Alternate Reality Games

Play board games with around 20 people on 5+ tables in Elsternwick. Friendly. Inclusive. Free entry, Crunchy Euro and Thematic games. Close to public transport and free parking. Exclusive use of a function room with good lighting at the Caulfield RSL. Games are sometimes organised in advance on our WhatsApp group or in the Aftergame app: https://aftergame.app/groups/bayside-games-1853 However most games are organised following a brief discussion at the venue on the Monday night. Recently we have played the following games: Euros: Inis, Evacuation, On Mars, Kanban EV, The Gallerist, Ark Nova, Galactic Cruise, Viticulture, Scythe, Concordia, Brass, Terra Mystica, Gaia Project, Terraforming Mars, Castles of Burgundy, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Grand Austria Hotel, Anachrony, Orleans, Dune Imperium, Oceans, Yokohama. Economic: Indonesia, Food Chain Magnate, Bus, Irish Gauge and Container. Thematic: Voidfall, Dune (Original), Root, Eclipse, Unfathomable, Nemesis, Spirit Island, Undaunted, Chaos in the Old World, The Godfather, Spartacus and Dominant Species. **Arrive early** The best time to arrive is around 6:50pm as people discuss which games they would like to play before starting longer games at 7:00pm. Arrive early and we can ensure that you are included in a game. However, should you arrive after 7:00pm you may need to wait for games to finish to be included, or if people are playing long games, it might not be practical to start a new game. **Full bar and snacks available** The Caulfield RSL generously provide the venue free of charge. A selection of food and drinks are available for purchase at the bar. Note that only food or drink purchased at the RSL can be consumed at the venue. We look forward to seeing you!

Have you got the Christmas spirit? Wanting to have some fun? Join for night out in the city on a merry, picture taking photography fun scavenger hunt. Starting at the crown casino atrium (staircase and carousel), then walking through the city to check off your scavenger list (hitting all the “12 days of Christmas” neon displays - aussie style). Things to bring: Good walking shoes, water, possibly a tripod, camera/phone. We ask that people upload to share only what is on the list, one photo from each scavenged item. The scavenger list: 1) giant Xmas bauble/decoration 2) reindeer 3) snowflake 4) reflection or bokeh 5) long exposure of tram with Christmas lights in back ground 6) mono chrome 7) leading line to any holiday installation 8) words “joy” or “merry” 9) Aussie animal presented in a seasonal way (ie with hat/presents) 10) your interpretation of Christmas spirit/energy (Also uploaded is a trail of the journey planned) Merry Christmas Cindi & Rowan On a side note: please be aware of the new disclaimer under the guidelines.

Let's walk from BJ Ferdinando Gardens (Corner Small St and Beach Road, 55 Beach Road, Sandringham) to Green Point and back again (4k all up, roughly an hour). We will take the path at the top, in the bushes, not walk along the beach. My pace is very leisurely. Forecast at this point is in the 20s. Meet at BJ Ferdinando Gardens (see photo). I'll wait 15 minutes for people to show up, then leave.

Have you been interested in woodworking, 3D printing, CNC, cosplay or Electronics? Come visit Maker Community to get a tour of our space, learn about our memberships, have a chat with our members and discuss your dream projects.

We are moving to a new platform and will be only running the new platform in 2025. please signup here: [https://www.downtomeet.com/Melbourne-Writers](https://www.downtomeet.com/Melbourne-Writers) Between 6.30-8pm Monday we are online every week. Generally 5-10 people join in the discussions through the night and following days. Join us anytime and ask questions, chat, or post up some writing for feedback (text based online event, NOT a video chat). A host will post up questions on the first and last Monday of the month only. Every other Monday you are encouraged to chat and post up questions as often as you can. Melbourne Writers Social Group and World Writers Collective. Helping you with your creative talents. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/169777419779168 After you join: In the past we experienced a lot of spam within our Facebook group, so we decided to implement a few participation questions that the spam-bots would not be able to properly answer. Please post a comment on our Facebook group before Monday night if you are looking to get involved in our event so that a moderator has time to approve you. Once you are approved, you will then be able to post comments without any moderator intervention. Thank you. IMPORTANT: This is not a video chat. This is not a separately created Facebook room. This is our regular Facebook group where anyone can type a post, make comments, discuss and chat about writing. Click on "Recent Posts" when you are scrolling through our Facebook group to locate the most recent posts. It is usually set to "New Activity". Please contact me to become a host (which is as simple as posting some writerly questions or just chatting to others online via the main chat area on our Facebook group). Watch the videos on how to add larger files so everyone can read your work and edit it. https://youtu.be/lJBfUvWamLE https://youtu.be/E2NVEernG8w More information on our website: https://www.worldwriterscollective.com/about-wwc Writers Sauce is sent to everyone regarding tips and hints on writing/editing. If you are not already a subscriber, email me and I'll add you: matclarke.author@gmail.com

**Welcome to Incubator Melbourne!** Curious about how board games are made? This is our regular event to test new prototype games. Newcomers are very welcome and no experience is needed. You don’t need to bring a game to join and play. ***Please RSVP here and cancel if you cannot attend.*** *Total attendance is higher than the Meetup RSVP list, and we typically have a good-sized group on the day.* 🗺️ **HOW TO FIND US** The Lion Hotel is on level 3 of Melbourne Central. We’ll be down the back at Jac’s Bar. Look for our tables and grab a seat. 👀 **WHAT TO EXPECT** • Bring a game to test, or just join in others’ games • Two sessions: short games first, longer games after lunch • Quick intros, setup, lunch break, then afternoon games ⏰ **TIMES** • 11:00–11:30am: Intros and setup • 11:30–1:00pm: Short games • 1:00–1:30pm: Lunch • 1:30–4:00pm: Longer games

Happening weekly on Tuesday, EGAD hosts a community night for those who are wanting to play some board games. No knowledge of games needed, just a desire to play and willingness to play with folks from all walks of life. Long time friend of EGAD (back when we were a games bar named Pause Menu), and board gamer, Kevin is your wonderful host on fortnightly Tuesday. Kevin has been part of our board games nights as long as we have been running them and has a great knowledge of them. The alternate nights are run by our lovely reception team Nick and Orla! They will be there every Tuesday making your hot chocolates and late night coffees. The event starts at 6:30pm and finishes at 10:30pm and has an entry fee of $10 if you purchase tickets online in advance. Tickets available on the night at the door for $12. (https://www.egnd.com.au/events-1) Our space is limited to 16 people. Outside food and drink okay! EGAD has sodas and hot drinks if you would like to have some on site. A note here for accessibility, this event is happening up a flight of stairs. Play and become a part of our community of board gamers!

Wind down after Christmas, with your fellow LGBTQIA+ folks for a social evening of board games at Marché Board Games Cafe! We have access to the games library at the cafe. If you have a game that you want to share, please feel free to bring it along. We play all sorts of games - card games, party games, strategy games - and we're happy to teach new players. Groups for games usually form between 6:30-6:45, so it's important to try arrive on time to ensure you're allocated to a game/group. Anyone arriving late may have to wait for a game if all groups have started. The cafe has drinks and food available. Check out their menu here: https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf We only accept payment at the time of booking to reserve your spot. This means you will need to pay the booking amount via PayPal at the time of booking to confirm your spot. If you can't make it to the event, please ensure you get in touch by messaging the event hosts or emailing rainbowbg.melbourne@gmail.com at least one day before the event, and we can reverse your payment via PayPal. The cafe does NOT have a liquor licence. Consuming alcohol on the premises is illegal, and will result in any members being banned from future events. See you on Boxing Day!

Join us for some games of (Japanese) Riichi Mahjong at Good Games Box Hill. We welcome beginners and seasoned players alike; let us know ahead of time if you are a beginner. We play with WRC rules with red fives. Please see the following website for more information regarding rules ([https://www.worldriichi.org/wrc-rules](https://www.worldriichi.org/wrc-rules)). Games are timed at 75 minutes + 1 additional hand and scores are tracked on https://scores.vicriichi.org/. Have the best 12 consecutive games between 1 November 2025 and 31 January 2026 to earn a $50 gift card to spend at Good Games! Entry fee: $5. If paying by cash, please pay at the counter. This money is used to pay for our use of the store space, maintaining equipment and other meetup services, and organising larger events open to everyone! Please change your RSVP to not going if you're no longer able to attend. This will give the next person on the waitlist the opportunity to attend. There is free parking available in the Care Park on Watts St next to the store. If you would like to connect with other Australian Riichi Mahjong players online, check out our website, [https://www.vicriichi.org](https://www.vicriichi.org), and join the [Victorian Riichi Mahjong Association (VRMA)](https://discord.gg/xQY3adVkA4) and [Australian Riichi Mahjong Association (ARMA)](https://discord.gg/m8rYv4fS4F) Discord groups!

Players of all skill levels are welcome to join us at Marché Board Games Cafe in the CBD for a casual night of mahjong - Right in the CBD. We'll start around 6:00pm till we all need to go home :) Our typical session concludes usually around 10:00pm. Please change your RSVP to not going if you're no longer able to attend, 24 hours prior the event. For those that have a record of non attendance without communicating, you will be moved to the waiting list for future events and be contacted directly to confirm that you indeed intend to turn up, at which you will be allotted a spot subject to availability. For more details on the rules of the game, please refer to: http://mahjongtime.com/hong-kong-mahjong-rules.html Marche has been kind enough to offer us a deal to play in their cafe. While you don't have to pay the entry fee, you must at least purchase a drink. Given the hard time most cafes and restaurants have had over the last few months, we recommend you support Marche by buying a meal too. (The food is quite delicious!) By showing your support we can continue to play at Marche.

Join us for an evening of Japanese Riichi Mahjong at **Marché Boardgame Cafe**! Players of all skill levels are welcome, and no experience is needed! If you want to learn how to play, we can teach you, and if you already know how, then join our shuffle and monthly leaderboard! This event has a $10 fee which you can pay on the night. This money is used to pay for our use of the store space, maintaining equipment and other meetup services, and organising larger events open to everyone! Members get a special discount - ask the organisers for more details. Marché provides food and drink for purchase to consume at the table. Check out their menu here: [https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf](https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf) Tables are shuffled at around 7:00 pm and again at 8:30 pm. If you're looking to learn, please aim to arrive at 5:30 pm, otherwise there might not be an open seat - you're more than welcome to stay, watch, and ask lots of questions! Be sure as well to check your RSVPs leading up to the event as attendances and wait listed attendees may change. We take photos and videos at our meetups for posting on social media, you may potentially appear in these. Hope to see you all then! *** Scores tracking: [https://scores.vicriichi.org/](https://scores.vicriichi.org/) The mahjong ruleset we play with: [https://www.vicriichi.org/mahjong-meetups#meetup-rules](https://www.vicriichi.org/mahjong-meetups#meetup-rules) Join us on Discord and connect with other jongers! [https://vicriichi.org/discord](https://vicriichi.org/discord)

######## NEW LOCATION ####### We are going to be at The Forge on Bethel Rd this week and until further notice! The Forge does have a full bar and kitchen. There is no cover charge but they do request all attendees to purchase a minimum of ~$20 per person. Soft drink refills are $1 each. Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area! Parking can be challenging. There is a parking lot behind the building that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

$5 MOVIE NIGHT! With avatar fire and Ash, James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with marine turned Navi leader Jake Sully. Navi Warrior, Naytiri and the Solly family. The film has a screenplay by James Cameron and Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. We will see the 6 PM showing and I will post my seat so that we can sit together. We can grab something to eat after if people want and chat to round out the experience. This is a MUST SEE MOVIE for me. I hope you feel the same. I will CANCEL if there are less than 5 RSVPs on the movie date.

CHANGED to WEDNESDAYS COLUMBUS RECREATION CENTERS require membership fee to play. Register & Pay at the desk when you arrive. $5 day pass is available. I have some extra pickle ball paddles and balls if you don’t have one. Definitely bring your own paddle if you have one and bring some balls if you have them. Legal Stuff: The event hosts/Organizers are just fellow member volunteers. By participating in any event, you assume all risks of liability and injury inherent in these activities. You are responsible for your own safety and for determining if you are in condition fit to participate. You are also responsible for knowing and abiding by all laws and rules during your participation in any event.
 Photos & or Video: by attending these events you acknowledge photos and or video may be taken and used on this and other platforms.