The Hobby rolls a D20 for charm!

Filmmaker Simon Ennis shows us the connections, the obsessions, and the passions that have sprung up around modern board games, and the people who play them.

Traveling across Canada and the United States The Hobby introduces a cross-section of society and the way they can be their best selves on the table top. We meet game designers, from John Hague who creates a Kickstarter campaign to finance his game, The Last Summit, to Candice Harris who gets hers published.

We also meet a cadre of characters who find themselves on the journey to Las Vegas to compete in the World Series of Board Games to learn who the best is, and hopefully have a good time doing it.

Interweaving the WSBG story with the personal tales of players, their favourite games, their personal foibles, and why they find comfort in board games gives the viewer an all around general look at the gaming community, and an invitation to join in and play.

I’m a very casual gamer, and while I do have some boardgames (I’m a sucker for Ravensburger Games like Alien and The Princess Bride, and greatly enjoy the Horrified series), they are usually engaged in solo play. They generally don’t appeal to my partner, and time prevents the two of us from sitting down and enjoying them. They also must be co-operative, as she tends to get very competitive when it comes to games.

Having said that, I see myself in a number of the people the doc introduces us to and Ennis makes sure to give us an honest look at all of them. There is humour here, as well as a commentary on community, society, and the very real need to play.

This isn’t your parent’s Monopoly – the film reminds us that there’s a board game for almost everything. They can be casual, and they can be heavy (I like the sounds of Settlers of Catan, and Terraforming Mars, I just don’t have the friend base at the moment to enjoy them – I know I need to get out there more) but they are always about connection, imagination, community, and play, play, play.

They serve as a break from the real world where you may not always be able to get by. They give you a specific set of rules, opportunity and chance to accomplish a set goal. And that can be very uplifting for a lot of people – that little endorphin rush you get when you win!

Crisply told, Ennis balances all of the narratives perfectly, never overstaying his welcome from moment to moment, and tells an engaging tale. I wouldn’t have balked at a slightly longer runtime, but it’s a short, sweet primer for boardgame neophytes, and longtime gamers will see themselves here and perhaps be able to invite others to join them at the table.

Colourful, vibrant, and fun, Ennis ensures his film brushes against all aspects of the modern board game, from simply enjoying them to creating your own. I won’t lie, I want to pull out my game table even now and set up a game to engage in.

So take a chance, roll those D20s, and get out to see The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop when it opens theatrically and on VOD.