Melbourne Board Games & Social Nights (Solos Welcome!)

EVENT LINK, TICKETS, AND DETAILS

Event description: A full day of board gaming in a beautiful environment, or come along for as long as you want!

For R U OK in the Park, four of our many board game communities in south-east Melbourne are coming together in the beautiful Tatterson Pavillion to put on a day of playing board games, making and connecting with friends in a peaceful environment. Play some games, take a stroll out in the woodland and come play more games!
We will likely have a few prizes and surprises (check our socials to stay up-to-date) however this day is primarily about coming together to play games. Bring your own games, or choose from a wide range of games that we will bring on the day.

Regarding Tickets: As it's a bigger venue we're selling tickets to cover the room hire - if we do make a surplus we will be donating it straight to R U OK. Grabbing tickets in advance helps us plan, however we will be holding enough back for the door to ensure anyone can attend. And whilst $10-$12 may not be much if you're having to save every penny at present just let us know and we will discreetly make sure you don't have to miss out. $10 advance, $12 on the day. Children under 8 are free - all children should be accompanied by an adult.

Here's some information about R U OK?: Talking to people can be hard, whether they are people we love or complete strangers. Sometimes it can also be difficult to find the crowd of people that we fit into or to find ways to connect to those already in our lives. For these reasons, board and card games, or more specifically, tabletop games, are an excellent tool for bringing people together. Not only are tabletop games fun, they are a great way to combat social isolation and improve mental health.

Sitting around a table with a shared activity can create a great sense of togetherness and games provide an amazing buffer if you find socialising difficult. Even though interaction is encouraged by the nature of a game, standard pleasantries and the need for small talk is eliminated and connecting with others becomes easier. Immersing yourself in a game is also a great way to get your brain thinking about things other than the usual ups and downs of life. The second Thursday in September every year is R U OK? day. In the spirit of this important question and of reaching out and forming connections.

What you can do before the event: Contact your host - If you are particularly shy or nervous, or are very uncertain about what to expect, feel free to contact the event host. Hosts know their games and their community, they can keep an eye out for you when you arrive and set you up with a game and players that they think might suit you. Don’t forget, your host was new to this once too!

Just turn up - Tabletop gaming events tend to be very casual with people coming and going for the duration. Most gamers are just happy to have someone to play with, it’s not going to make much difference to them what your background is or what your reasons for being there are.

What you can do when you arrive: Arrive early - Walking into a room full of people can be nerve racking, so arrive before it’s full. It will be much easier for hosts to engage you one on one and less overwhelming with relatively few people there. Hosts will also often run ‘warmer’ or ‘filler’ games while people are still arriving. These are games that are very light, have very few rules, play out in 10 or 15 minutes and make great ice breakers.

Pre-engage - Those of us with social anxiety sometimes need a bit of time to prepare before engaging with a group of people. Feel free to take a game from the common pile/shelf, open it and go through the components and rules on your own (curious passers by do it all the time!) while you build your nerve. Have a wander around the room and check out what people are playing. Which games are generating the most laughter, which ones seem to require lots of concentration?
What you can do after the event:

Reach out - Let someone know that you enjoyed playing with them or reminisce about a particularly bold or lucky play that was made.
Game more - Tabletop gaming is very popular and chances are there is a local gaming group in your area.

Talk to your event host and ask if they know of, or run any other local gaming events. Talk to other players, often gaming enthusiasts belong to multiple gaming groups.

What we don’t recommend: “I’ll just watch” - Watching a game being played is not very inclusive. Also, watching other people having fun that you’re not involved with can be isolating.

Even if when you arrive, there are no spots available in a game, pull up a chair and get yourself involved, ask about the rules or even the theme of the game, you won’t be disturbing, I promise! Chances are someone will arrive not long after you and one of the hosts will be able to organise a game for you.

Leaving after one game - Often, between games is when the social barriers come down. It’s when players discuss the game they just played or start a conversation about ‘what should we play next?’ The next game you play will quite often be with different people from the first one, so the more games you play the more potential connections you can make.
Researching Games Beforehand - If you’re new to tabletop gaming, trying to learn rules or even just looking at a game with lots of colours and pieces can be daunting. More often games are a lot easier than they look and learning to play a game with other people is half the fun!
Making mistakes, confusion or miscommunication can even make playing a game much more entertaining. After all, it’s about how much fun you have, not whether you win or lose!

• Generally speaking, a trick taking game is a card game which is played in a series of rounds known as tricks.
• Each trick is evaluated to determine a winner or taker of that trick and then will usually start - or lead - the next trick.
• The goal is usually tied to either winning or losing a number of tricks. This may also come in the form of you guessing how many tricks you will win - known as a bid.
• Some games may have a suit that always wins - known as a trump.
• Most trick taking games are competitive needing between 3-5 players, others are cooperative, there are also solo and two-player trick taking games as well!
• Popular trick taking/trick taking adjacent games you may have heard of: The Crew, Skull King, Cat in the Box, Scout, Fox in the Forest, the classic games of Spades and Hearts,

What makes a Trick Taking game fun?

• There's so much to trick taking games! They're generally quick to teach, quick to play, have interesting decision spaces, and a wide variety of novelty. Even the classics though can be played thousands of times without getting tiresome. Part of the fun is in the interaction with others, assessing their moves and countering them, and how to win (or lose) at the right times. You have to stay on your toes, adapt frequently, and keep tabs on the other players, what they have played, and what they may play next!

Do I need to know how to play/have played a trick taking game before?

• Not at all, but it is good to understand the basics and general terminology so you can pick things up a bit easier on the night. You can check out this video for a bit of a general breakdown .

Is this event free?

• Yes, but please support the venue by purchasing a drink or two.

I'm on the waitlist can I still come?

• Unfortunately, no. We have limited capacity and must abide by it.

I don't have a game to bring, is that okay?

• Generally it will be okay, but it is encouraged to bring and share a game where you can! You can always bring a standard deck of cards or tarot cards and learn a card game or two as well!

Can I bring a guest?

• Unfortunately, unless they have signed up too it won't be possible. We have a strict limit on guests and the event would fill up too quickly otherwise.

How do I get to the venue?

• The 86 Tram is your best bet and has a stop pretty much right outside of the venue.
• There are two train stations (Westgarth and Northcote) which are within walking distance.
• Parking is available in the area but can get busy. If you don't mind a little walk there is parking down the adjacent street.

Dave, I worry you will win all the games we play. Such an intelligent and beautiful man, you must be a master of the tricks, is this true?

• Firstly - thank-you for the kind words, but secondly - no. I suck at trick taking games and lose more than I win. Yet, I enjoy them for their variety, high interaction, and quick nature regardless. You will be fine if you don't take things too seriously. It's about fun and meeting people... (but if you do beat me too often I will ban you from the group and venue...).