T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM Mike McComber sets up a game of “River Valley Glassworks” at the Thursday Marshalltown Board Gamers session. Chris Johnson joined him and members Travis and Brandee Ferneau for some fun game time.

Members of the Marshalltown Board Gamers set out some games at the session at Artemis Tavern. People are encouraged to bring their own games to sessions.

T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM
Mike McComber sets up a game of “River Valley Glassworks” at the Thursday Marshalltown Board Gamers session. Chris Johnson joined him and members Travis and Brandee Ferneau for some fun game time.

Board games have experienced a rise in popularity in society in the past few years, and Marshalltown Board Gamers has formed so residents can share their love of the hobby.

Started by Mike McComber, the group is not his first trip around the board. He started one when he lived in Tama, which was active until he moved to Marshalltown. Now, he wants to bring board game loving people together here to shake some dice, lay some pieces and just have a good time.

“Mostly, I want to bring together those of us who like board games more than card games, like Magic or Pokemon,” he said. “I want to bring people together to network, make new friends and just play some games.”

The board game industry has expanded greatly since the time of the classics, such as Monopoly, Clue and Scrabble, that people usually associate with. McComber said there is a whole new world of board games most people do not know about.

“It’s hard to place a definition on ‘board game’ because there are so many out there,” he said. “Kickstarter has 5,000 new board games released each year. It is amazing how many different games and genres there are now.”

If there is an interest or another hobby a person has, chances are there is a board game that goes with it, McComber said. There are games dedicated to fishing, cooking, baseball, farming and more. He loves that they are no longer limited to war or humorous games.

“I get excited when I start to think about all the genres,” he said. “There are building and dexterity games like Jenga, co-op games where everyone is on the same team and tries to beat the game, which is one of my favorites because there are not so many feelings hurt if someone wins.”

The hurt feelings that tend to accompany games like Monopoly lead into the Marshalltown Board Gamers rules McComber put into place — be kind, be courteous and try not to cuss.

Members can bring their own games to sessions, or play on whatever else is available.

“We encourage people to bring their own,” he said. “Myself, I have more than 300 games, and I can bring ones that others want to try before they buy.”

The games a person can bring extend all the way to chess or mancala, but McComber said most of the members focus on more modern board games.

“But if two people love to play chess, have at it,” he said. “No games are off the table. Well, a few might be if they are not appropriate for kids, but that is for the parent to decide. You know, if it’s too violent or has other things that are offputting.”

While adult members are preferred, children are allowed to join the group, as long as a parent accompanies. McComber does not want to put limitations on who can participate.

The first time Marshalltown Board Gamers met was April 16 at Artemis Tavern. McComber said only two people showed up for the first session, but he hopes the group will expand because he believes there are a large number of Marshalltonians who share the enthusiasm for board games.

“We’re on a slow roll,” he said. “But one lady, who just missed us, is really excited about it. She considered forming a similar group, and was glad that I did.”

That excitement extends beyond the potential player who missed a session. McComber said he has received a lot of excitement from community members. The hard part with sessions is scheduling times which work for most players. A poll McComber placed on the Facebook page had Thursdays as the best day, but he is open to different days or multiple weekly sessions. Newcomers to the group can suggest different days and times for sessions.

“It’s hard to get a dedicated group of adults together,” he said. “They’re busy working and life happens.”

They plan to meet weekly at 4 p.m. on Thursdays at Artemis Tavern.

“My goal for the group is to expand the board game world, and open it up to new people who don’t know how big it is, that there’s a wide world of games out there; and the camaraderie and community that comes with it,” McComber said.

GROUP INFORMATION

Name: Marshalltown Board Gamers

Location: Artemis Tavern

Address: 2501 S. Center St.

Dates: Thursdays

Times: 4 p.m.

Website: Facebook

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.