The board game cafes that roll with their success

Stephanie and Trevor Davies said they loved being surrounded by board games at the cafe

Board game cafes seeing an upswing in trade in a world that is otherwise digitally focused have linked it to people's experiences during Covid.

The Dice Box in Leamington Spa, filled with almost 1,000 games, said trade had more than doubled since opening six years ago.

According to co-founder Stephanie Davies, board games were an activity with which people reengaged at home during lockdowns, with people heading to the cafe to play with family and friends once restrictions were lifted.

In Telford, the Boardroom Gaming Cafe has also reported a boost since the pandemic, saying people "crave" the social aspect of playing.

"To have that isolation where you could only talk to people online to now where you can sit and play a board game, you can have that experience again," assistant manager Lindsey Bird said.

She described the board game industry as "huge, huge business", adding that she expected it to continue to rise over the next few years.

The Dice Box, meanwhile, has opened three more cafes since 2018 as demand continues to rise, with more venues planned including one in Wolverhampton.

"Everybody is here to just have fun, discover new hobbies and immerse yourself into different worlds," Ms Davies said.

Lindsey Bird said that people craved the social aspects of board games

Claire and her son visited the Telford site as a summer holiday treat, playing games such as Monopoly, which she said brought a sense of nostalgia.

"It's nice to get away from the house, from [electronic games] and sit and play a board game and talk to people," Claire added.

Claire goes to the cafe with her son as a summer holiday treat

Board game shop Wayland's Forge described the activity as a good way to get together with people, with a range of interesting games available for them to play.

The shop in Digbeth, Birmingham, said it had noticed a rise in people buying games even before the pandemic.

"It's nice to have physical things to do and the market is more visible to the general public where you now see games in Waterstones," the business added.