Mumbai's got game

Crokinole the Canadian sister to Indian carrom

Tired of playing the game of life in Mumbai and running the rat race? Take a break this Sunday and play a different game - any of the 150 different games on offer at Mumbai's first board games convention, MeepleCon.

Whether one is a games buff or hasn't picked up a board game since their childhood, the convention can be a fun event to unwind at and spend quality time with family and friends. Even first-timers should have no trouble, as there are volunteers at each of the 100-odd tables to teach you how to play them.

The hand-painted 3D Settlers of Catan

"Who doesn't have great memories of playing Monopoly late into the night with their friends?" says co-founder Prashant Maheswari. Prashant and his fellow founders, Mohit Goel and Karan Rawat, first started organising small events for enthusiasts seven years ago. "We started with 100 participants, grew to 200, 300 and then, we decided to take it bigger, with MeepleCon," says Maheshwari. Last year, as many as 3,000 people participated in the event, which is returning to the city for its third edition on December 15.
The convention will have popular games such as Settlers of Catan and Dungeons and Dragons, and will also give enthusiasts a chance to learn new games from France, Korea and Canada, such as the Canadian version of carrom with a round board, called Crokinole. There is a lot to check out, so the organisers recommend setting aside at least four hours to enjoy the event properly (See box for top highlights).

The crowd at last year's gaming convention

There are several games by indie designers as well. "There are more than 1,000 game designers in India, but most don't know how to reach the customers. The problem these days is, most people stick to traditional Snakes and Ladders or Ludo because they are intimidated by the prospect of learning a new game. Here, we'll teach you how to play all the games, so even someone as young as five or six years of age can have a good time," Maheshwari explains, adding that the kids' zone alone has 20 tables for young gamers.

Participants in a game of Kingdomino

The event will also host two tournaments. The first is a national-level Kingdomino championship, with a trip to Paris as the top prize, while the second is a state-level, inter-school tourney across 10 different games for students of first to tenth standard. Students who are participating through their schools can do so free of cost, while individual participants will have to purchase passes.

Must catch

• Fancy yourself a share market wizard? Look for the noisiest game in the convention and you'll find participants buying and selling in Panic on Dalal Street.
• Fans of Settlers of Catan can take pictures with the 3D set especially hand-crafted for the finals.
• Check out the Meeple Cup, which combines three fast-paced and hilarious games of Extreme Tic Tac Toe, Tumbling Dices and Word on the streets.
• Kids will love Outfoxed, a cooperative game in which four or more detectives try to outwit a fox and save a little girl (ages 5+).
• Try your luck at the Kingdomino tournament, and you might just win tickets to Paris.