Let's visit Spellenclub Vrij en Blij

Hi all,

The short description: every 2nd and 4th Saturday 13:00 at Vrij en Blij in Landsmeer, we have lots of games and it will be fun! Read on if you want to know more.

Dirk has provided some guidelines on what to include when creating an event, so let's keep it simple and just go through them:

What sort of games will you be playing?

We're in for pretty much anything as long as it could be considered a tabletop game. We've even played a few of those games supported by DVD.

We don't play computer games, won't allow gambling (though feel free to play for drinks) and would recommend against games that require very long explanations (though if you bring along the people to play with this might not be an issue).

Feel free to bring your own games.
Who is this meetup for?

Pretty much anybody: we've had visitors aged 10 to 65. In general we tend to attract people between 18 and 40 years old, from all walks of life. (Nearly) everybody will be good enough at English to play with and about 50-60% of our 100+ games are either in English or language independent (we will certainly find a game you can play).

Feel free to bring others, we have a pretty decent amount of space. If we're talking larger groups it'd be good to let us know in advance so we could arrange for extra space.
Do you need any prior experience with the games that are being played?

No. Obviously it would help, but we're always happy to explain one of our games (assuming we know its rules, admittedly we have a few games we haven't tried yet). The organizers tend to make sure that at least one of us is playing shorter, more easily explained games.
Where will this meetup be held?

This meetup will be held at a youth club in Landsmeer, called Jeugdvereniging Vrij en Blij and starts at 13:00. It's easily reached by bicycle, car (free parking) or public transport and either bicycle or public transport would take about 20 minutes from Amsterdam Central Station (I realize that because it's not in Amsterdam it sounds like it's very far away, but there are places in Amsterdam that will take you longer to reach).

We usually sit in the smaller room in the front of the building, but on occasion we might be relocated to the bigger downstairs room or to one of the upstairs rooms. We will make sure to announce it if we are not in our regular room.

Is it allowed to bring your own beverages?

Unfortunately no. In fact the same would apply to edibles too. The location has tea, coffee, a wide selection of soda's, various beers and even strong liquor for those so inclined. If you get hungry there are tosti's, chips, mars bars and similar snacks available. A regular soda would set you back €1.30 and other prices are similarly low. Anything that comes in through the bar goes towards the youth club, which lets us use their location for free in return.

Does the event have an entrance fee?

Officially we must charge a very minor entrance fee. We've got visitors from all walks of life, some of whom may not have much to spare. We've decided to pay the entrance fee from the tip jar so that those who've got more can contribute more. We ask everybody to consider donating something, it's up to you to decide how much you want to give. (Anything donated beyond the entrance fees will go towards more games, or equipment we need for our events).

People who regularly visit are expected to become members of the youth club. This will set you back 3.50 euro for a full year.

Now that we're through the official stuff, most of all we want to have fun! There tends to be a very relaxed atmosphere during our events. Play whatever you feel like, want to chat instead? Go ahead! (We actually have a few people who when they visit seem to solely be there to chat). If you also have fun we have reached our goal.

Hope to see you during our next event!

Niels