Boardgames set up for B.I.G. weekend

BENDIGO Indoor Gamers, also known as B.I.G. are rolling the dice for the first-time later this month at their new convention dedicated to all things board games.

Group secretary Ben Tinney said the idea for the convention surfaced after he and fellow gamers had positive experiences attending other regional events such as BorderCon in Wodonga and ShepparCon in Shepparton.

“There’s something about modern games, the way they bring people to the table, it’s an environment and an experience that once you get into it you want to keep doing it as much as you can,” he said.

Modern games, according to Mr Tinney, hold more depth than we’ve come to expect from old favourites like Monopoly or Scrabble.

Players can explore different worlds, learn about new subject areas, and put themselves in the shoes of other characters, all while building social connections.

“In the last decade and a half, the board game industry overall internationally has been going through what’s being called a golden age,” Mr Tinney said.

“There’s more and more games being released every year that cover more and more issues and different themes, and different play counts and different activities and different lengths of times to play.”

Board games as a hobby has become popular in recent years, which Mr Tinney attributes to their ability to bring people together.

“It’s a bit of a reaction almost to the proliferation of technology into everybody’s lives,” he said.

“Recently with COVID and whatnot, I really think that people have come to realise what an important part face-to-face social interaction is to happiness and enjoyment of life.”

Part of the appeal of board games for Mr Tinney is that players arrive at the table on equal footing, knowing they’re about to have a good time.

“As a way to draw people into a safe and comfortable social environment, I don’t think there’s a parallel to it,” he said.

Guests of B.I.G. weekend can bring their own games to play or explore the library of games provided.

There will also be door prizes, food and coffee, and gaming tournaments held over the weekend.

B.I.G. Weekend will held over three days from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 October at the Bendigo Club and tickets are available via Eventbrite.