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Background GO is one of the most popular board games among older adults in Asian countries. Some studies have shown that playing GO helps maintain cognitive function and brain activity. However, the factors that facilitate older adults to start playing GO and their reasons for continuing it remain unclear. This study explored the starting and continuing factors of playing GO among older adults and found concrete methods for social implementation of GO activity aimed at the prevention of and living well with dementia. Methods In the field of large community-based interdisciplinary research, we conducted semi-structured interviews using a qualitative descriptive approach with six amateur GO players who began playing when they were 65 years or older. The contents of the interviews were the starting and continuing factors of playing GO. Results Six categories were generated for exploring the starting and continuing factors of playing GO. The participants felt motivated to start playing GO due to their interest and impression of GO and to cope with their anxieties about aging. The continuing factors represented feelings of pleasure and relaxation and fostering human relationships through GO. Age-friendly staff and user-oriented tasks were of particular importance in both starting and continuing to play GO. Conclusions GO is not just a board game; it is an effective tool in coping with aging issues, cultivating peace of mind, and facilitating interaction among people; therefore it may be useful to the community as a socially prescribed intervention. The keys to its implementation are fostering comfortable relationships between the participants and staff and allowing self-controlled task difficulty.