Murphysboro woodworker starts his own board-game business

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (AP) - Brandon Byars frowned on the shipping cost from England for a board game he wanted. So he made his own.

The lifelong woodworker from Murphysboro made his own version of the game called Babinga, the (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports.

The game features players using elastic cords to shoot wooden pucks through small holes to their opponent's side. It won the night at a Christmas party he attended and Byars' Board Room Game Co. was born.

Byars' repertoire now includes seven handmade wooden board games and a line of pocket dice games. His creations have become not just entertainment, but an aesthetic.

'œThese are wooden board games that you would want to have sitting out in your living room, just waiting for someone to play,'ť said Byars, who works in information technology for Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. 'œThey are not only fun, but they are really nice to look at.'ť

The games, available online and through local retailers, are often variations on ancient contests - some played in the Roman Empire. Byars wants to expand - he aims for sales in every state.

'œIt would be really cool to be on vacation somewhere and see a family playing one of my games," he said.