What we’re about
Golden Gate Gamemakers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that brings together board game creators and players in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Together we run 200+ events a year all over the Bay Area, including: San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, Oakland, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Dublin, Fremont, Santa Cruz, Mill Valley, Petaluma, Concord, Mountain View, and more!
We support playtesting, co-working, promotional, and educational opportunities for tabletop gamemakers, as well as interested players. Help local designers make great games and have fun doing it!
Whether you are a first time or veteran game designer, industry professional, tabletop game enthusiast, casual player, or just want to check things out, we welcome you to our events and are happy to share our knowledge.
If you have any questions, please message @Velgus or your event host, or contact through our website.
Our Code of Conduct:
Code of Conduct - Living Document
Our Website:
Golden Gate Gamemakers
Our Discord:
Golden Gate Gamemakers
Upcoming events
61
Board Game Playtesting at Next Level Board Game Cafe Mountain View
888 Villa St, Mountain View, CA, US(IMPORTANT: due to the holidays, this meetup will meet at 11/12/2025 for November and 12/10/2025 for December. Look out for the regular schedule in 2026!)
Come to Next Level Board Game Cafe in Downtown Mountain View every last Wednesday of the month to playtest some games in development!
This is a relaxed chance to try new board / card / tabletop games, get feedback on your own prototypes, and get advice on the game industry. New designers or interested playtesters welcome, no experience needed.
Please be courteous to other designers and stay to test their games if you are bringing your own prototype to be tested.
Point of contact and organizer: Ronald Melencio
- COST - FREE for all attendees!
- PARKING - Streets nearby and structures FREE after 6pm. Closest is LOT 1 Garage Parking, 13 Bryant St, Mountain View, CA 94041.
- CALTRAIN - Mountain View Station is a straight 7-minute walk away.
- OTHER PUBLIC TRANSIT - VTA and buses are available.
See GGG's full Code of Conduct here.
Up-to-date details and our many other events can be found at meetup.com/playgoldengate.
14 attendees
Board Game Playtesting at Gamelandia Palo Alto
Gamelandia, 290 California Ave suite a, Palo Alto, CA, USCome to Gamelandia in Palo Alto to playtest some games in development!
It's a relaxed chance to try new board games and card games, get feedback on your own prototypes, and get advice on the games industry. New designers and interested players welcome.
Please be courteous to other designers and stay to test their games if you are bringing your prototype to be tested. If you are bringing a prototype game, try to comment below with a quick blurb including player count and time, and when you think you might arrive at Gamelandia.
ex. "Ticket to Ride is a lightweight game about building train routes. 2-5 players, 30-60 minutes"
Organizer: John Brieger
Cost: Free!
See GGG's full code of conduct here.
Up-to-date details and our many other events can be found at meetup.com/playgoldengate
1 attendee
KublaCon Fall Board Game Convention and Protospiel - Burlingame - Day 1
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport 1333 Old Bayshore Highway Burlingame, CA 94010, Burlingame, CA, USKubalCon Fall tabletop game convention returns for its second year. Run by the same team as the original KublaCon, the biggest Bay Area tabletop convention.
This convention will feature great community and tabletop gaming of all kinds including:
- Board, Card, Miniature, RPG
- D&D - Pathfinder - Starfinder
- Special Events - Seminars
- Vendor Hall - Flea Market
- Protospiel Board Game Playtesting
- Raffles and Giveaways
- Huge Game Library
- Paint & Take
Cost: You must purchase a pass online here or in person at the convention to enter the venue. Playtesting is included as a free event as part of the convention.
Location: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, 1333 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA 94010
Hours:
The con is open Friday 12:00pm - Monday 1pm! Game as late and early as you want in open areas.Protospiel Information
A large Protospiel board game playtesting area will be run as an open event at the convention until 11pm each day and closing time on Monday. This is an excellent opportunity to try new board / card / tabletop games in development, get feedback on your own prototypes, jam on ideas, meet others in the game industry, share knowledge about the game industry, and meet new friends. Designers, publishers, and interested players welcome, no experience needed.As an additional incentive to play test games, there will be a board game giveaway for Protospiel board game participants.
The event has scheduled playtests you can setup and join on the kublacon website, yet mostly it will be open tables with no reservations, come and go as you please. If there is an open table, you are free to set up a game prototype to run or work on. Please be courteous to other designers and share the space, though there should be tons of space available. If you want help finding a game or finding testers, feel free to ask the friendly volunteer staff in the room. Designers are expected to play others games in addition to their own.
KublaCon Fall Protospiel Organizers: Scott Caputo and Velgus
This event follows the GGG Code of Conduct seen here , as well as the convention's rules.
Up-to-date details and our many other events can be found at meetup.com/playgoldengate
6 attendeesKublaCon Fall Board Game Convention and Protospiel - Burlingame - Day 2
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport 1333 Old Bayshore Highway Burlingame, CA 94010, Burlingame, CA, USKubalCon Fall tabletop game convention returns for its second year. Run by the same team as the original KublaCon, the biggest Bay Area tabletop convention.
This convention will feature great community and tabletop gaming of all kinds including:
- Board, Card, Miniature, RPG
- D&D - Pathfinder - Starfinder
- Special Events - Seminars
- Vendor Hall - Flea Market
- Protospiel Board Game Playtesting
- Raffles and Giveaways
- Huge Game Library
- Paint & Take
Cost: You must purchase a pass online here or in person at the convention to enter the venue. Playtesting is included as a free event as part of the convention.
Location: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, 1333 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA 94010
Hours:
The con is open Friday 12:00pm - Monday 1pm! Game as late and early as you want in open areas.Protospiel Information
A large Protospiel board game playtesting area will be run as an open event at the convention until 11pm each day and closing time on Monday. This is an excellent opportunity to try new board / card / tabletop games in development, get feedback on your own prototypes, jam on ideas, meet others in the game industry, share knowledge about the game industry, and meet new friends. Designers, publishers, and interested players welcome, no experience needed.As an additional incentive to play test games, there will be a board game giveaway for Protospiel board game participants.
The event has scheduled playtests you can setup and join on the kublacon website, yet mostly it will be open tables with no reservations, come and go as you please. If there is an open table, you are free to set up a game prototype to run or work on. Please be courteous to other designers and share the space, though there should be tons of space available. If you want help finding a game or finding testers, feel free to ask the friendly volunteer staff in the room. Designers are expected to play others games in addition to their own.
KublaCon Fall Protospiel Organizers: Scott Caputo and Velgus
This event follows the GGG Code of Conduct seen here , as well as the convention's rules.
Up-to-date details and our many other events can be found at meetup.com/playgoldengate
6 attendees
Past events
787
