A new meetup for group games

An entrepreneur-turned-facilitator is bringing people together to play casual and childhood games in Bengaluru. The idea, he says, is for all to let their hair down and bond with strangers.

GamesBlr is held once or twice a month on weekends. It operates on a pay-what-you-like model. Over four hours, attendees engage in ice-breaker activities, board games, and improvised versions of party games in groups. “No trophies, only peals of laughter — that’s what I offer,” says Yogesh Suresh, the host. The 27-year-old held the first session last September. It saw a turnout of 36 people. Since then, the sessions have been held at different venues in the city and footfalls have ranged from 10 to 25, with a repeat rate of 25%. “Most participants are in the 24-34 age group,” he says.

Yogesh hosts community building activities. However, spiritual sessions to help people deal with anger, guilt and shame is his key offering. These sessions combine meditation, music, and dance. He says, “Not everybody is inclined to explore spirituality. I got thinking if there was another way I could bring people together where they let go of their inhibitions. Hosting games seemed like a good idea.” 

He is glad to share that the games initiative is resonating with attendees. “A yoga teacher said she never knew she would have fun acting like a monkey stealing a banana, or actively lying and giggling over it during a game of Mafia. A sustainability expert said we are so used to doing things with an agenda that it’s refreshing to let go of inhibitions and laugh,” he shares.

The sessions start with groups selecting a name, gesture, and sound for themselves. Sometimes, it can begin with a potluck. “We then play ‘Reverse charades’ where a group enacts a scene and one person guesses what they are enacting. We move on to Codenames, Pictionary, Taboo, Tiki Taka (a ball passing game), Dance Whisper (a take on Chinese Whisper), Mafia, or Hopscotch. Childhood games like Lemon and Spoon race, and Confusion are a hit. We alternate between sit-down and running-around games,” he says.

Now, he is also organising these team-building games at startups and corporates.
Look up @gamesblr on Instagram for schedule