Old style board games still a draw for today’s generation

There is nothing new about gadget-free games. It's just that with gadgets taking over our lives - be it from cooking, ordering things online, banking from the convenience of our homes or tracking our childrens' moves, most of us cannot visualise a day without gadgets.

If someone were to ask present generation parents or youngsters to name a gadget-free game, chances are that most would run a search before naming one. This is possibly because most parents are more familiar with gadgets, and some rather proud that their wards are at ease using these.

However, this does not mean a lack of interest in traditional, gadget-free games. At a recent ‘summer carnival’ at Prozone Mall, a Coimbatore-based start-up, Dhatz Entertainment, kept both young and old hooked to some of its gadget-free games.

From ludo to snakes and ladder to tic-tac-toe, the company managed to catch the attention of every visitor, encouraging the crowd to indulge in not just the traditional board games, but some fun-filled colourful ones as well.

S Sivashankaran, founder-promoter and Business Development Head of Dhatz, told BusinessLine that he foresaw the need for gadget-free gaming solutions as most young children were addicted to gadgets and parents often failed to think beyond gadgets to keep their wards engaged.

“Our intention is to wean kids away from gadgets while trying to entice older ones, too, to disengage from machines. We decided to take people - from toddlers to senior citizens - back to their roots to a fun-filled, gadget-free environment. We have more than 70 games at present; we will be adding another 30 to take it to 100 by September,” he said. The company has come up with digital-detox gaming solutions for all age-groups.

Asked why people would want to play snakes and ladder, brainvita or ludo (as these are common in most households), he said “we facilitate people to play these games on life-size wooden boards. The moment they see it, they stop by to try, give it a shot.”

“Some are fun-filled games such as pumping a balloon and jumping castle (for toddlers), which you would have seen in a reality show. Corporates enjoy our offerings; we also take up birthday party engagements,” he added.

Dhatz has not opened a shop to showcase its array of gaming solutions. Instead, the company partners with corporates. In recent days, some corporate groups have evinced interest in partnering with us at their family functions and get-togethers.

“We were part of the Colour Colororam carnival organised by Chennai Silks at Tirunelveli and Tuticorin,” he said and pointed out that Dhatz has developed solutions in such a way that they could be easily transported and assembled at any location within a given timeframe. Sivashankaran and Govindarajan (co-founder) have invested Rs 40 lakh in this venture since inception in April this year.

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