Game Design

Wonko's is having open gaming on Thursday nights 6:30 til 11. You pay Wonko's 5 dollars to play. Many more people show up than sign up for the meetup.

Whether you're a current or aspiring game designer or a tabletop games enthusiast, getting together with game designers to play published games has a lot to offer. If you design games, analyzing and breaking down a game after the game is over can help you gain a deeper understanding of game mechanics and explore specific problems you're encountering in game development. If you're primarily a playtester, it can help you develop the skills to understand games' underlying mechanisms in ways that can level up your gaming strategy, and see how published games help inspire and teach designers in their own designs. This is not a prototype playtesting event - rather, it's a chance for you to play published games with other designers and game design enthusiasts and follow up gameplay with rich conversations about how designers implemented, combined, or innovated on mechanics in published games. If you'd like to join us, you are welcome to bring a game you'd like to offer for the group to play - think beyond "I love this game and want to play it again" and focus on games you want to better understand or learn from as a designer. If you're a game designer, you're also encouraged to comment on this page with a specific problem you're trying to address in a game, so that organizers or other attendees can bring games that might help you explore the problem space. Please comment on the event page only for events you have RSVP'd for and plan to attend.

***[CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE DETAILS](https://pinballz.com/events/board-game-nights/)*** It’s time to unleash your ultimate tabletop skills in this gaming escapade! Every Thursday evening, Pinballz Lake Creek transforms our club room into a sanctuary for board game enthusiasts. Whether you’re an RPG adventurer, a strategy savant, or a card game collector, our Board Game Night is your weekly ticket to an enthralling world of tabletop fun! This evening of excitement is a BYOBG (Bring Your Own Board Games) event. Share the fun of your favorite games with fellow gamers, or bring your friends and family for a night together. This event is free to attend and open to everyone of all ages! Enjoy delightful bites and beverages from our bar and kitchen, served right to your gaming table. Why Board Game Nights at Pinballz Lake Creek? * Inclusive Environment: Whether you’re a gaming guru or a newbie, our Board Game Night is designed for everyone. It’s all about fun, learning, and community. * Perfect Social Setting: Meet fellow gamers, forge new friendships, and enjoy an evening of healthy competition and collaboration. * Family-Friendly Fun: A great way to spend quality time with family and friends in a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere. Immerse Yourself in the World of Tabletop Gaming. No Reservations Needed – Just Bring Your Game Face!

Come play pickleball and make new friends at Pickleland! 🏓 \*\*\* **Important: Please sign up on the Pickleland App ([iOS](https://pickleland.com/ios) \| [Android](https://pickleland.com/android)) or [website](https://play.pickleland.com) directly.** \*\*\* We divide our open play by levels! 😄 (All levels welcome!) If you've never played, come and learn the rules! We have other beginners join us every day. You don't need a paddle, we have some you can rent ($10)! If you are an avid player, come and find some nice and friendly competition. If this time doesn't work for you, we are open M-F 8am to 10pm, and Sat-Sun 8am-8pm. Find other times on the Pickleland App ([iOS](https://pickleland.com/ios) \| [Android](https://pickleland.com/android)) or [website](https://play.pickleland.com). The website and app will show the most accurate roster and sign up count! Follow [@picklelandatx](https://www.instagram.com/picklelandatx/) for more! **⭐️ Come see why we were recently named the "Best Pickleball Club" in Austin by Austin Pickleball Update and 750+ other players!**

***[CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE DETAILS](https://pinballz.com/events/billiards-night/)*** Grab a pool cue and join us every Wednesday from 7-10PM for Billiards Night at Pinballz Lake Creek. This free-to-play event gives you the perfect opportunity to play one of Austin’s favorite indoor games with friends and family. Check out our ready-to-play, high-quality pool tables in our Whiskey Lounge, or grab yourself a cocktail from our wide selection at the Whiskey Bar. Play a few rounds of classic 8-ball or create your own custom game- players of all experiences are welcome to participate. Space is limited- make sure to arrive early! **Event Highlights:** * Date: Every Wednesday * Start Time: 7pm * Venue: The Whiskey Bar at Pinballz Lake Creek, Austin, Texas **Why You Should Join Us:** * Engage in friendly competition with fellow billiards enthusiasts. * Enjoy a dynamic environment filled with challenges and surprises. * Meet new friends and discuss the in-depth history of the game. Please note that The Whiskey Lounge at Pinballz Lake Creek is a 21+ area; Valid ID is required

Come play pickleball and make new friends at Pickleland! 🏓 \*\*\* **Important: Please sign up on the Pickleland App ([iOS](https://pickleland.com/ios) \| [Android](https://pickleland.com/android)) or [website](https://play.pickleland.com) directly.** \*\*\* We divide our open play by levels! 😄 (All levels welcome!) If you've never played, come and learn the rules! We have other beginners join us every day. You don't need a paddle, we have some you can rent ($10)! If you are an avid player, come and find some nice and friendly competition. If this time doesn't work for you, we are open M-F 8am to 10pm, and Sat-Sun 8am-8pm. Find other times on the Pickleland App ([iOS](https://pickleland.com/ios) \| [Android](https://pickleland.com/android)) or [website](https://play.pickleland.com). The website and app will show the most accurate roster and sign up count! Follow [@picklelandatx](https://www.instagram.com/picklelandatx/) for more! **⭐️ Come see why we were recently named the "Best Pickleball Club" in Austin by Austin Pickleball Update and 750+ other players!**

Come play pickleball and make new friends at Pickleland! 🏓 \*\*\* **Important: Please sign up on the Pickleland App ([iOS](https://pickleland.com/ios) \| [Android](https://pickleland.com/android)) or [website](https://play.pickleland.com/) directly.** \*\*\* We divide our open play by levels! 😄 (All levels welcome!) If you've never played, come and learn the rules! We have other beginners join us every day. You don't need a paddle, we have some you can rent ($10)! If you are an avid player, come and find some nice and friendly competition. If this time doesn't work for you, we are open M-F 8am to 10pm, and Sat-Sun 8am-8pm. Find other times on the Pickleland App ([iOS](https://pickleland.com/ios) \| [Android](https://pickleland.com/android)) or [website](https://play.pickleland.com/). The website and app will show the most accurate roster and sign up count! Follow [@picklelandatx](https://www.instagram.com/picklelandatx/) for more! **⭐️ Come see why we were recently named the "Best Pickleball Club" in Austin by Austin Pickleball Update and 750+ other players!**

plan for a good time of poker and fun

We play a wide variety of Euro-style board games, including anything new that's out there plus usual favorites. Bring your favorite game! Someone will most likely want to try it. Game Kastle has snacks and drinks, plus there is a Subway, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Wing Street and Wanfu in the shopping center. Sorry, no alcohol allowed in the store. There are usually 10+ folks playing games, regardless of the number that sign up. If you show up after 1pm, you may have to wait.

Join us for The Secret Meetup, a semi-monthly board game night at The Secret Lantern Books & Games in Cedar Park! It’s called The Secret Meetup, so you probably shouldn’t tell anyone 🤫 (…but you should absolutely tell people though).
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We’re a safe, friendly, inclusive, and diverse group. New players are always welcome — we’re happy to teach games and help you find a table.
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🕕 Games start at 6:00 pm and go until 10:00 pm.
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📅 First meetup: Monday, March 9. This is a pilot, so potentially every other Monday after that!
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📍The Secret Lantern Books and Games in Cedar Park. Housed in a former bank, this shop is now the very definition of “cozy.” Think comfy upholstered furniture, warm lighting, and tucked-away corners, perfect for settling into a long game. And yes — there’s a Vault Room, complete with massive steel door and spinning wheel handle, now reborn as one of the coolest places around to plot your next heist— err, move.
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⏰ Good to know:
• You’re welcome to arrive earlier to hang out or play, but games will definitely start at 6:00 pm.
• The store opens at 10:00 am — if you want to make a whole game day of it, leave a comment!
• Coffee drinks and light food are available for purchase at the store — please support our host venue.
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🎲 What to bring:
• Your favorite board games (optional)
• Or just bring yourself — there’s always room to join in
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Whether you’re brand new to board games or a seasoned player, come roll some dice, learn something new, and enjoy a great Monday night with awesome people.

As we are having this event on the same day as Free RPG Day, it seemed fitting to have an event of games that tell a story. Not the stories that come from playing a game, a game that has quests, or a storyline. Note, as mentioned above, we will be sharing the store with the Free RPG Day Event. We will _not_ be in the back room, but on _a_ row of tables in the common area. 3 tables in total. And expect it to be loud. Because of the limit on space and seats, I'm capping this event at 12 people total. But, let's have some fun!

***[CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE DETAILS](https://pinballz.com/events/mixtape-music-bingo-lake-creek/)*** Get ready for a Friday night filled with music, bingo, and big prizes at **Mixtape Music Bingo!** This free-to-play event brings your favorite songs to the game of bingo. Join us **every Friday at 7:00 PM** in **Mikki’s Tavern at Pinballz Lake Creek** and put your music knowledge to the test. **HOW TO PLAY** Instead of calling out numbers, we play song clips! Here’s how it works: * **Get a Bingo Card** – Your card will have song titles instead of numbers. * **Listen & Mark** – If you hear a song that’s on your card, mark it! * **Multiple Rounds, Multiple Ways to Win** – We play multiple rounds each night, with new winners each round! * **Round 1:** Single Bingo * **Round 2:** Double Bingo * **Round 3:** Blackout (mark every song on your card!) **PRIZES FOR THE TOP 3 WINNERS:** Each round of Mixtape Music Bingo brings a chance to win awesome prizes! With multiple rounds every night, there are plenty of opportunities to take home a reward. Bring your best music knowledge and see if you can snag a win! * **1st Place:** $50 Pinballz Game Card * **2nd Place:** $25 Pinballz Game Card * **3rd Place:** $15 Pinballz Game Card **EVENT DETAILS** * **Date:** Every Friday * **Time:** 7:00 PM * **Location:** Mikki’s Tavern at Pinballz Lake Creek * **Cost:** Free – No RSVP required

Let's get together and listen to **[Eric Rico](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrico/)** from Unity3D (**From Joints to Gestures: Reading Hands in Unity**). A hand tracker gives you joints, not a gesture. This talk shows how you get from raw joints to a "thumbs-up" in Unity: the pipeline that cleans up the data, how a gesture becomes a few 0-to-1 values within tolerance, and why orientation matters as much as finger shape. Includes a live demo of tuning gesture thresholds. Eric also runs the **[Columbus Unity User Group](https://www.meetup.com/columbus-unity-user-group/)**. Check it out! ***Bring your laptop and expect to write some (non-AI-generated) code!*** Food and drinks will be available. **LOCATION:** 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 **FREE PARKING:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017

*We'll update this with the specific topic(s) once they're set for the month.* A relaxed, community-driven Unity GameDev meetup. No strict agenda — just developers getting together to talk shop, share projects, and exchange ideas. Some topics that may come up (based on attendee interest): * Frame Debugger & performance tooling * Addressables & additive scene workflows * Input System, localization, responsive UI * AI integration approaches * DevOps & LiveOps experiences * Full lifecycle: idea → cross-platform publishing * Favorite Asset Store tools and hidden gems * Weird Unity quirks we've all run into Nothing is locked in. Bring a project if you'd like, bring a question, bring a lesson learned — or just come hang out and meet other developers. All skill levels welcome. Food and drinks provided.

Do **NOT** sign up to this one and sign-up at https://www.meetup.com/columbusjs/events/313386504/ ======================================= A hand tracker gives you joints, not a gesture. This talk shows how you get from raw joints to a "thumbs-up" in Unity: the pipeline that cleans up the data, how a gesture becomes a few 0-to-1 values within tolerance, and why orientation matters as much as finger shape. Includes a live demo of tuning gesture thresholds. Food and drinks will be available. **LOCATION:** 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 **FREE PARKING:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017

*We'll update this with the specific topic(s) once they're set for the month.* A relaxed, community-driven Unity GameDev meetup. No strict agenda — just developers getting together to talk shop, share projects, and exchange ideas. Some topics that may come up (based on attendee interest): * Frame Debugger & performance tooling * Addressables & additive scene workflows * Input System, localization, responsive UI * AI integration approaches * DevOps & LiveOps experiences * Full lifecycle: idea → cross-platform publishing * Favorite Asset Store tools and hidden gems * Weird Unity quirks we've all run into Nothing is locked in. Bring a project if you'd like, bring a question, bring a lesson learned — or just come hang out and meet other developers. All skill levels welcome. Food and drinks provided.

PLEASE NOTE!!! This event will be In-Person for our 2nd Improving collab! If you know the [Columbus Unity group](https://www.meetup.com/columbus-unity-user-group/) location, we'll be at the same place. This is our 2nd event at this location so bare with us as we grow into this space. There's paid street parking on Saturdays but you can also pay to park in any of the local garages. See image of [parking map here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mr9_LFIggbs-0_Zd3AJTGNqEhgMf2TzQ/view?usp=sharing). \-\-\- On the last Sunday of the month, we're having our usual end-of-the-month social gathering with our GameDev Meetup meeting. There will be announcements and presentations followed by some social networking Let's continue the conversations with good vibes and friends. All are welcomed from all ages and backgrounds to this public event. If we can, we'll be streaming or uploading the video later via our COGG YouTube channel here: [https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams](https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams) (Also please do subscribe if you have not done so!) No game development experience required! If you are interested in doing a 20 minute game development related presentation, please fill out our form online here: [https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1](https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1) Or e-mail us at [info@thecogg.com](mailto:info@thecogg.com) with the following: Your Name, Company/Affiliation, Name of Your Game/Topic, Description, Tech Needs, and Your Contact. Be sure to check out our Discord for real time news updates: [https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ](https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ)

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 sometimes fill esrly. There is additional parking lot behind the neighboring Mexican restaurant that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

BACK TO CABS!!! Come to CABS Friday 7/10 & Saturday 7/11 - return to CABS as we come back from Origins and the 4th of July Holiday Break. Come play the new games added to the library at Origins!!!