Ever imagined a board gaming haven? Ever thought beyond just scrabble, chess or ludo or that Dungeons and Dragons was only a game to marvel at through the screen on Stranger Things? Well, all you have ever known about board games could change with a visit to Get On Board Cafe.
It is India’s largest board game café and it is right here in Hyderabad! The café houses over 600 games procured from around the world and offers a staggering range — the world’s smallest board game at just 2 inches by 6 inches, and the world’s largest, at 2 ft by 3 ft; the most expensive board game at '25,000 and games like Catan, which has bagged the most prestigious prize in the world of board games, the Spiel des Jahres.
A family enjoys a card-based board game called Sequence
Sireesha Bahera and her husband started the café just two months ago, and already have visitors of all ages and walks of life celebrating their victories at the venue. Interestingly, each one of the 600 games is part of the couple’s personal collection! How did this passion, or madness, begin? Sireesha explains, “We used to live in the US and Prague, both very cold countries. When it is too cold to go out, people usually gather at a friend’s place and play board games. That’s how we were introduced to them, and since then, we got addicted.”
But is there such a demand for board games in India? “Can you believe that there are three board game designers in Hyderabad who are testing their games here? We also have many registrations for game tournaments and campaigns that happen here,” says Sireesha.
Visit the place especially on a weekend, and the atmosphere transports you to a different world altogether, where real time trumps technology. There’s no music playing and all one can hear is celebratory laughter or groans of disappointment.
Another impressive facet is the kind of people visiting the place. It’s not just peers but even grandparents come along with their grandchildren for a good few hours of bonding and groups of ladies celebrate their kitty parties at the place.
The personal touch that comes with the place is equally heartening. Sireesha, who is a B. Ed gold medallist, used to use board games to enhance the IQ levels of students in the US. Her husband works as an IT professional, and they both interact with customers and explain how the games are played. They have hired “game gurus” to help them in explaining the games.
They’ve also introduced Get On Board Mobile, where people can get a few board games to their homes, along with a game guru who will help you make the most of the board games.
Unlike other cafés where people go for the food and play the few games that may be available, people who go here are looking for a few serious hours of board games, while the Telugu delicacies like avakai annam, sandwiches and non-alcoholic beverages ensure that your time there is made more comfortable.
