17 February,2023 10:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram Iyengar
Settlers of Catan board game. Pic Courtesy/Wikipedia
Taco cat goat cheese pizza might sound like a long password, but in the world of board games, it spells fun. For a generation of Mumbaikars that grew up fighting over Monopoly and Ludo on staircases in humid summers, this weekend's MeepleCon is a chance to relive the memories. With new board games based on strategy, tactics and simple fun elements, the convention is a unique gathering of table-top gamers in the country.
A global industry valued at $13.6 billion (according to a Berkshire Hathaway report in December 2022), board games remain a niche hobby in India. "That is what we sought to change when we started out," says Prashant Maheshwari, co-founder, MeepleCon. Having discovered a taste for the games in the UK, Maheshwari set out to find like-minded enthusiasts through meet-ups at cafes and restaurants first in 2012.
A game of Monopoly
The convention was founded in 2018 by Maheshwari and IIT graduates Mohit Goel and Karan Rawat with a call for 100 gamers. "We ended up with over 300 participants," says Maheshwari. For Franz Dias, a product manager, and enthusiast who is volunteering with the convention, the niche has grown exponentially in the last decade.
"The marketplace now sells international games that you wouldn't have dreamed of playing in the country. There are people who have left their day jobs and are pursuing board game designing full-time now," he says.
Participants at the convention in 2019
Backed by Cluedo this year, the event will bring together over 200 board games from Indian and international publishers, with 50 per cent of the games being produced in India. "There are games about mythology, history and folk stories. I was surprised to discover a game made from the tales of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a creative way of taking Indian heritage, history and culture forward to the next generation," the co-founder tells us.
Additionally, a curated corporate tournament, a Go championship and an inter-school and college board game tournaments will elevate the experience. Dias reveals that actor Edward Sonnenblick, last seen in the blockbuster RRR, is a keen player of Go - a traditional Chinese strategy game - and will be in attendance.
"I have fond memories of fights with my cousins over Monopoly," Maheshwari shares, adding, "Board games let you create stories. I could be a 60-year-old or a 30-year-old, but when I am playing a game, I am bound by the rules of the game. It is a great equaliser." That, we believe, is what makes them so entertaining.
On: February 18 and 19; 10.30 am onwards
At: Phoenix Marketcity, LBS Marg, Patelwadi, Kurla West.
Log on to: meeplecon.in
Entry: Rs 600 onwards
Prashant Maheshwari
The convention not only brings together enthusiasts, but also the industry behind these games. Dias says, "The sessions are for designers, rulebook creators and manufacturers to discuss business models and measures. We have inventors working on sustainable components, pitching sessions and fireside chats on marketing strategies," he reveals. Maheshwari adds that the sessions are an attempt to give back to the industry: With international publishers and game developers visiting, it is an opportunity to share insights and uderstand functioning of industries, he points out.
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