THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE TABLETOP

The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop provides an informative look at the world of board games, which is without question far more sophisticated and broad than the average individual knows, and with fascinating different perspectives on the industry explored in this documentary, it’s an insightful exploration even if it feels like it is barely scratching the surface of the subject matter.

Documentaries about special interests work best when the individuals being interviewed and followed during the documentary genuinely love what they are talking about. Their passion can invest viewers in a subject matter that they otherwise know little about or aren’t particularly interested in, turning it into an engaging and informative watch that will hopefully draw them towards the subject matter in the future. And that is how director Simon Ennis approaches the subject of board games in The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop as he and his subjects explore board games in the modern era, and there is no question that he will have viewers wanting to call their friends and organize their next game night after watching this documentary.

When you think of board games, classic games like Monopoly, Sorry!, and Clue that you more likely than not played with your family growing up instantly come to mind. But these board games are a mere sliver of the industry, which in recent years has become a vast industry full of diverse offerings, having a game for almost anything you can think of. From crowdfunding campaigns to create independent games, board game competitions where individuals play to claim the honour of being the best player of a certain game in the world, and a welcoming community of collectors and game lovers, this documentary covers a lot of ground. It’s a great cursory introduction for those viewers who may not be familiar with the variety and complexities of modern board games, but it never digs deep enough to truly capture the community at the heart of this documentary.

Told from different perspectives, Ennis explores the modern world of board games with different perspectives ranging from avid gamers, industry players and game creators. Each of the individuals interviewed and followed by the filmmaking team has an undeniable passion for board games, which draws the watcher into the documentary. Some storylines are more engaging than others, like Canadian gamer and collector Dan Corbett whose passion for this world leaps off the screen and his friendship with Ennis and their gaming is a special touch to the documentary, while others sadly do not have the effect that is desired due to feeling removed from the other narratives which have more crossover. While Ennis's intentions for making this film are earnest and help to create an engaging watch, there lies a question of who this film is for as it never seems to go deep enough into the world of board games to provide a satisfying behind the scenes look for either die hard gamers who want to learn valuable insights into this world or the relative newcomer who is looking for a reason to become a bigger gamer. It’s not a bad documentary by any means, but its surface level exploration holds it back from being the effective exploration of the board game industry that it had the potential to be.

Board games have been a part of culture for ages, and it feels like they have entered their next stage of evolution, moving beyond the classics that many grew up playing and into a more varied, complex and exciting source of entertainment. With director Sean Ennis highlighting the personal stories of the individuals his documentary follows, allowing their love of board games to leap of the screen and invest viewers in the film, The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop is pure enjoyment that will have viewers itching to break out their favourite board games after this charming look at an underappreciated industry.