A weekend dedicated to gaming in Milan with the Combo Festival

Interest in the world of board games is growing; according to many observers, the sector is in the midst of a ‘second golden age’. The first edition of the COMBO Festival of Pieces, Dice and Cards explores the board game as a cultural, social and creative phenomenon. The event, organised by Ludo Labo, Studiolabo and Cranio Creations, under the patronage of the City of Milan, will make its debut at Morel Milano – a former industrial site that has been redeveloped in the Garegnano district – on 3 and 4 October 2026. Board and role-playing games provide an opportunity for discovery, socialising and sharing. Over 40 publishers will be presenting their latest releases – including 35 world premieres – ahead of the international Spiel Essen event, scheduled for 22 to 25 October 2026. Visitors can freely try out dozens of games in the publishers’ individual stands and also within the large games room organised by La Tana dei Goblin, Italy’s leading games association, which features 70 gaming tables. Among the offerings is an escape room, ‘Cryptolocked’, set in 1938 and created by Narrattiva, designed to test players’ intuition and powers of deduction. Not to be missed is the exhibition *Un gioco da ragazze* (A Game for Girls), an installation dedicated to the 14 female game designers who have changed the rules of board gaming, held within the former Morel Milano industrial complex, which has been redeveloped in the Garegnano district; The exhibition unfolds within the building that has housed the offices of the eponymous textile manufacturer since 1930. The display is set amongst 1950s and 1960s furnishings, brought to life by the faces of the female creators, reproduced through illustrations by graphic designer Paola Rondi.

combofestival.it