Games day provides social safe space

STAFF at one of Ballarat’s pop culture, card, and tabletop gaming outlets invited new faces to come in last week with the aim of introducing newcomers to all things fun.

Having opened the Ballarat store earlier this year, Good Games staff held an intro to board games event last week in what is set to be an ongoing event.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Amy Smith who said the day was about making the space more inclusive for everyone.

“I do youth engagement stuff when I’m not here and I love the idea of bringing communities together,” she said.

“The aim here is to get a bunch of people together that maybe felt a bit too intimidated by board games to be able to rock up and know they’re in a safe space to learn.

“When you walk through a store like this, it can be very intimidating with the amount of stuff that’s on the shelf and if you don’t know what you’re after, it can be terrifying trying to figure it out.

“We set it up with some really cool games we like and it’s been a pretty relaxed setup. Everyone’s welcome to ask for help or sit down and figure it out themselves.”

Ms Smith said she aims to hold more “jumping-off” sessions later in the year for people unfamiliar with board games, card games and potentially model-building sessions.

Boardgames included Exploding Kittens, Dungeon Mayhem, Happy Little Dinosaurs, and Carcassonne.

Headspace peer worker Bridie Hull brought two of her clients to the intro day and said it provided a safe, inclusive space for them.

“It’s really good, especially with events like these. It’s very open and taste-based for the youth of Ballarat,” she said.

“It’s been really fun and easy for everyone to pick up. You get to steal each other’s cards and it’s bringing that interaction with other players so it’s very inclusive.

“I hope they hold these more often. It’s a really good opportunity especially for people who may feel a bit nervous coming to these things, it’s in a safe space to come down, socialise and have fun.”

Ms Smith is based in Colac Otway Shire, where she’s been running similar initiatives with youth engagement officer Reuben Whyte including a Dungeons and Dragons school program late last year.

Mr Whyte attended the intro day, and said gaming is the way forward for engaging with youth.

“This sort of stuff is all about safe space,” he said. “This is highlighting the need for this sort of stuff, people like Amy creating spaces for young people to be at even just a couple hours a week.

“It’s a chance for them to be themselves around people that see them and appreciate them. It’s not about gaming or the activity, but letting people be themselves and find their tribe.”