Eighty-two thousand square feet of meeple, dice, cards, and pawns — attending Origins Game Fair is better than winning the Free Parking jackpot in Monopoly.
Hosted by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the 48th annual Origins Game Fair will welcome more than 20,000 board game fanatics to the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio from June 19-23.
Whether you are a casual gamer looking for a new family game night staple or you have dozens of games stacked up in your closet like Jenga bricks, the show has a lot in store, providing several days of fun and affordable entertainment.
Board gamers can discover hundreds of companies and thousands of games in the exhibit hall. They can wander from booth to booth and learn how to play as many new games as they like and purchase them on the spot to enjoy at home. And while the aisles and aisles of game companies are overwhelming (in the best way), some special programs and events make Origins even more special.
From comedy shows to cosplay contests, Origins provides family-friendly activities throughout all five days of the show. A favorite feature that fans look forward to year after year is the Game Library. Here, Origins attendees can grab a game, pop a squat, and play with friends new and old. There are more than 1,000 games to choose from, or guests can even bring their own from home to share.
Another highlight for board game die-hards is the Unpub Room, where attendees can play test unpublished games, giving valuable feedback to designers along the way.
Unlike pop culture conventions like New York Comic Con or Comic-Con International: San Diego, Origins stays hyper-focused on tabletop games, and remains accessible to attend, with one-day badges running $45, and Sunday badges as affordable at $15.
Origins may welcome board game aficionados from all over the country, but show organizers GAMA make sure to give back to the event’s hometown. “Columbus is our home,” says John Stacy, Executive Director at GAMA. “We’re very engaged with the community, so we give away hundreds of tickets every year to the local Columbus Urban League, youth groups, the Boys and Girls Club, the Scouts, so [kids] can come and play games.”
And while the board games are the stars of the show at Origins, it’s just as much about the people who make the experience memorable.
Amy Besancon, an Ohio resident who has been attending Origins for more than a decade and volunteering at the show for the last three years, says she loves how welcome she feels by everyone at the show. “Everyone you meet is a friend,” she says. “I can just pick up and play games with anyone.”
Marissa Clutter of Perry, Ohio attends Origins with her family, and says she has board game friends from Illinois and Florida that she looks forward to seeing at the show every year. “I’ve only ever seen them with my eyeballs at Origins because we only ever play online,” Clutter says.
The attendees are not the only ones bringing the good vibes, the exhibitors are also there for a feel-good time.
Origins is about connecting with the board game community,"
“Origins is about connecting with the board game community, from media and content creators looking for a first look at what’s new, to our larger family of board gamers,” says Curt Covert, owner of Smirk and Dagger Games, which publishes titles including boop., The Night Cage, and more. “And we do think of it that way. We don’t ‘sell’ games at our booth — we welcome our friends and family to see what we are super excited about, we entertain and create amazing experiences that you can re-create with your own gaming groups, and yeah, if you need a copy, we have ‘em.”
While Origins is a consumer show, GAMA members can expect professional programming and additional benefits.
“In this industry, people want to help each other for the most part, and they’re working together,” Stacy says. “They’re trying to make games and have fun and get that out to the marketplace — and I think that’s really cool.”
Interested board game pros can visit originsgamefair.com for more info.
This article was originally published in the February 2024 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
