It may seem that board games are a relic in the age of widespread digitization and the undeniable popularity of electronic games. However, this is not the case at all, as Łukasz Piechaczek, owner of Ludiversum and organizer of board game events, including the Board Games in Spodek festival, convinces us.
What draws us to board games?
Board games attract us with their physicality and opportunity of authentic interaction face to face with friends and family. Sitting at the table with loved ones, together we are transported to fantastic worlds full of secrets and challenges. We can laugh together, celebrate victories or comfort each other after losing a round. Playing together provides us with great fun and creates unforgettable memories with loved ones.
So is Ludiversum’s mission to popularize board games?
Our daily business is is a board game place in Katowice. You can play games with us, or rent them to take home. And we have a rich collection of over 600 different titles. On site we serve hot and cold drinks, snacks or pizza to make board game meetings more pleasant. We sometimes conduct presentations of new releases, and we regularly hold game tournaments. We also have groups of regular players focused around specific titles, such as Pokemon TCG, Star Realms or KeyForge.
But for the past few years your activities have gone beyond the confines of your headquarters?
Our most talked-about initiative is Board Games in Spodek – currently the largest board game festival in Poland. How big is this undertaking and what was the story behind its success? It all started in September 2018. Since then, the event has grown every year, and literally! Not only do we have more and more visitors – this year it was just over 7,700 participants – but we also occupy a larger and larger area. We started with just a section of the Spodek’s mezzanine, after a few years a slab was added, and this year the entire Spodek was no longer enough and we also occupied part of the ICC. We are constantly expanding the number of exhibitors and attractions – this September, visitors were treated to, among other things, a huge games room on the Spodek tarmac (and more), an RPG zone, a prototype zone, a tournament zone, a family zone, as well as thematic contests and lectures. The event was attended by more than 60 exhibitors from all over Poland, who offered not only board and card games of all types, but also role-playing games, paragraph games, game accessories and even comic books or gadgets for geeks. The board festival in Spodek has become a true celebration of games, with hobbyists from all over the country flocking to it. The next installment of the Board Games Festival is scheduled for September 28-29 this year.
This is really impressive! But that’s not the only initiative dedicated to board games that you are behind, right?
That’s right! For several years we have also been cooperating with PreZero Arena Gliwice, where we organize periodic Night Playing. This is already a much smaller event, with 300-400 visitors, but it is held regularly every 1-2 months. From the cooperation with PreZero Arena Gliwice was also born Arena of Champions, a unique event in the country entirely dedicated to board and card game tournaments. The 2nd edition will be held in May 2024, which we are just starting to prepare.
Can board games be a way to attract people to a place?
Absolutely! Meeting with games can be an interesting way to promote a place or an event. For this reason, 2-3 times a year we co-organize, on commission, a Board Games Festival at Galeria Libero in Katowice, and here we also have tables full of players. In May of this year, during the Cosmicon fantasy festival at the Silesian Planetarium, in turn, we organized a gaming zone, which was an additional attraction for the participants.
Since games are so popular, it makes sense to reach for a board game….
Definitely! I encourage everyone to spend time together with board games and enjoy this great form of entertainment.
Interviewed by the editors of the „Business HUB”
Ludiversum is one of the Member Companies of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.
The interview appeared in the December issue of Business HUB.
Downloadable online version of the issue (in Polish): HERE.