Board game club is a win for area kids

HARTINGTON — At the Hartington Board Game Club, high-energy hijincks and shenanigans are always afoot — but in the very best way possible.

Laughter, clapping and the occasional outburst with an excited song and dance are all common occurrences among the children who regularly attend, smiles and camaraderie all around.

At the helm is Peter Talley who could be considered a big kid himself.

He’s also fondly known as the Game Guy.

The Hartington Game Board Club has been gaming for more than five years now. It started as an opportunity to bring people together of any age to play any kind of game — board games, card games and role-playing games.

“This club has been great for bringing together participants who may not otherwise get to know each other,” Talley said.

Every Tuesday after school, kids flow into the Hartington Public Library’s community room to play together. Some come back on Saturday mornings. Fridays are also game days during the summer.

Most of the 20 regulars are students, but families and individuals of any age are welcome to join in the fun. Some travel from Coleridge, Laurel and Bow Valley to get their game on.

The club opens eyes to other games besides the classics of Monopoly, Candy Land and Sorry and takes creativity to the next level.

“I share my own resources and experiences, and use my connections with comic shops, hobby shops, and other groups, so that participants can learn about pop culture, stories, and games in ways they may not otherwise be able to in a rural community,” Talley said.

Not only is there open-play where students pick from Talley’s collection of more than 200 board games, but Talley also sponsors events and tournaments including a Magic Academy, Spy Academy, HeroClix tournaments, Car Wars tournaments, space- and pirate-themed events, and boffer-sword (foam-sword) dueling.

The first tournament Talley put together was for the demo derby card game Car Wars.

“It got kids so excited, they started customizing their own Hot Wheels,” he said.

Role-playing or collaborative storytelling is something that Talley accommodates during the Friday sessions in the summer.

“The really cool thing is, the kids that want to be there, are able to do it. I give them their chance to be in the spotlight, be in the narrative and interact. They have time to be the hero. It’s pretty cool how it all comes together,” Talley said.

An author, Talley also sponsors a creativewriting contest through the club where participants can write about their favorite games or pen a story about a game-playing experience.

“There was an older lady from town who sent in a piece on playing cards with her brothers when she was younger,” Talley said.

He estimates he spends about 14 hours per week at the club or prepping club activities, and spends about $1,000 per year of his own personal funds to keep the club afloat with prizes, snacks, decor and new games.

Kids are especially fond of hard-won prizes and are quick to show any newcomers their stash of keepsakes - marbles, specialty pins or specialty dice, crystals, action figures, customized wands, movie posters, and more.

“I have had parents offer donations and I’m very thankful for that,” Talley said. “I want to keep things going as long as I can. I always want it to be free and accessible to all members of the community.”

Eventually Talley would like to join in competition with other similar clubs in Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Omaha.

But at the end of the day, the club is more about connection, problem solving and being creative than winning or losing.

Just ask the kids who attend the board game club what their favorite part is and you’ll get varied answers. Some are in it for the games but most appreciate the friendships they’ve made.

“Whether it’s against the board or against me, one of the big things I like to teach them is, you’re not losing, you’re just learning how to play better the next time,” Talley said. “Games are a great way to bring people together. Our most important goals here are to have fun, work together, learn new stuff.”

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