Imagine spreading a picnic blanket on a lawn, rolling out Cascadia next to your sandwiches, and wandering over to try an unreleased Korean import before lunch. That is Paju Spiel, and Korea's biggest board game festival returns to the Gyeonggi Future Education Paju Campus on 9-10 May 2026, with around 23,000 visitors expected across the weekend.
Looking for board gamers near you? Browse local communities and find your next game night.
Find events near youOrganised by Korea Boardgames, the festival is now in its fourth year since launching in 2023 and stands out from the usual indoor convention by running outdoors across an entire university-style campus. Families arrive with packed lunches, instructors run rules-teach sessions in themed zones, and kids get dedicated programmes alongside strategy classes for grown-ups. The 2026 edition adds a Speed Cubing Championship (elementary division on the Saturday, open division on the Sunday) and a nationwide QR-linked map of partner board game cafes for visitors planning a Korean gaming road trip. German publisher Amigo and Hong Kong-based Broadway Toys are running experience booths, so expect a mix of Korean, Japanese and European titles on the grass, with two more retail outlets than last year.
The outdoor format is the really interesting bit. Korea has leaned into open-air gaming in a way Europe mostly has not, and 23,000 visitors suggests there is real appetite for it. If that sparks an idea for the summer, Backseat Gamer makes it easy to list an outdoor game day for your group.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeSources: Inven Global
