While some gamers headed across the border last weekend for sales on the latest Xbox and PlayStation 3 titles, fans of old-school fun flocked to the Ludo-Outaouais Board Game Festival at the Tetrault Community Centre in Gatineau.
Crowds of up to 130 gamers sampled the festival’s library of some 550 board games, all of which were free to play.
“If you’ve got a dusty old copy of Monopoly in your closet, that’s not the be-all and end-all of what board gaming is,” said organizer Yves Tourigny, noting at least 700 new games were published in 2010.
“It’s a great social activity,” he said. “It’s a great way to get involved with your kids. If you’re not that social, it’s a way to meet other people.”
To encourage mingling, organizers awarded prizes for playing with as many other people as possible over the weekend.
The festival also collected used games for Entraide familiale de l’Outaouais to give to disadvantaged families at Christmas.