GEORGE TOWN: Imagine having to tear yourself away from the phone. Gasp!
But that’s precisely what participants of the Asian Board Games Festival (ABGF) 2025 did for at least two hours as they familiarised themselves with the rules, devised strategies and tried to outdo each other in a friendly competition billed as the largest English-speaking board game convention in Asia.
“Nowadays, because of life and work, you tend to be glued to your phone. It was nice to be able to put it aside and just have fun,” said media lecturer Intan Amalina Mohd Ali, 34.
To her, the offline games were refreshing.
She said many people assumed board games were just for children.
“But some are actually for adults. They are really complex and make you think,” said Intan Amalina, who was among those who stopped by the three-day festival in 1st Avenue Penang, which ended on Sunday.
The event, which featured rows of tables filled with colourful cards and wooden tokens, drew in families, friends and curious onlookers.
Players drifted from one table to the next, and many stayed for hours.
Hospitality student Wong Jia Chuen, 23, went looking for new games to add to his growing collection.
“I have two younger siblings. We try to play on weekends when we’re free,” he said.
“We like those with local themes. Some games make us feel like we are running a kopitiam or selling durians.”
ABGF began in Singapore in 2019 and came to Malaysia last year under a collaboration with creative studio Luma as part of the George Town Festival.
Luma founder Goh Choon Ean said more people sat down to play the games this year.
“We even had visitors from other states and countries,” she said.
“It was nice to see families and people of all ages laughing and playing without looking at their phones.”
