Playful infrastructures: building communities through social board gaming

Although space plays an integral role in strengthening the UK’s social and cultural fabric, merely
putting people together in the same physical environment does not necessarily bring them together
socially. The paper argues for a shift in the policy focus from the provision and maintenance of
physical spaces where social connections can be formed to a more nuanced understanding of how
such connections can be facilitated. Drawing on a case study of social board gaming in the postpandemic
UK, the paper explores how social gatherings structured around a shared activity with a
clear interaction framework, such as the one provided by board games, makes existing social and
cultural infrastructures (pubs, cafes, community centres, etc.) more convivial and accessible to
diverse demographics, including neurodivergent people and those struggling with loneliness and
social isolation. Despite many social, economic and civic benefits of social board gaming, there are
some barriers and challenges that need to be addressed to fully harness the community-building
potential of this activity. The paper presents several policy considerations drawn from existing good
practice in accessibility, inclusion, outreach, impact generation and fundraising, and concludes with
further recommendations for development and support of social board gaming in the UK.