What we’re about
Welcome, board game fans! Anyone who enjoys tabletop games or role-playing games should feel welcome to join this group. There are no dues or fees.
Beginning in January 2023, we're going to hold monthly meetings at the Bowie Branch Library to play board games. We'll also have additional meetings from time to time.
If you'd like to host a gaming event or want to start an RPG group, please message an organizer; we're happy to create a Meetup event for you so that attendees can sign up.
Code of Conduct
The Bowie Board Games and RPG Meetup aims to provide a harassment-free community for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, body size, race, nationality, or religious beliefs.
We do not tolerate harassment of community members in any form. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the community at the discretion of the organizers. Harassment includes offensive verbal or written comments related to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, body size, race, nationality, or religious beliefs, deliberate intimidation, threats, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any Bowie Board Games Meetup event or communication channel. Community members asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Sponsors and presenters are also subject to the anti-harassment policy.
If a community member engages in harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the group. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an organizer immediately.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Board Games & Learn to Play "Flamecraft"Bowie Branch Library, PGCMLS, Bowie, MD
Join us for an afternoon of board games at the Bowie Branch Library on the 4th Saturday of each month. While most of the games we play have family friendly content, this is an adults-only event.
The organizers will bring a variety of games such as Ticket to Ride, Wingspan, and Azul. You can also bring your own games and play them. If there's a specific game you'd like to play, please post a comment!
Alongside the usual open gaming tables, this week Susan will be teaching Flamecraft. In Flamecraft, players take on the role of Flamekeepers, gathering items, placing artisan dragons and casting enchantments to enhance the shops of the town. Your reputation will grow as you aid the dragons and shopkeepers, and the player with the most reputation wins. Expect to spend 1.5-2 hours learning and playing your first game.
If you'd like to learn more about Flamecraft before the event, here's a link to the rulebook. There are also several videos available on YouTube, such as this video by Board Game Tutorials.
About the location:
The Bowie Branch Library has a large free parking lot.
We meet on the ground floor not far from the library entrance. There are no steps to navigate. - Board Game Fun & Learn "Tiny Towns" at the Bowie LibraryBowie Branch Library, PGCMLS, Bowie, MD
This is an open gaming session at the Bowie Library, held on the morning of the second Saturday each month.
The organizers will bring some welcoming games such as Ticket to Ride, Splendor, and Isle of Cats. You can also bring your own games and play them.
Alongside the usual open gaming tables, this week Susan will be teaching Tiny Towns. Cleverly plan and construct a thriving town, and don't let it fill up with wasted resources! Whoever builds the most prosperous town on their 4x4 grid wins. Expect to spend 75-90 minutes learning and playing your first game.
If you'd like to learn more about Tiny Towns before the event there are several videos on YouTube, including this How To Play video by Watch It Played, or you can check out the rulebook.
About the location:
The Bowie Branch Library has a large free parking lot.
We meet on the ground floor not far from the library entrance. There are no steps to navigate. - RPG Looking for Players: FiascoNeeds location
Fiasco is an award-winning, GM-less game for 3-5 players, designed to be played in a few hours with no preparation. During a game you engineer and play out stupid, disastrous situations, usually at the intersection of greed, fear, and lust. It’s like making your own Coen brothers movie, in about the same amount of time it’d take to watch one. You play ordinary people with powerful ambition and poor impulse control.
(Event is limited to at most 5 people; post a comment if it's full but you'd be interested. The date and time aren't real, just placeholders. Once we have a group of players, they'll decide on a date/place/time that works for them. I expect it'll be in May or June.)
Here's a 9-minute how-to-play video for Fiasco: https://youtu.be/DEPPzWvmBLo . The publisher's web site is https://bullypulpitgames.com/products/fiasco .
If you're curious about what a Fiasco game is like, here's a playlist for the 2-part episode of TableTop featuring Fiasco: https://youtu.be/WXJxQ0NbFtk Note that they're playing the first edition of Fiasco, which used dice; we'll play the second edition, which only uses cards.
