CHENNAI: Nothing can replace the elation when one scored 100 points in a game of Snake and Ladders. While many of us still cherish those little joys and memories of childhood to this day, there is a potential threat of these games losing ground to computer games in the present day.
Reviving these forgotten board games is Chennai Board Gamers, a 156-member group on Facebook. Encouraging city’s youth to play board games, the group conducts board games sessions at different places in the city.
Speaking about the idea behind the venture, the group’s coordinator Arjun Sukumaran, a content strategist, copywriter and former gaming journalist said, “We wanted to rope in like-minded board game lovers and went public a month-and-a -half ago, as a closed group. The response has been satisfactory so far”.
Also a computer game enthusiast, Sukumaran says it is good to take a break from the computer’s screen for a while and board games are a soothing alternative to the former. “True, we cannot doubt the popularity of computer games over board games. But, it is refreshing to encounter people between 20 and 40 having a flair for board games .”
Owning close to 120 games, Arjun along with co-administrators Chitra, Naresh and Sandeep provides the games needed during the sessions. “So far we have had all the 150 members participate in the gaming sessions,” says Sukumaran.
With hopes that the future will see more participation, Sukumaran says that they are planning to find alternate venues that could accommodate more people.