Financial Tribune | Mohamadreza Seyedagha:� Board games industry is growing gradually in Iran, as fewer than than 20 companies are producing some 70 card and board games

Apart from the huge videogame market in the country, tabletop games have also found a large fan base among Iranians in recent years.

For the first time, five Iranian companies will take part in the largest international board game exhibition Spiel 2019 due to be held in Essen, Germany, on October 24-27.

Also known as Essen Game Fair, the event is the world�s largest fair for board, card and role-playing games with more than 1,200 exhibitors from 53 nations.

Tabletop games involve pieces and/or accessories such as dice, boards, and cards. They can be played by two or more players. Such games are considered one of the best alternatives to electronic gadgets and devices, which are keeping modern-day families busy and together.

Tabletop games experienced a substantial growth in the 1990s, especially in European countries. After the turn of the millennium, the board game industry registered significant expansion, with companies producing a rising number of new games for a growing global audience.