Virtual reality headsets are fine but give us our boardgames

A board game renaissance has slowly taken Dubai by storm with cafes and restaurants around town buzzing with people challenging each other to a friendly game. While most people spend their free time at the mall or at the movies, there is now a group of people seeking out the tactile appeal and face-to-face interaction of board games and are turning their back on technology, albeit for a short period of time. In this era of video games, somehow board games have increasingly become popular, and April 29 (tomorrow) is even celebrated as International Tabletop Day.
So when virtual reality headsets are taking you right to the centre of action, why are people so captivated with stationary bits of plastic and cards when they have all these interactive worlds accessible to them?
Shanil Muhammed, the owner of Tea Junction, a café located in Oud Metha says, "There is nothing more reminiscent of the '90s like a good old solid board game. In an era where the fashion industry is bringing the '90s back in style, with it we have the glorious return of board games. Extremely popular among tea enthusiasts, Monopoly is more than just a game of luck at the roll of dice. Another game that transcends the need for a board game is Jenga. Some of our other more popular games are Ludo and Uno. We get a very broad demographic of people. For some of our younger customers who grab a sandwich and go back to class, a fast and fun way of tumbling wooden blocks is just what gets them reeling!"
Once considered to be the activity of nerds only, board games have increased in popularity as more people have started to see the charm. The reason is simple, as many gamers often miss the basic necessity of human interaction. Also, board games aren't just for kids anymore, and there is such a wide range of modern games out now that everyone has something out there that they can enjoy. Many cafes in the city have an interesting stock of games available and hold board game nights at regular intervals.
Harsha Tanwani, an Internal Sales Engineer by profession, is an avid board game player and spends her weekends at cafes around town with friends engaging in games. She says, "I can play board games for hours at a time. Some of my favourite games are Monopoly, Uno, Scrabble, Rummikub, Taboo and Jenga. I love sitting with my friends and a piping hot cup of tea while playing. Every game always ends up being a laugh riot."
Pop culture has also had a key role in the revival of board games. Shows like The Big Bang Theory has its cult characters Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard often playing board games such as Settlers of Catan. Also, one of the first scenes of last year's viral show Stranger Things had the main characters sitting around a table playing Dungeons & Dragons, and later use the game's rulebook to solve the mysterious events around them.
Another popular board game that never gets old is chess, as it doesn't work with a random roll of a dice, and it's just one brain trying to outwit the other.
Sevastianos Zaravinos of Public Café in JLT says, "The most popular game at the café is chess and we have groups of people at any given time of the day playing this game of wits. Playing board games is a traditional activity that has been happening for the past 35 years and has become popular socially."
Also, Tabletop Café Dubai is a gaming community where members meet up at participating cafes and restaurants around Dubai to play games, socialise, learn new games and hold competitions.
Bhavika Jayant Wagh works in the IT industry and finds these games to be a great stress buster. She says, "I usually play Monopoly, Ludo or Taboo at cafes in Karama or Business Bay. At the end day of the day, playing these games is a much-needed break and keeps the mind off work and is a relaxing activity."
Dubai is always on trend and recently launched its very own version of Monopoly called Dubai-Opoly (launched by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI)), which features the city's prominent landmarks, attractions and neighbourhoods and features also playing pieces in the shape of a camel, a falcon and, of course, the Burj Khalifa.
"I play board games on both weekends and weekdays, usually at shisha joints and my favourite has been the classic board game Monopoly," says Shruti K, who works in the automobile industry. "It's a great ice breaker when new people meet and ensures that everyone has a great time out!"
deepa@khaleejtimes.com
Deepa is a proud geek and an unabashed Harry Potter fan