I have seen it all. My long years of adventures into mysterious fantasy lands and planets in space, fighting Elder Gods and of course trading goods in the Mediterranean. These are but a few of the stories I have experienced in the games I played during my board gaming sessions but when I am not in my mind being awesome, I have also seen how, in the real-world, more than a few attendees around me turn up at a meetup unprepared and looking most lost.
Thus to make sure that you are equipped as well as a level 20 Paladin in Dungeon and Dragons going to fight the big bad. I have decided to relay some humble information so you can make full use of a meetup session by having the right supplies to enjoy this great hobby to it's fullest.
Right Attitude
This is probably the most important piece of "equipment" you will have to remember to bring before turning up as the whole point of going to a meetup is to meet people to game with and this can be helped tremendously if you are pleasant to play with.
Keeping an open mind is also important as unless you are taking the responsibility of bringing or teaching a game. You are at the mercy of what games are to be tabled. Thus before a game starts, if you don't think you will enjoy it, ask to sit the game out courteously and if the game has started already, try to enjoy the experience as much as possible and not bring down the group's collective fun by complaining or showing total disinterest.
Most of these meetups are also usually free or just a few dollars for hours of fun, so do temper your expectations. It is always better not go in expecting that the host (usually one person) is going to be able to take personal care of you and that you would be provided with food and drink.
Also read: A monthly schedule of places to play board games
Dice Tower
If you are going to a board gaming meetup, chances are high some games you will play will have dice. Now imagine you are invited to play a dice game and you take out a Dice Tower for everybody to use. That I fathom would gather you quite a bit of "Street Cred" from knowing a "tool of the trade" that helps with keeping the dice from rolling off the tables, which is a usual problem at any board gaming session.
There are transport friendly, easy to build and take apart dice towers like the above you can find for a relatively cheap price I would suggest getting.
Wet and dry Tissues
Tissues speak for themselves as helping to keep a game clean is always appreciated, especially by the owner of the game. Wet tissues usually being used to clean a table before placing down a more rare and expensive game to keep the game in pristine a condition as possible.
Also, if there is a spill you can be the prepared boy/girl scout and offer your supply of dry tissues. Which can be the icebreaker you might need to get a conversation going to join the group for a game or two, and all for the cost of a few pack of tissues!
Non-messy Refreshments
Unlike a meet and greet meetup that is more about conversations where you can jump in and out of, board games are more time sensitive as once a game starts it is usually not possible to join in until the start of a new game which may take up to an hour or more. Add to that, that these meetups are usually geared towards modern designer board games that are more expensive, certain foods are definitely preferred at board gaming meetups.
Factors you should consider are first that the refreshment is mobile-friendly, as usually, table space is at a premium and drinks be capped if possible to avoid spillage. As meals go, foods such as Ham and cheese sandwiches are a good choice as they not only fill one's belly but also do not stick to your fingers and stain like fried foods.
Another lighter refreshment to consider are snacks of which you should avoid those with powder flavourings. Snacks also having the plus point of being able to be shared with others.
Board Games
This is entirely optional but the best way to make friends is to be the catalyst rather than the reactive agent. Thus if you have a game you can teach and play with people, then it will be far easier to meet new people.
Having a game of your own to table also reduces the chance that you have to wait to play a game as it is not uncommon for groups to arrange to play board games together in advance. Thus if you are waiting for someone to teach you a game with space for a player to open up, then it might be a while before one does.
That being said, do try to avoid bringing games like Monopoly, Clue, Uno, Chess, etc. There is nothing wrong with liking these games but board game meetups are mostly geared towards modern designer board games and most people are not too keen to play games such as Monopoly.
Games like Carcassonne, Citadels, One Night Ultimate Werewolf and so on are good bets as they are not only easy to teach even with a higher player count but are also still fun to many different kind of gamers.
Conclusion
So there you have it, a what to bring guide to a board gaming meetup. I do hope you have learned something and the next time you turn up at a meetup you will have added a few more members to your hobby gaming party of adventurers.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
]]>Many Facebook groups also face the challenge of an absentee admin and in thus resulting in a silent group. This is where Andy comes in very strongly. He is one of the admins for Board Gamers SG, a Facebook group dedicated to organising board game sessions for, as at the writing of this article, 1061 members. On top of that, he is often the host of organised games at the meetups, making sure people enjoy themselves but the rules are followed.
Andy first started his modern board gaming experience when a friend of his introduced him to the Heavy Wargames Meetup (HEW), which is sadly now defunct and the first game he played was Struggle of Empires. The leap straight to such a heavy game and liking it leading to the creation of the Facebook group as these longer and more intense games usually requires quite a bit of planning and preparation rather than the usual spontaneous play.
Another identifying factor for Andy in the community is his support for local designers. Not only will he often demo and teach the local games but also help to sell the games at the meetups. Andy identifies that the local board game design scene sure needs more support from the local populous!
Related: Boardgamers of Finland #2: CX a.k.a Chuan Xin (The Undefeatable), Local Designer Series: Xeo Lye, Designer of Wongamania
Andy's recommended game for the day is Saboteur (Compilation Editions). This edition of the game having both Saboteur and it's expansion all in one box.
In Saboteur, you play as a gold-digging dwarf or a saboteur who wants to hinder exploration of the gold mines. Each player only knows their own role so one never knows whether the dig will go as planned.
Game play is as follows, each turn, a player either lays down a tunnel card to dig from the start card toward one of the goal cards or away possibly if you are playing the saboteur or plays a action card to aid or hinder someone. If the diggers manage to find the gold hidden under one of the goal cards, then the diggers share the loot found there; if the gold can't be reached before the deck runs out, the saboteurs wins instead. After three rounds, the player with the most gold wins.
The expansion included in the compilation is Saboteur 2 which adds new role, actions and tunnel cards featuring doors, ladders and bridges. Also, gold seekers can now be divided into teams.
Saboteur is a versatile game, that lasts a very manageable 1 hour and can be played in a large group. Although Andy suggest that it be played by 5 to 11 players. The game is also easy to learn and feels intense all the way through. This game brings about a very inclusive and interactive experience.
The downside of Saboteur is that there are many roles involved and thus if a person is lacking in experience for the teaching of games, the roles may be hard to explain clearly and that might make the game flow less than satisfactory!
In any case, if you wish to try Saboteur or any other games, do join Board Gamers SG or a board gaming meetup from Meetup.com and keep a look out for Andy.
E: [email protected]
Zhou Huibin is a smith of words who majored in Philosophy & History from the University of Western Australia and whose life has followed the flow of his hobbies. He seeks continual contentment in his ponders, reading, writing, painting and board games which fills almost all of his time.
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As the group of 7 gathered, it was agreed that all were old hands in the board gaming hobby and heavier games were tabled for the night, Francis Drake and Mexica. Francis Drake was played by Jamie (One of the Founders of Lunch Actually and a board game enthusiast), his son Quorum, Rajeev and Gabriel.
Related: Boardgamers of Finland #1: Dion Garner (The Ambassador)
Francis Drake is a worker placement game where players play privateers who gather their goods, crews and guns at a port before sailing off onto the high seas for treasure and plunder.
As for Dion, Seng Chin and myself, we pitted wits at Mexica. The goal being to build the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan as according to the Emperor's wishes. It is a game of area control by dividing the island into districts and making sure that one has the most spiritual grandeur in each area via built temples.
The night ended with the the best privateer being Rajeev Batra. Whose commanding skill on the high seas beat Jamie's best efforts to channel his inner lucky four leaf clover. That being said there was an upset in the next table as Seng Chin, the agreed upon most skilled of the players playing Mexica lost to Dion, who was pronounced the most influential noble of the Mexica.
To add insult to injury, while waiting for the game of Francis Drake to end, Seng Chin who is the best chess player among the gathered played Quixo, a strategic variant of Tic Tac Toe and beat Seng Chin again to the ruckus surprise and cheer of Dion and myself.
Looking back, this is what ToyTag is about, the gathering of friends and minds being skilled and honed by play. Thank you for those who came and we hope to see you all again soon.