HURST, Texas - Marylandian -- Mensa members are congregating this week in Charlotte, N.C., making it the center of the board game-playing universe as they participate in one of the nation's most respected tabletop games competitions: American Mensa's Mind Games®.

The four-day board-game-judging marathon, at the Sonesta Charlotte Executive Park Hotel April 18-21, draws Mensans and their guests from across the country where they vote on the year's five best new-to-market games to be awarded the coveted Mensa Select® seal. Past winners include Scattergories™, Trivial Pursuit™, and Taboo™.

While round-the-clock fun and games for the 400 Mind Games participants, it's also serious business. The competition, founded in 1990, offers games manufacturers the chance to have their games reviewed by some of the nation's most avid game-players — members of American Mensa. The global board games market size is projected to grow from $13.06 billion in 2023 to $32.00 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.

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A Mensa Admission Test session will be held prior to the event from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, April 18.  Register here and use the code MindGames when checking out for a 50 percent discount. (Journalists may test for no charge; contact Charles Brown for more information.)

About Mensa Select®

Awarded annually by a judging panel comprised of Mensa members, the Mensa Select seal indicates that a game is distinctive, challenging, and thoughtfully designed. Additionally, these games are a good value for the price, easy to comprehend and play, and, above all, fun! Look for the Mensa Select seal when purchasing your next game.

About American Mensa

American Mensa is an organization open to anyone who scores in the top 2 percent on an accepted standardized intelligence test. Mensa has more than 50,000 members in the United States and more than 140,000 members globally. For more information about American Mensa, visit americanmensa.org or call (817) 607-0060.