio DeCante, one of the competitors at the regional qualifiers, said board games have helped his family get closer.
"They get you away from the screen and you're actually interacting with people, and my family loves to get together and play board games. We have two young kids, my son is five, and instead of going out and getting Candy Land, which is kind of a brainless maneuver, you can actually find games where the kids can make decisions yet they’re still simple," said DeCante.
DeCante said in Aberdeen, people who enjoy board games are working to expand their community to include more families and older people.
“The board game space generally is families. They're more casual and so trying to find them and have more events would be nice.”
Meanwhile in Sioux Falls, the board gaming community had been growing even before the pandemic increased interest.
Amanda Wermers, owner of Game Chest, a board game store in Sioux Falls that opened in 2017, said they’ve been building a community that welcomes people of all ages and skill levels.
“There are games called gateway games that are typically, like, the intro game," said Wermers. "There’s a lot of people in communities like mine that are excited to help people foster that hobby in other people.”
Wermers said the board game community offers a safe place for people who may feel isolated.
“Historically people who enjoy board games and card games are people who are outcasted or who are othered. So regardless of their gender, race, creed, religion, they understand what it feels like to be othered and so welcoming people who have also been othered for other reasons is easier.”
After a successful first year, organizers of the regional board game tournament hope to expand the event.
They want to eventually move it to a bigger city and turn it into a convention that can draw more events and people.