IRVINE - Friday Night Boardgame Meetup (+Gift Exchange!)

This is the Irvine Knowlwood meetup, Orange County's most popular regular boardgame meetup! RSVP on this page now to lock in your spot! This venue has hosted boardgame meetups since June 2021. We now meet here once a month, every 2nd Friday, starting at 5:30PM. This special event will feature a game gift exchange, details below!

DESCRIPTION
Join us at Knowlwood restaurant for a most excellent evening of gaming and dining! Enjoy playing a selection of modern board and card games! We will have a section of the restaurant reserved for our group.
No experience necessary to attend!

$2.00 CHIP-IN REQUIRED
There is a two dollar ($2.00) chip-in per RSVP to attend this meetup, plus one dollar ($1.00) per guest, required at sign-in upon arrival or paid online beforehand. Each RSVP can include up to two guests, but they must be part of the RSVP. Message the host if you have any issue updating your RSVP. This is to pay the venue reservation fee and group expenses. Methods:

• Cash (upon arrival only),
• Paypal [PayPal.me](https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/AllAboardGamesOC),
• Venmo @AllAboardGames,
• Crypto: BitCoin or DASH (upon arrival only).

FOOD AND DRINK
Please be mindful that this is a business which allows us to play and that it only works for them as long as it makes business sense. You are strongly encouraged to patronize by buying a beverage or food item at each visit. The menu can be found on their website here: http://knowlwoodrestaurants.com/

NO OUTSIDE FOOD AND DRINK ALLOWED (water okay)!
No smoking or vaping indoors!

ARRIVAL TIME AND CANCELLATIONS
Show up and leave any time you like-- but expect that if you're late it is more likely that you will have to wait before you can get into a game.

This event may fill up, in which case there will be a waiting list. If you RSVP and later find that you are unable to attend, please indicate so by updating your status accordingly at least one hour prior to the meet time so that people in the queue have time to react to getting in. Host will go through the sign-in sheet afterward and mark no-shows. Three or more no-shows in the current quarter will affect your ability to hold an RSVP in advance.

Restaurant will stay open for us until 10PM-- this is after the kitchen is officially closed around 9:30PM. Target cleanup time so that we are all able to leave by 10PM sharp! When lights dim, it is time to begin cleanup.

REGARDING GAMES
Game selection depends entirely on what is brought by attendees and made available to share. Consider bringing your favorites to teach and play with others. There will be a table designated as a Game Pool where games may be placed, to indicate that the owners of those games do not mind other members borrowing them for the duration of the event. You are encouraged to announce in comments below what games you plan to bring and/or a few that you would like to try.

Absolutely no playtesting or promotion! For special exception please message the event host.

SPECIAL EVENT:
WHITE ELEPHANT GAME-GIFT EXCHANGE
This will be the fifth annual game-gift exchange! The more people who get involved the better, but participation in the exchange is optional.
To Participate:

1. Be RSVP'd to this event and comment in reply to the sign-up comment below to signify that you want to participate. (The exchange may be cancelled if there is a lack of interest.)
2. Show up by 6:15PM. Bring a new (UNUSED and UNOPENED) boardgame to the event as a gift-- no intentionally-bad gag games please. The real price of the game (the price YOU paid for it) should be in the range of $45-$60 (same as last year).
3. The game should be gift wrapped or bagged to conceal what it is.
4. Collect a ticket when you show up. A copy of this ticket will be attached (face-down) to your wrapped game and another copy will be put in a draw bowl.

Rules:

• Tickets will be drawn from a bowl in a random order. If your ticket is drawn, you may either unwrap a game or steal a game that someone else has unwrapped.
• If your game is stolen, you must then either unwrap another game or steal an unwrapped game from someone else-- but not the same game that was just stolen from you since the last ticket was drawn.
• A game stolen TWO times becomes safe and can no longer be stolen.
• Once all games have been opened and everyone has a game, the first player drawn during the exchange will have an opportunity to steal a game if they choose, placing their current game aside. In that case, the exchange ends when anyone chooses (or must choose) the game the first player set aside.

You can join us on Facebook as well!
A small additional contribution ($1 suggested) is appreciated, but not required. Please let us know if you have any questions. See you there!