Board games are back, in case you didn’t know. Sure, those perennial favourites like Cluedo and Snakes & Ladders may forever hold a place in our hearts, but this new wave of board games are considerably more interesting, so if you’re the kind of person whose blood pressure rises simply upon hearing the word, ‘Monopoly’ (and I’m with you on that one – writing it here necessitated a brief tea break to steady myself), please don’t switch off just yet.
Why, only a few weeks ago at the Golden Globes, actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepherd announced they planned to cut short the post-awards ceremony parties because they had to be home in plenty of time for game night.
Yup. It’s a thing.
Settlers of Catan, which they refer to above, is very much at the forefront of the new wave of board games. Since its inception in 1995 it has been published in 30 languages with reportedly sold 22 million copies, which is certainly not a figure to be sniffed at. So what differentiates Catan – and other ‘game zero‘ titles such as Pandemic and Carcassonne – from those more traditional games? Russell Chapman at Hackney’s Draughts Cafe has a theory on that one.
“I think it’s that people have realised that board games could be more than what we’d call ‘abstract strategy’,” he says. “If you create a game around a theme or a narrative, it really captures people’s imaginations far more than games like Backgammon, which is quite dry in comparison. If you frame a game in terms of a scenario, for example ‘you are scientists, trying to cure the world of these awful diseases’, it just sounds much more engaging. So, it’s really just a shift from rules to narrative, and I’m sure that’s why these modern games have been better received by the general public.”
Over in Hoxton, the Draughts Café is doing a roaring trade. When I arrive on a Friday evening as they’re opening the doors, there’s already a queue forming, and by the time I get inside and hang up my coat the place is pretty much full and the staff are having to turn people away. Those who’ve secured themselves a table are quick to settle in for a night, choosing from a huge selection of games in the library at the back of the cafe.
One such customer is meeting a friend and busy setting up cards for a game of Netrunner in the meantime. “It’s a good place to meet up after work,” he tells me. Like many others, he started out playing Pandemic and from there found the world of board games opened out.
What’s the appeal of a games cafe, I want to know? Is it the social aspect, perhaps? Or a good way to utilise the library here so it doesn’t start seriously encroaching on your own space at home*? He grins the kind of grin grinned by people who’ve had that conversation with their significant others about hobbies taking over the flat. It’s a little of both, apparently.
It’s easy to be snooty about the humble board game, but quite honestly – and as evidenced by the crowd on a Friday evening – it really does attract all types. Draughts was the first board games café to open in London, back in 2014, filling a gap in the market (it was funded in part by a very successful and rapid KickStarter endeavour) that had already been recognised in the States and Canada. Russell explains a little more.
So, Russell, what’s the appeal of board games?
They’re a great social activity –and perfect for people who like to meet up with friends but don’t really want to go out drinking. With somewhere like Draughts, you can see people, have a drink, have some food and use your brain a bit too. It’s perfect for people who aren’t massive drinkers, so have an opportunity to go out and meet their friends around an occasion that isn’t based around alcohol. I think it’s also to do with the pushback from technology. It’s nice to have the opportunity to turn off phones and the TV and enjoy doing something totally analogue.
Do you have a fixed demographic?
East London is a very young and trendy area, but we do have a mix of customers. We have young kids who come with their parents, and teenagers, but most of our customers are the typical Hackney crowd: in their twenties, young professionals. We’ve noticed that, increasingly, people in their twenties are bringing their parents along, as a kind of alternative to going out for lunch, which is cool. It’s great to see the space used by so many different people.
What are your most popular games in the café?
Well, it’s ones like Carcassonne, Catan and Ticket to Ride, and that’s not much of a surprise as they’re the classic gateway games. In addition to that we have games which are popular because they’re controversial, like Cards Against Humanity, and also games which just get picked up because they have a visual appeal. A Dog’s Life, which has been getting a lot of play on the table is a prime example. It’s a game where you basically play as a dog, so you have to wee up lampposts and try to steal food from restaurants. It sounds like something for kids, but I’ve seen people in their thirties get really into it.
For more information about Draughts visit the website and if you fancy learning a bit more about the history of board games and what’s being created next, the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green is running an exhibition called Game Plan until 23 April, where you can see for yourself early editions of Monopoly, Snakes & Ladders, as well as newer games.
*As ever, if you have got too many games (or want to reduce the appearance that you have “too many” games) Boxman can help you store them. We’ll deliver sturdy boxes straight to your door, leave you to pack them up and return to collect when you’re good and ready, and not a second before. You can register the contents of your boxes digitally, so you’ll know exactly what’s where at the click of a button.