Passionate about board games, Patrick owns more than 150

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At 62 years old, Patrick Lefort de Rue (Somme) is truly passionate about board games. With more than a hundred carefully selected boxes, he is not just a simple player: we could almost define him as a collector. This passion is not old, however.

To get your son off video games

Now retired, it was during the first confinement, in 2020, that Patrick dove into the world of board games.

“I wanted to get my son off video games, and like many families, we turned to board games,” he confides. Since then, this passion has become much more than a hobby: a real investment, both personal and social.

Before buying a game, I ask for reviews, I watch feedback on YouTube.

Today Patrick has more than 150. “It’s not the number that creates passion,” he explains. “Whether you have 300, 160 or 10 games, the passion remains the same.”

In Patrick’s universe, each game has its place. But it’s not just about filling shelves: for him, each addition must be meaningful. “When you are passionate, you test games before buying. I ask for opinions, I look at feedback on YouTube. It’s an investment,” he explains.

Among his favorites, games far from the traditional ones A or Mille Bornes and more complex, like Terraforming Mars, a resource management game where you transform the planet Mars, or Ark Nova, where you have to manage a zoo. “These are not party games, but strategic games,” explains Patrick, adding that they require patience and reflection.

Some boxes are true works of art

“We can spend more than two hours playing the same game,” adds the enthusiast. “I like this uncertain side, you never know if you are going to win or lose, sometimes you can get slapped at the end of a game.”

For Patrick, the appeal of board games goes beyond playful pleasure. “There are game boxes that are true works of art,” he points out with admiration. The cover illustrations, the quality of the material, the richness of the game mechanics… each element counts and contributes to the experience.

Board games are intergenerational, both cognitive and informative.

His collection is thus made up of games with elaborate graphics, which are for him as much objects of contemplation as of entertainment.

Patrick does not keep this passion to himself. On the contrary, he transformed it into a real sharing tool. Within the Vivre à Rue association, he launched board game afternoons for members of the community, open to participants aged 8 to 90.

A shared passion to create connections

“I bring around twenty games with me each time,” he explains. This selection is designed to be accessible and includes games like Skyjo and Just One, titles that are easy to understand, suitable for all ages. “Board games, he thinks, have the advantage of being intergenerational. Both cognitive for the elderly and instructive for the young.”

For Patrick, it is about reaching a wide audience and showing that board games can be a moment of exchange and conviviality, well beyond the objective of winning.

These afternoons are an opportunity for him to pass on his passion while allowing participants to discover new fun worlds. “We learn, we have fun, we take our minds, we play according to our desire, our mood,” he explains enthusiastically.

Recently, he also participated in the Naours game festival, another opportunity to meet enthusiasts and discuss his latest discoveries.

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