The overall toy industry’s sales are down 2 percent for 2009, but they’re up 4 percent for board games, according to market research firm NPD Group Inc.

Among the gaming cognoscenti, much of the credit for the boom goes to one game: The Settlers of Catan.

“That changed everything,” said Sheila, sitting beside the pingpong table with her husband and Lenny Scovell, 46, another board-game enthusiast. They all made “ooh” sounds and shook their heads in agreement. “That was the breakthrough game.”