The idea is simple. Get people from all over the world to play board games on the same day in different countries. This day will be on Saturday 30 March and hails International TableTop Day. A great reason to nerd it out.
But board games definitely aren’t reserved for the nerdier among us. They’re actually pretty awesome, especially now that the weather is cooling down. And nowadays, you don’t even have to be stuck with Monopoly and Scrabble if you don’t want to.
There is a world of fascinating, new age games out there. I promise you, your life will change the first time you play a game where you have to survive a zombie apocalypse by fighting them with your bare hands, scavenging for guns and trying not to get stuck in a fallen building. Perfect Sunday afternoon entertainment. There are also many other, less violent but just as creative, games out there.
So let’s get back to TableTop Day. Conveniently for us, it falls on the longest of long weekends. That means you have something different to do on Easter weekend. It could give you and your visiting family a way of hanging out, it could be something to keep the kids busy with while they anticipate their great Easter egg hunt or it could be something to do with your friends on a weekend that everyone finally gets a chance to catch up and do something together.
TableTop Day in Cape Town
Cape Town is the only place in South Africa with a couple of official events listed. I’ll highly recommend making your way over to Fanaticus Hobbies and Games in Durbanville. I’ve been to one of the game days here before and you’ll feel right at home. There’s a constant supply of help-yourself coffee and tea and a whole range of demo board games that you can try out for free. The owner is a board game nut himself and happy to explain the rules over and over again. It’s also great for the kids as there are games available that they’d also enjoy and enough carpet space for them to do some colouring-in.
The event: 09h30 – the last gamers leave (usually after lunch time)
10 Bella Rosa Street, Rosenpark, High Street Shopping Village
Tel 021-914-8688
[email protected]
www.fanaticus.co.za
TableTop Day in the rest of the country
Just because Cape Town is the only city with official events doesn’t mean you can’t participate. That’s the beauty of this day. Here are a few ideas for where you can enjoy your board games.
1. At your favourite coffee shop – officially
If you’re a local at the coffee shop down the road, speak to the owner and list them as an official venue. They can download posters and logos off the TableTop website to decorate their place.
2. At your local coffee shop – unofficially
If you don’t feel like registering your event, just head on over to one of the more quiet restaurants or coffee shops in you area and take your game with you. It doesn’t have to be a three-hour game like Risk, and you can order drinks and food all the while, as to not upset your host.
3. At a local school or library
If you prefer a more toned-down atmosphere, ask the kids’ school if you can play games in the school hall or find out whether the library has a spare room available
4. In a park
If the sun is shining and the wind isn’t howling, then why not make a picnic basket and pack out your game under a tree in the park? The kids can play, you can relax and drink some wine and be part of an international event without even trying to.
5. In your living room
If you really don’t feel like going out, then you can stay in. Just rip out a game you hadn’t played in years, make a cup of coffee and play the game together. You can invite you friends and family to join in and make a day out of it.
If you don’t have any board game to play or if you’re tired of the same-old same-old, then do a bit of browsing on Fanaticus’s online shop, they deliver countrywide.
So whether you’re a group of 20 or a family of four, go onto TableTop’s website and register. You’ll find it interesting to see where else in the world another family is playing the same game as you. While you play, post your pictures to TableTop Day’s Facebook Page or tweet them with the hashtag #tabletopday.
It’ll definitely ad something different to this year’s Easter weekend.
