Before screens retained human attention for long hours, board games were alternatives for those looking to have fun with friends and family. Over time, the possibility of this type of entertainment being lost, due to the increase in technology, was a predicted scenario. However, to this day, this type of group fun is still popular.
In this context, a type of enterprise has conquered the capitals, including the Federal District: stores dedicated to renting games. Whether to play in the physical space itself or to take home, these environments have become an option for those looking to disconnect from the virtual world to enjoy quality in-person moments.
One of DF’s successes in this niche is Ludoteca BGC, located in Asa Sul. Present in the games market since 2013, the store was initially called “Board Game at Home”. “We were much more homely. BGC operated out of an apartment full of board games. We rented it all over Brazil, through the Post Office. In 2014, we had the opportunity to open our physical store, with space for customers to play”, says André Segovia, managing partner.
André comments that, little by little, in addition to game rentals, the store started working with sales. “In 2016, we received an angel investment and Board Game em Casa ‘leveled up’, moved to a larger space, looked beautiful and became Ludoteca BGC”, he explains. The entrepreneur informs that, in the Friendly Local Gaming Store model, that is, “friendly neighborhood gaming store”, in free translation, Ludoteca seeks to get closer to its customers to treat them as friends during service in its space.
For André, this initiative allows the store to become a pleasant, welcoming and cozy environment. Furthermore, this Ludoteca proposal also fosters a sense of community and companionship which, for him, are very important for the hobby focused on board games. The managing partner highlights that this operating format is considered one of its differentiators.
Another aspect that highlights the store in this segment concerns the games collection, which reaches 900 varieties for customers to access. “We have one of the largest in Brazil”, he informs. “We also have instructors in house, who are available to teach the rules of the games, which makes us accessible to anyone, regardless of whether they are a veteran or a complete beginner”, he adds.
To maintain its audience with quality products, André emphasizes that the Ludoteca’s updating process is constant. This year alone, the store has already invested in the acquisition of approximately 50 new games for the collection. The businessman indicates that the idea is to always add the games that are most successful at the moment, without getting rid of established models.
Market opportunity
One of the reasons that inspired the creation of the Ludoteca involved the lack of environments that catered to the geek public in the city. Before the creation of the store, as a consumer, André missed a physical location for games in Brasília.
“Having access to modern, more complex, strategic and fun games in an unusual way was difficult. Nowadays, the capital has a nice handful of game stores spread across the administrative regions. The market for this hobby is super hot”, he assesses.
With a loyal audience, André comments that the demand for board games has grown a lot in Brazil in the last 10 years. Even with the increase in digitalization and the increase in technologies, the segment has not lost its relevance.
“Our goal is not to compete with digital, but to offer another entertainment possibility for people. A large part of the public that frequents our store are people who only knew the traditional ones from their childhood, but who were introduced to some modern title by a friend or acquaintance and became curious. Generally, these people are amazed by the experience and become propagators of the hobby themselves – and loyal customers of Ludoteca”, he comments.
Three questions for André Segovia, managing partner of Ludoteca BGC:
How do you curate the best games to the store?
The main criterion is customer recommendations. If someone asks about a game that we don’t have, we look for it to see if it’s interesting. But we also keep an eye on websites, channels and profiles that comment on games, both national and international, on publishers’ releases and on Board Game Geek (BGG), which is like an IMDB [base de dados on-line de informação sobre cinema, TV, música e games] mixed with Wikipedia for board games.
In addition to games, what else does the store offer in its physical environment?
Over the years, we have partnered with several restaurants and cafes to better serve our audience. We currently have a partnership with the Frisson creperie, which offers not only crepes, but also açaí. We also sell accessories and geek products, and we provide the space for events, birthdays and RPGs (which are games, but not board games).
What were the brand’s biggest challenges?
Without a doubt, the pandemic. We made a point of following all safety protocols strictly, remaining closed (only with “quarantined” game rentals via delivery) for much longer than the average business, and returning little by little, taking all necessary precautions, until normality was possible again. We also had to move to a smaller address and support the store with our own resources for a long time, but we had wonderful support from the community, who embraced us and helped us with a crowdfunding campaign in favor of the project’s survival. We are immensely grateful to everyone who contributed.
