Press Association Article
A Press Association article that I contributed to has started to appear in different papers this week. The article is called “Easter entertainment ideas for kids in lockdown: Nine of the best family games”. Spoiler alert…the BuzzleBox is at number 5!
I spoke to Claire Spreadbury about family games a couple of weeks ago.
“Board games bring families together,” says Ellie Dix, board game designer, author of The Board Game Family and owner of The Dark Imp. “Playing together gives us shared experiences and sparks conversation that can last much longer than the game on the table. Board games are immersive, they demand all our focus. We can escape into the world of the game and put our other thoughts to the back of our mind, which is particularly important in these current frightening times.”
So far, we’ve spotted the article in The Irish News, The Belfast Telegraph, The News and Star and The Daily Record. Give us a shout if you spot it anywhere else!
Design Week
I was also recently interviewed by Molly Long from Design Week and her subsequent article was published on Thursday. “We’re in a golden age of design”: The enduring appeal of board games, includes quotes from several professionals within the board game industry. I talked to her about the social aspect of board gaming.
“The psychology of it is simple enough: when you play, you don’t have to talk about anything other than what is going on within the limits of the game,” she says. “And that takes the pressure off people who struggle with socialising.”
And where the rules, story and mechanics can help establish a mental realm in which to play, Dix says the tactility of pieces, cards, boards and figurines helps create a physical connection to the game at hand and the people involved.
“I’m sure that the vast majority of people would never want to be without the wealth of technology that we have access to today,” she says. “But at some point, many become tired of screens and the world of the internet – and board games can be a real solution to that.”
Also – half of the images in the article are of Dark Imp games, which is great kudos from a design publication. It must be because they look so gorgeous!
Ant I Viral
Tina Stubbs from Life’s Little Bugs and parenting expert Sue Atkins have collaborated to create a book for children to teach them about the coronavirus. At the end of the book, they have a section of “People doing wonderful things in extraordinary times, helping to broaden your child’s home schooling experiences.” The Dark Imp gets a mention here.
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping in the US has quoted me again in their April issue. It came out a few weeks ago, but we didn’t notice until this week. Good Housekeeping women’s monthly with the biggest readership in America. So it’s great to get (another) mention.
Tabletop Gaming Podcast
On Wednesday, I spent a happy hour recording a podcast with Christopher Eggett, the editor of Tabletop Gaming Magazine. We talked about how to get your children away from Monopoly and interested in proper hobby games, how to teach board games to children, top board games for families and a whistle stop tour of Dark Imp games. The episode will be released as part of a ‘box set’ in a couple of weeks time. Watch this space.
Don’t forget
Every Tuesday at 4pm during school closures we are running online board game sessions for families. Register here (it’s free).
We’ve created a page of board game resources for families in isolation, so do have a look… you might find something useful.
In case you missed it…
On Monday, we released a new video about the new Dark Imp games, Doughnut Dash and Top Cake. Take a look and if you like what you see (you will), you can purchase the games in our online shop.
On Thursday, we published a new blog about how to recreate the classic quiz show Countdown in your own home.
Coming this week…
New video: 3 games to bring a laugh to lockdown
New blog: How to cooperate for cooperative games
Wow that’s brilliant your article has been in so many places and you have been getting some well deserved exposure.
Thank you, Cheryl