What we’re about
If you are into modern board games, then this is the group for you! We play all sorts of titles from Ticket to Ride to Game of Thrones to Codenames. If you were expecting Monopoly or Cluedo, there's a link for you at the end of the description.
We are very welcoming of people new to the tabletop gaming hobby, and nothing makes us happier than helping another person discover new games. Many of the events have a variety of lighter games which are easy to get into, with plenty of interaction and opportunity to have fun. We are focused on the friendly, social side of gaming for both strategy and casual gamers alike!
We've come a long way since a dozen people in a pub and have running costs. If you like what we do please support the club on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/EdinburghBoardGamers
We have a Facebook page: ( here ).
The group also has a Discord server: https://discord.gg/S3AvsJpC2v
Join them to be up to date with announcements, last minute changes etc. Meetup is not 100% reliable.
We also have a guild on BoardGameGeek ( here ).
Confused about why we don't play Monopoly? Take a look here for more info: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/28/20-awesome-board-games-you-may-never-have-heard-of
For RPGs in Edinburgh see this group: ORC Edinburgh or Role Play Haven
Featured event
Big Gaming Day and Charity Fundraiser @ The Grassmarket Centre
SUITABILITY: EVERYONE! New to the Hobby and Regulars Welcome!
VENUE: Large Community Hall plus Café Area & Side Rooms.
FOOD/DRINK: Café: Breakfasts, Sandwiches/Toasties, Tea/Coffee, Cake etc.
GAMES: Library + BYO.
We're back with our good friends at the Grassmarket Community Project (GMCP) for another big full day of gaming and fundraising!
Loads of games, loads of space, loads of fun!
And loads more time!
For anyone who doesn’t know GMCP are actually an incredible charity that do a lot for local homeless people and vulnerable adults. They're a genuinely worthy cause that I would recommend even without the games days. Check out their activities here (https://grassmarket.org/)
GMCP are hosting us for free so please don’t bring your own food or drink. Be encouraged to buy their lovely cakes, coffee, and lunches to make sure it works for them too.
These events are perfect for newcomers and casuals to just drop in and out. With games starting and ending throughout the day, its unusual to need to wait more than 10-15 mins for a game. You can also use the comments below to arrange specific games and times.
Featuring!
* Bring and Buy Table (10% of sale donated to GMCP)! CLICK HERE for Guidance.
* Blood on the Clock Tower (1pm & 4pm (ish))
* Klask Tournement (2pm ish)
* Got something you`d like advertising here. Let us know!
Finally we`ll have a few ways to donate to GMCP on the day.
Suggested donation is £5.
This is entirely voluntary and comes with absolutely no pressure or obligation. We would rather you spend cash in the café if you are deciding between the two, or not at all if money is tight. Just joining in and adding to the atmosphere is plenty.
I'M NEW AND UNSURE WHAT TO DO! Dont worry at all! We know it can be daunting for newcomers and do what we can to keep it easy. The truth is we have a fantastic base of regulars who have all been new at some point. You`ll find people are very friendly and the organisers even actively keep an eye open to make sure you get a warm welcome. If we've missed you, just ask one of the tables. What to Expect: The day is very informal. Some people will have pre-planned a longer game (feel free to use the comments), but the vast majority will honesty just form tables with whoever is free using the big pile of games we keep on site. It’s a great way to meet new people. Finally - No you dont need to know the games before you arrive. That would be an impressive feat in its own right, but in general tables pick games that someone can teach.
HANG ON, I THOUGHT THESE USED TO START AT 10:30? Yep, but the venue have staff on from 9. We need a little time to set up, but they are happy for people to arrive from 10. There's a chance some smaller rooms might not be set up right at the start, but the main hall should be.
Upcoming events
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Friday Night Games @ The Grassmarket Centre
Grassmarket Community Project & Coffee Saints Cafe, 86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh, GBTYPICAL GAMES: Everything from party games to strategic epics!
GAMES LIBRARY: BYO, plus small library on site
FOOD & DRINKS: Cafe + Bottle Bar. Meals available.
BLOOD ON THE CLOCK TOWER game being arranged in the comments (again) - SEE PINNED MESSAGE
What better way to celebrate the end of another week than with some drinks, chat and games! Come and join us at our flagship Friday Night Gaming with our friends at the Grassmarket Community Project!
· Huge capacity,
· Lots of big tables,
· Great lighting,
· Quiet spaces for those wanting them,
· Excellent disability access,
GMCP are aiming to match our socialising focused "pub gaming" atmosphere and putting on a different menu to suit the night! As usual please be encouraged to buy their food and beverages to make sure it works for them.
We`ll be there from 6:30pm until 11:30-12:00 ish. The staff are happy to let people in a little earlier we just cant guarantee an organiser will be there. Similarly don't worry if you're going to be late as games will be starting and ending throughout the evening. Its unusual to need to wait more than 10-15 mins at these events.
Bring games if you like. We'll have some on site too. A wide range get played from lighter stuff to big chunky ones.
We will be using our usual donation tin to collect for the charity card donations can be taken at the till. If you want to donate to EBG itself we still have our usual Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/EdinburghBoardGamers
I'M NEW AND UNSURE WHAT TO DO! Do not fear! We know it can be daunting for newcomers. But please don’t worry, we have a fantastic base of regulars who have all been new at some point. You`ll find people are very friendly and the organisers even actively keep an eye open to make sure you get a warm welcome. If we've missed you, just ask one of the tables. What to Expect: The day is very informal. Some people will have pre-planned a longer game (feel free to use the comments), but the vast majority will honesty just form tables with whoever is free using the big pile of games we keep on site. It’s a great way to meet new people.
DO I NEED TO KNOW ALL THE GAMES? Not at all! Honestly, that would be an impressive feat in its own right! Dont worry, people usually find a game someone knows how to teach, often something they brought from home and we try to keep a good number of easy to pick up ones in the library.
WHERE CAN I PARK?
Any nearby single yellow line after 6:30. This includes Candlemaker Row, parts of the Grassmarket, George 4th Bridge, Chambers St, and quite a few of the major roads nearby that you might not expect.43 attendees
Monday Night Strategy Games @ The Hampton at Hilton Hotel (Fountain Park)
Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End, 166 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, GBTYPICAL GAMES: Medium/long, euro, strategy games that make you think.
GAMES LIBRARY: Bring your own games, or come try someone else's games.
FOOD & DRINKS: Bar + Starbucks, small food menu (20% Discount for EBG attendees).
What better way to start the week than with some drinks, chat and thinky games! We meet every Monday to play some modern and older strategy games with friends.
Heads up: we aim to start at 19:00 sharp, and most people arrive from 18:45 ish to decide on which games to play. It's sometimes hard to tell whether someone has signed up and is not showing, or if they are running late. Please let us know in the comments if you're running a few minutes late and we'll wait for you before starting all the games.
Each table usually plays one or two longer games (depending on their lengths), and we usually finish at around 22:00. We do need to be out of the door by midnight due to the hotel's licencing rules. So please keen an eye on time.
There is no charge to joining as the hotel is giving us the space for free. However, since the hotel are hosting us for free, please buy a drink or two while there to ensure their continued support for this event. The hotel staff preparing the drinks are also manning the hotel desk. Please be patient with them if they are slow serving!
- 20% Discount at the Hotel bar if you use the phrase: "Can I get the discount, I'm with the gamers over there. Cheers!" ... or they just realise you're with us.
Bring games if you like, or jump on a game that someone else has brought. If you do bring a game, please be prepared to teach it!
Any feedback? These Monday events have been running for about 6 months. We are piloting advertising these events on Meetup, and are still learning. Please let the organisers know if you have any feedbacks or suggestions for improving these events (or its Meetup advert), and they will be taken into consideration.
Want to help with EBG running costs? There is absolutely no obligation for you to do this but, if you feel so inclined, please join our Patreon. Huge thanks to everyone donating already. Its genuinely really helping and very much appreciated!
As ever, please do not donate if money is tight. There is absolutely no pressure, obligation, or judgement here. You are helping us plenty by just adding to the friendly atmosphere and we`d much rather you spent cash at the venue if deciding between the two.
I'M NEW AND UNSURE WHAT TO DO! Do not fear! We know it can be daunting for newcomers. But please don’t worry, we have a fantastic base of regulars who have all been new at some point. You`ll find people are very friendly and the regulars even actively keep an eye open to make sure you get a warm welcome. If we've missed you, just ask one of the tables and say hi.
What to Expect: The event is very informal. Some people will have pre-planned a game in the Meetup Comments section (feel free to use the comments to join a game that looks good to you), but the vast majority will honestly just form tables with whoever is free using the big pile of games brought by everyone.
DO I NEED TO KNOW ALL THE GAMES? Not at all! Honestly, that would be an impressive feat in its own right! The person bringing the game will usually teach the game at the start of the session to ensure that everyone is on the same page.5 attendees
Monday Night Online Games via Discord
·OnlineOnlineThe Games: ONLINE ONLY.
Grab a beer, plug in your headset and let's play some online board games!
To join in please first connect to our EBG Discord group with this link: https://discord.gg/CYb5JC3
Discord works with typed chat and voice chat in various channels. It is best to join in advance of the Monday evening.
At around 7pm on the Monday (a little before or anytime after is perfectly fine) look for people's avatars in the voice channels, just click on the voice channel and you will be joined to the banter via your headset! Or you can type into #general or #event-on-now to say hi or get help with any audio issues.
There are plenty of regulars who welcome new members but please look at the games available on Board Game Arena to see if any are familuar.
Just tell people that you are new and they will explain everything.
Do not be put off by seeing almost nobody signed up for this event, most gamers just turn up in Discord at around 7pm.
Think of this event more as a signpost to join us online in Discord.
We tend to use Board Game Arena most of the time, you should sign up for a free account (no need for Premium membership) and if you like you can join our group on Board Game Arena here:
https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=2860025
This particular event is a good opportunity to play some of the longer online games, but this is not essential.
The evening often starts with light games and people then split off into separate voice channels to play games to whatever level they feel like.
If you are new to the group please make sure you have a Board Games Arena account and make yourself familiar with the games we play by looking at our profiles. Thanks1 attendee
Past events
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