Montreal's Soirées Presque-Jeux: a look back at the 1st edition and a discovery of Quebec prototypes

Wednesday, February 11, 2026, saw the first edition of Soirées Presque-Jeux in Montreal, a board game event organized by Marc-Antoine Doyon, General Manager of the Montreal International Ludic Festival (FLIM). This fun evening allowed attendees to discover several Quebec board game prototypes, presented by passionate independent designers.

During the event, where independent designers from all over Quebec presented their game creations, we had the chance to test several of their board game prototypes. It was an excellent opportunity to discover new games in development, chat with their creators, and experience the warm atmosphere typical of Montreal's gaming community!

Attendees included:

Christopher Sicotte, who presented his game Doom and Die, an evolving dungeon crawler with an 8-bit pixel aesthetic, reminiscent of classic 90s video games. A retro and immersive offering that will appeal to both board game enthusiasts and gaming nostalgics!

Joé Deschesne, who presented Énigme de Pierre, an expert board game blending Eurogame and deduction, with over 13,000 different puzzles. An impressive concept that promises immense replayability for players who enjoy solving complex challenges.

Jérôme Gariépy, who presented Butterfly and a Moth, a very accessible 2-player strategy and memory game, ideal for quick games and players looking for an intelligent duel.

Stavinmar, who presented their game Deep End, currently in pre-campaign on Kickstarter. This discard game is fast-paced, unifying, and ensures unexpected twists even for the best players. An excellent example of a game that is simple to learn but full of surprises!

Patrick Lévesque, who presented Shibumi, a zen tile-placement strategy game, simple but incredibly effective, with cascading effects that grow in intensity as the game progresses. The game became much less zen as, for the first time, a 6-player version was tested... and players were practically standing up, such was the intense tension. What fun!!

Gaëlle Dumont, who presented Foréa, a cooperative dexterity game in which players must build a Quebec forest with local animals and trees, without letting the pieces fall. Guaranteed fun for all ages, and aesthetically very pleasing. A perfect game to bring family and friends together for a cooperative experience.

Maude Tremblay and Éric Charneau, who presented Cumulus, an abstract and artistic push-your-luck card game with a cloud theme. Here, no values, no calculations: the winner is the one who finishes with the longest column of cloud cards at the end of the game! An original, accessible, and very refreshing idea. Soar to the sky in this magnificent and innovative game for all audiences.

Both participants and players were kind, and the atmosphere was fantastic! It was a great success, and we definitely hope to participate in the second edition. Montreal is a place where board games play an important role, and it's extremely pleasant to see all the talent of the creators and the passion of the players gathered in one event.

Congratulations to all the designers and to the organizer Marc-Antoine Doyon. We eagerly await the next edition of Soirées Presque-Jeux!