Want to play Cockroach Poker?

For Kadambari Gupte board games are how she spends time with her sixyearold son Every other day the two are found head down over a game of ludo snakes and ladders and more recently chessGupte introduced her son to board gaming quite early as the hobby helps with thinking ability improves logic and reasoning and increases focus in children A review titled The Effectiveness of Intervention with Board Games found that traditional board games such as chess checkers and the game of Go enhance working memory attention and global executive abilities ldquoTo be honest itrsquos better than watching TV or increasing screen timerdquo says Gupte ldquoBoard games also increase conversation as itrsquos a family or friends bonding activityrdquoThe socialising aspect of board games is what prompted Ronak Chitalia to launch the Bombay Board Game Club As the CEO and cofounder of the club he wanted to create a space for board game enthusiasts to spend time exploring different games and socialise He anticipated that he would see college students walk in Instead he was met with a completely different crowd ldquoFive to six years ago we thought this was a young peoplersquos hobby But six months after we opened we saw several veteran board gamers These were people in their 40s and 50s some were army generals business persons and others They began approaching us and asked what more were doing and what games ldquowerdquo were playing For us it was a discoveryrdquo he says and adds that the 35 to 50yearolds have now become his most valued customers The Bombay Board Game Club is now a 5000member community thatrsquos connected on WhatsApp alone Chitalia says other social media platforms bring in more members besides there are also novices that walk in and try out a few gamesIt makes one realise that board games are extremely inclusive Whatever the age group there are games that everyone can come together for This is primarily because there are a variety of games suitable for different age groups group sizes moods and skill levels For large groups Saboteur Cockroach Poker Heckmeck Bohnanza and Cartographers are suitable games Those who want a foodforward game can play Sushi Go Party or Masala Lab for groups that love to discuss and play there are party games like One Night Werewolf Two Rooms and a Boom and several others ldquoThe variety of themes and plays available is endless Card games like Taash or Teen Patti have limited gameplay board games can be quite different as you are playing with a board card decks tokens or pieces Take a game like Bohnanza it matters how you hold your cards whether your card is facing downward upward front or back The gameplay changes as per that Therersquos more variety and more freedom to the play Then some games require deep thinking some others that donrsquot need much thoughtrdquo says Harshal Modi an avid board gamer who also organises private board game meetupsThe million board games available in the market are also the reason why more and more people are opting to play them over traditional card games At the Bombay Board Game Club there are special Diwali meetups all through the week leading up to Diwali Chitalia says that this is usually the season when people have more time to come and explore the hobby or spend time playing a game that would go on for over five to six hours At their 1200 sq ft space in Vile Parle the club will be hosting lsquoNewbie MeetUpsrsquo which attract new members Seeing the surge in board gaming Chitalia is looking to expand his club to other parts of Mumbai and across other cities including Bengaluru and Delhi ldquoWe are looking for investors and if all works well soon we will have larger space more board games at present they have 500 including some that are not otherwise available in India and more branches of the clubrdquoBut Diwali is also the season for board game retreats which sees couples who sign up for a getaway that includes board gaming Modi who sticks to his private meetups during Diwali says ldquoAt our weekly meetups we usually stick to smaller games because you have to go to work the next day During Diwali we utilise the time and play more indepth games Itrsquos also when more people show up for the meetup On average during the week we see ten to 15 people come to play But during a holiday over 2025 board gamers come by including people who want to try board games for the first time So we can play games like Blood on the Clocktower BOTC which requires a discussion and such a large group can easily playrdquo For Gupte who now mostly socialises with board games in tow Diwali means that her family and friends can all play together ldquoGames have been a tradition for me they bring back memories of my childhood I even travel with a few board games always and now they are a bigger part of life because I play with my son So my Diwali party usually means a game night where my parents relatives and friends can play a game together Everyonersquos includedrdquoThematic games to play this DiwaliGamer Harshal Modi suggests board games that are not exactly themed around Diwali but are evocative ofthe festival and its practicesLanterns The Harvest FestivalA tileplacement board game and app where players arrange lanterns on a ceremonial lake in imperial China to earn honour and winHanabiA cooperative game where players try to create the perfect fireworks show by placing the cards on the table in the right orderAthangudi Artisans of ChettinadA light strategy family game where you play the role of a master artisan who has to lay the floor of a Chettinad Mansion using Athangudi tilesBefore The Guests ArriveA light setcollection game built around two simple rules collect cards and tidy up It has easy rules and a short playtime