Ryan Grandbois owns 170 board games which all come out to play, and he knows another enthusiast in his Māpua community whose collection tops 1,200 board games.
His love of board games prompted him to start the Māpua Board Games group a couple of years ago, reflecting a growing trend of people stepping away from screens to sit down together for friendly rivalry and connection.
He grew up playing cards and later board games, but it was the game Catan that proved the catalyst for a serious hobby - and he says he is not alone.
“Then Covid hit and people were playing board games because they were looking for something to do within their bubble,” he says.
“Now, a lot of people are actively trying to move away from screens and trying to make social connections, and something that isn’t necessarily team sports that needs, say, eight players.
“One of the prevailing problems with my age group – people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s with families - is the real struggle to find time to get out and meet people.”
About 40 board game enthusiasts are now members of the Māpua group, with between eight and 12 players usually turning up on Tuesday nights to play around the tables.
He says it also helps that Kiwi ingenuity has produced an app called Aftergame, which is designed for organising and playing board games. It’s all part of a board game industry that has taken off in recent years.
Ryan says thousands of ideas for new games are produced each year, with many creators now using crowdfunding platforms to raise funds and test their ideas with players before producing the successful ones for retail.
‘It’s a huge industry and popular in a way that I don’t think people quite grasp yet. The spectrum of games we have now is huge. There’s something for everyone.”
His family’s favourite is The Quest for Eldorado, which is a race-style game that keeps both adults and kids enthralled. Between the weekly Māpua group, games with his wife, and family games, nights, he averages six to eight hours a week engaged in friendly competition and strategic play.
“There are some beautifully produced games around – they’re visually appealing and they’re tactile. It’s one of the most affordable hobbies and it will give you hours of entertainment. I’m very passionate about it- it’s really struck something with me and everything about it brings me joy.”
For anyone keen to get into board games, Ryan suggests starting with traditional card games before trying Rebel Princess, in which players are given Disney princess characters that each bring a unique twist to gameplay.
They can also join a group and sign up for a seat each week. New players can learn the rules from others and play a few dummy rounds first, which he says is often easier than wading through a rulebook without any concept of the game.
