We started meeting in a small local coffee shop in Canton Ohio in April of 2015. From the beginning it has always been the purpose to bring people to the game table whether you’re a seasoned board gamer or discovering the board game hobby for the first time.
For a long time we only held events 1 once or twice a month. We grew organically as people came and went while following our group through our meetups. Over the years we have had our ups and downs. Its like a game on your shelf, you like it and may not have played it for a while, but you come back to it again and again.
Like everything and everyone else, 2020 was a hard blow to our group. But we stuck together and when things opened back up we decided to make Thursday our new game night. We kept our schedule of the first and third week of each month. At that time attendance was at best 1 table worth of people. But we knew it would take time and kept playing games because it is just plain fun. Eventually we started getting 2 tables every night we met, and the summer of 2023 1 member who was around for a few months got a job out of state and had to move. So to honor their presence we played weekly, and played games they chose until they left. At that point we’ve been doing game night every Thursday.
At this point in time we average 12 – 18 players most weeks, which breaks up into 3 tables typically. Since mid summer of 2024 we’ve been taking gradual steps to widen our reach to invite and welcome more people to play board games with us, because we want more people to have fun playing games together.
What to Expect
So if you are a first timer to one of our game nights you can expect to play some tabletop games. We start with short easy to learn games that are also more apt for socializing while everyone arrives and gets situated. Around 30 minutes or so, that is when we will break into the longer games and instruct how to play for those that are unfamiliar. Then towards the end of the night we break out the lighter games again.
Every night is always the following :
- A relaxed atmosphere where everyone is welcome
- An opportunity to learn a new tabletop game (if you’ve not played) from more experienced players
- Friendly competition and plenty of laughs
- No pressure, just fun!
As a group there isn’t a game we won’t play. Members have their individual preferences but if its a game you will find players. However on our weekly game nights, we typically play games that have a play time shorter than the 3 hours we meet. Most of the longer games will fall within a 1-2 hour play time.
Lastly as a newcomer, you do not have to bring a game to play. We always have plenty of games to pick from with variable player counts. If you do bring a game we will do our best to get it played, we just ask that you be familiar enough with the rules to teach in case no one has played it. We expect that of all those that attend and bring games whether your new or not.
Come Sit Down
If our board game group intrigues you then check out our Facebook group or see our events page for details and mark your calendar. Then come grab a seat at the game table.