RRI.CO.ID, Tapanuli - Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency, through the Games Directorate, is utilizing board games as an educational and trauma-healing medium for children post-disaster. The activity, titled "Joyful and Creative in Board Games," was held in Adiankoting District, North Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, on Thursday, 5 March 2026.

This program serves as a means of introducing the games subsector and demonstrating the role of the creative economy in supporting social recovery for disaster-affected communities. Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, emphasized that the games subsector not only has economic potential but also provides tangible social impact.

The event was attended by 50 participants from various schools and local communities. The Games Directorate, in collaboration with the Indonesian Board Game Industry Activists Association (APIBGI), presented games resulting from collaborations between academics and industry, including works by ITB, Vistalab Mediakreasi, and the Gimersia Creator Camp 2025 workshop.

Participants were also taught directly about the creative process of game design. Emil Lumbantobing, Head of the North Tapanuli Regency Tourism, Culture, and Youth and Sports Office, assessed this activity as a creative and educational recovery approach while also opening up space for the development of the creative economy in the region.

Meanwhile, Alvanov Zpalanzani Mansoor from Visual Communication Design at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and a member of APIBGI (Indonesian Board of Trustees) added that board games can strengthen empathy, cooperation, and communication between players.

According to a release received by RRI Voice of Indonesia, similar program will continue and this replication demonstrates that board game-based approaches have the potential to be developed as educational and social intervention models in various regions, particularly disaster-affected areas.

Through this program, the Ministry of Creative Economy continues to encourage the utilization of the gaming subsector as part of strengthening the national creative economy ecosystem while also presenting creative innovations that have a real social impact on society.