Play board games

Ask any devotee of the games in their many forms (table, of role …) If the circumstances in which it is played are important, and will surely tell you Que not. The company matters, comfort imports, but once that is resolved, the worlds to which the players move with their imagination are the ones that matter and in which hours and hours will spend. But … what if the environment where you are also given as much importance as to mount Cruises around the games?

What is a playful cruise. A Thematic holiday experience that combines a traditional cruise trip with an intense programming of activities dedicated to board games, role, wargames and geek culture in general. Unlike a simple event aboard a conventional cruise, the ship becomes a large floating convention where travelers play, compete and even attend talks and workshops, and participate in parties and thematic activities.

How it started. Cruises of this type have their origin in the United States, with pioneer events such as the Tower Cruise says and the Congress of Gamerswhich since the mid -2010 popularized this new way to enjoy the games. From there, the phenomenon began to expand regionally with local versions.

In Latin America, Brazil had its KRIATIVES ON BOARDwhich in its third edition in April 2025 congregated more than 400 participants, with the presence of international designers. How could it be otherwise, this Brazilian variant brought to the extreme the mixture of recreational days with more conventional costume parties and celebrations. At European level, the proposals have also been multiplied: Boardgame Cruise Island Tourfor example, he was born in the United Kingdom, but has already been organized as a franchise in countries such as Iceland, Germany or the Netherlands.

Find your cruise. No amateur typology runs out of their corresponding cruise, because these proposals are diversified in a very funny way, although the most common are the “generalists”: gigantic floating playbins with hundreds of titles of all kinds. This is the case of those mentioned, says Tower Cruise or Boardgame Cruise, but also of Bgg@be either Meeples at itmeeting place for families and groups of fans who also seek a more traditional cruise experience.

But from there the thing diversifies: there are cruises specialized in Wargames and miniatures, oriented to a more specific audience, such as ‘Warhammer40k’ fans and other miniature games. Also, of course, there are For role playerswhere live games are organized, continuous narrative campaigns and role -playing talks. The variations are infinite: Comic with The Cruise, Gacuon (with a cosplay accent) and Saltcon Cruise (for board games) are other possibilities.

The analog returns. The reason for the proliferation of these cruise ships is clear, and connects with the proliferation of conventions as the recent Comic-with Malaga: fans increasingly value the social component of their hobbies, and therefore Hobbies like cosplay They become forms of collective expression. Cruises are only another way of socializing, and organizers They are very attentive to the tastes that are shaping pop culture. Where there are fans, there are money, and cruise companies are perfectly aware.

Header | Photos of Fox & Hyde in Unspash – Peter Hansen in Unspash

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