Every day for the past 4 weeks all we have heard are grim statistics surrounding the way life has changed around the world due to COVID-19. One thing that has that there has also been in increase in is board game sales. With people spending more time at home and less time caught up in the constant hustle and bustle of activities outside the home, there has been a resurgence in the tradition of game night.
Knight Watch Games owner Paraic delivering a curbside order
Being a Beacon of Hope
An article posted by NBC Affiliate KARE11 from Minneapolis, Minnesota reported that game shops in the area had to modify their daily business operations to accommodate the needs of their community. One of the things that keeps the tabletop gaming community together is the sense of community from time spent in their local game shops. The owners of shops around the country have had to change how they get their products to their local customers. Shops like Tower Games in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Knight Watch Games in San Antonio, Texas that quickly made the changes needed to allow their customers to place online orders that could either be shipped or picked up through a curbside pickup.
Tower Games uses their Facebook page to show off inventory available for online purchase or curbside pick up
Changing For The Times
These store modifying their traditional business model to meet the demands of these trying times it helps the gaming community stay connected to the root system of that community. Through programs such as Tabletop Simulator, groups of people can still get together online to play Dungeons and Dragons or Zombicide. People can use Video chats to play games against each other such as X-wing, Magic the Gathering and Pokémon. But people still need their local stores to get what they need to play. These shops are ensuring that they are doing what they can to be there for the community that has always been there for them.
Photo courtesy of Care.com
Bringing Back The Tradition
During these times when people are staying home more, one of the best ways to pass the time together is with tabletop and board games. Board games encourage a time for people to come together and enjoy time together. Lots of people are playing video games right now as a way to pass the time. Video games are great, but you don’t get the same kind of bonding with a video game that you can with a board game. I hope than when stores are able to reopen their gaming tables that as a country we continue to have game nights with friends and family to stay reconnected to the people around us.
