What we’re about
Seattle Board Games supports a vibrant and inclusive community of board game enthusiasts in the Seattle metro area. Our events and gatherings offer opportunities to have fun, make friends, and deepen our appreciation for the art, design, and strategy of board games. We seek to make games more accessible by removing barriers to enjoying and learning from them.
Annual Fundraising Update (10/31/2025): We've reached 49% of our fundraiser goal — $605 of $1,225. We are only a few donations away from our core operations goal of $675. PLEASE GIVE. Giving less than the cost of one game will make a big difference. Huge thanks to the 17 members who’ve contributed so far. Donate Now. (You can donate anonymously if you prefer.)
We host all types of boardgames, from lighter games such as Settlers of Catan and Lords of Waterdeep to heavier Euros like Brass Birmingham, Dune Imperium, and others. We also play thematic games such as Battlestar Galactica, social deduction games like Blood on the Clocktower, Magic the Gathering, card games, and party games. If it's on BoardGameGeek's list of over 25,000 games, we might be playing it!
We have a Discord! Connect with hundreds of other local board game fans, set up game sessions, play online, and be the first to know about some events before they're announced on Meetup! This link will lead you there!
Anyone can become an event organizer and host events - either specific games or open gaming sessions. If you are interested, please contact the primary organizer.
We are member and organizer driven, and welcome suggestions for improvements and new directions.
Upcoming events
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Let’s Play Mombasa! @Anchorhead Coffee!
Anchorhead Coffee & Bakery, 1115 12th Ave, Seattle, WA, US"As I expected, the East African Company's network of trading posts has spread far into the West. They were even able to expand into a couple of diamond mines. It seems reasonable to invest our recent yield here in Mombasa, rather than to continue our unrivalled commitment in Cape Town. After all, it can only be to our advantage to have other irons in the fire. And when the day of reckoning comes, it will show whether our hoarding of holdings and our intransigent eagerness are worth it..."
Mombasa, uses Economic, Action Queue Area Majority, Bag Building, Hand Management, Investment, Drafting Simultaneous Action Selection, Variable Player Powers, Worker Placement, and Victory Points as a Resource. Players invest in four chartered companies. Using influence to help them expand across the continent improves the value of the players' shares in these companies. Players will also trade in bananas, coffee or cotton, work together with diamond merchants and ensure that the accounts are kept up to date. To make the most of this one will need to have the correct action cards in hand at the same time, which needs excellent forward planning.
Mombasa features a unique, rotating-display hand-mechanism that drives game play: Players start with an identical hand, but acquire new and more powerful cards from the rotating display throughout the game. Each round players choose action cards from their hand, place them face down in the so-called action slot (beneath the player board), and then reveal them simultaneously to carry out the actions. At the end of the action phase, each card is moved to the so-called resting slot (above the player board). Cards in the resting slots are inactive and cannot be used until they are recovered - each round one can only return cards of one resting slot which is why it can make quite a difference in which action slots certain cards are placed.
The game ends after seven rounds, players add up their scores in different categories, and the player with the highest score (who has earned the most money) wins the game. With a variety of paths to victory and double-sided company boards, each game will be a new and different challenge.
New players are welcome, and the host is happy to teach if you haven't played before.2 - 4 players
1.5 - 2.5 hours expected play time, depending on turnout and player familiarity.
BGG Link
6-min How-to (JestaThaRogue)
(Don't worry, we'll go over the rules on the day, too.)
A few important details:- The event space is in the basement and there are only stairs (no elevator) if you have mobility issues keep this in mind.
- This event is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM PLEASE be on time! If you would like to bring a guest please message me.
- It's Cap/First Hill/Seattle U, so parking can be a challenge. Please factor traffic & parking into your commute and if you will be late post in messages or the Discord. Anchorhead is only a few blocks from the First Hill Streetcar (Broadway & Pike/Pine or Broadway & Marion) and the #2 and #12 bus lines.
- If you need to cancel please do so as soon as you know. People on the waitlist and playing that day will appreciate it! Signing up for this event means other people are counting on you to attend; board games have both a minimum and a maximum player count, so with limited seats available, I want to be sure that those seats actually have people in them. Last-minute cancellations (less than 24 hours), no-shows, and late arrivals (30+ minutes) without good reason will be marked as no-show for the event and will be automatically moved to the waitlist if one forms for any and all future events they join which are hosted by me and other select hosts!
- SUPPORT THE VENUE! - Purchasing something isn't a requirement, but it's nice to do since we're using the space. Please support the business if you can!
- I open signups on Wednesday, 3 days before pressing the "announce" button here on Meetup; if you want to have the opportunity to claim a seat early, you can join the SBG Discord, where I'll post to let users there know as soon as RSVPs open as well as updates and posting polls for future meetups!
3 attendees
Past events
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