Lynn Potyen’s journey in gaming started when she recognized that her son Eric, who had speech delays, would benefit from board games.
It is a journey that has led her on a path different from many in the industry and was recognized when she won the 2024 Outstanding Contribution to the Games Industry award through the Game Manufacturers Association.
Potyen says the information she gathered and applied to help her son led her to start The GameBoard in Sheboygan 18 years ago.
Potyen and her staff see games as a way to focus on mental health. It drives choices in the types of games they carry and recommend as well as how they interact with the community.
In addition to retailing games, The GameBoard staff works with dementia programs and with students from preschool to adult age. It also offers corporate team building activities and events, speaking engagements and consulting.
The brick and mortar game store in downtown Sheboygan is home base for the business and reflects Potyen’s passion to change the industry.
The store’s game selection is a product of Potyen’s experience playing games with people over two decades. There is a focus on games that require critical thinking and skill (i.e., Settlers of Catan) and less on mass produced games that rely on rolls of the dice or chance.
“I’d like to think that my legacy is that I’m teaching retailers worldwide … it’s acceptable to sell a game because it’s good for your brain,” Potyen says.
The approach has been lauded in the board game industry, with Potyen being asked to speak at national and international conferences and recently contributing a chapter to “What Board Games Mean to Me.” Potyen is sought out by game designers for advice and sits on the board of directors for a Finnish game company.
“It’s really cool to be seen and appreciated for my differences,” Potyen says. “It’s not a hobby; it’s literally a lifestyle when you play board games.”
