Board games are one of the favorite activities for many youths to spend quality time together. However, the price of these games often makes it difficult for us to actually buy one. But fortunately, now there’s a place where you can find hundreds of different kinds of board games that you can play with your friends. This place is called Dots Board Game Cafe, which you can find at Paskal Hyper Square, Bandung, and Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta.

The Beginnings of Dots Board Game Cafe

Andre, the owner of Dots Board Game Cafe, shared the story of how he created the place. Andre has had a hobby of playing and collecting board games since seven years ago, and the first board game he ever played was called Catan. After learning that board games can be quite so addictive, Andre began to collect more and more games until he had dozens of them. And as he found his new hobby, Andre eventually began to think about opening a themed cafe.

"I was first got introduced to board games about seven years ago, the board game was Catan. Since then, I realized that board games are really fun, and they aren’t just Monopoly or UNO. So eventually, I began to collect several titles from ten of them, dozens, and the number kept on growing. So, at that moment I thought 'why don’t I open a (board game-themed) cafe since it’s already become a hobby of mine?'," Andre told the writer.

To realize this dream, Andre opened the Dots Board Game Cafe back in 2019 at Paskal Hyper Square, Bandung. Later on, he opened a branch in Jakarta in January 2021.

"So in 9, the first Dots was opened in Bandung. Since I’m from Bandung. As for Dots Jakarta was opened in January 2021," he added.

Almost 400 Different Board Games Available at Dots Board Game Cafe!

Andre also mentioned that there’s a wide array of different board games that you can play at Dots. In Bandung, Dots has 400 different board games for visitors to choose from. Whereas in the Jakarta branch, you can choose from 300 different titles. From expert-level board games to beginner-friendly ones, you can find all of them at Dots.

"(Our Jakarta branch) has 300 different board games, whereas in Bandung, (we) have almost 400. Because our branch in Bandung was opened 2 years earlier, it has more board game collections from the Jakarta branch," said Andre.

Andre also shared his plans of expanding his Dots Board Game Cafe chain, but it will be still around Jakarta. But he still has no exact date to realize this plan considering the whole situation with the COVID pandemic in Indonesia.

"Due to the current conditions, perhaps we still have to focus on these two cities. I do have plans to expand, but maybe not outside Jakarta," Andre said when asked about his plans to expand.

How Dots Cafe Owner Introduces People to Board Games

Andre has his own way to invite people to start playing board games. Usually, he starts by introducing easy-to-learn board games -- also known as gateway games.

"For example, if someone says they don’t like board games, it’s impossible that out of 20 thousand different board games they don’t enjoy a single one, there must be one that they enjoy. Board games also come in different levels of difficulties, so, for beginners, it’s highly recommended to start with the easy ones. They are also called ‘gateway games’. Now, we can start from that to turn it into a hobby," Andre said regarding his way to introduce people to board games.

For those of you who just started playing board games, don’t feel hesitant to visit the place as Dots Board Game has 24 employees ready to help you learn and find the best board games for you. On top of that, Dots Board Game Cafe also regularly holds tournaments every month. However, due to the recent spikes in COVID cases, these tournaments had to be postponed for the time being.

Dots Owner’s Take on the Development of Board Game in Indonesia

Maybe there are some of you who have very limited knowledge when it comes to board games, while some others are interested in it yet don’t have the money to buy one. Commenting on the development of board games in Indonesia, the owner of Dots believes that in the next five years, every household in Indonesia will have at least one board game that they play. He made this statement based on his observation since the last five years, where the production of board games experienced rapid growth with so many youths showing their interest.

"In my opinion, in the next five years, every household will have at least one board game. Because board games have been enjoying a rise for the last five years. Based on the stats, the production has dramatically gone up, to the point where you can see thousands of new board games per year," he revealed.

So, that was our interview with Andre the owner of Dots Board Game Cafe Indonesia. Stick around for more anime and gaming info, and make sure to follow Dunia Games on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

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