Game Programming
Meet other local people interested in Game Programming: share experiences, inspire and encourage each other! Join a Game Programming group.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out game programming events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the game programming events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find game programming events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Game Programming Events Today
Join in-person Game Programming events happening right now
Saturday Tabletop Games at Premiere Cinemas
It's **Saturday** & our main night of the week & the fun & games are just getting started here at DWL!
We're located here in the Cinema (which can be found on the 3rd floor of the Mercury Mall Shopping Centre) on:
* **Tuesdays & Thursdays**: From 17:30 to 22:00.
* **Saturdays**: From 12:00 to 22:00
๐ฆ And we're still running every Monday 6pm to 11pm at the Golden Lion Pub too.
๐ญโ There are hot & cold food & drink options available from the cinema at low prices!
Supporting Premiere Cinema by buying their food & drink IS supporting Dicing With Life! The cinema has been very generous to us by bringing us into their space & our way of showing our gratitude is by sending some business their way.
And their menu is surprisingly cheap! Especially compared to any other cinema.
Here's some cool examples of some great **offers**:
Buy a large **Popcorn** (it's a huge bucket!) or a large **fizzy drink** & it'll initially cost you ยฃ4, BUT, take your bucket or cup back to the bar for a **refill** & the cinema will refill it back up to the top for just ยฃ2! ๐ฟ๐ฅค
That's half price Popcorn & Pop!
This also applies to **Ice Blasts** too (ยฃ5 initially but to refill it's just ยฃ3).
There's also Hot Dogs, Nachos, Pick n Mix & many other treats in store too! Check out their menu ๐
If you have any questions, please ask & let the fun commence! ๐ฒ
Whitley Bay Playtest Day
Playtesting comes to Bay Games, Whitley Bay's game cafe. A full afternoon of demoing, with Playtest UK volunteers on hand to connect gamers with games.
Bay Games has been supporting game designers since first opening its doors, and we're thrilled be joining them for this event. This page is intended for designers to register interest. If you are interested in demoing - and you have not already messaged me - please comment here BEFORE Monday 29th June. You can bring as many different prototypes as you want but the event is not intended for promotion - any posters, flyers etc must be no larger than A4 size. Any questions feel free to comment!
Drop-in Saturday Games & Social @ The Thirsty Bear
If you're looking for a laid back Saturday playing some board games and talking nerd stuff in a pub with some awesome people, this is the meetup for you! Whether you're new to London or just want to get some long-lost in-person socialisation, we're a friendly community and welcome you all.
**What to expect:** We officially play from **2 PM to 7 PM**, but we keep it casual. Show up when you can, and stay as long as you like. If youโre having a good time, thereโs usually a group that stays late for a few extra pints and chat.
**Some house rules:**
* We aim to ensure these events are friendly, welcoming and safe, and so we ask you abide by our [Code of Conduct](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YEl0gv61SkBFN-YF6fyVvuQYicWbWhRL/view?usp=drive_link)
* We have a community box of games we keep in the pub, but please feel welcome to bring your own games along. Just be prepared to teach us how to play!
* We don't charge a cover fee, so please help support the pub by ordering food and drink throughout the afternoon.
* Please keep your RSVPs updated so we can manage numbers and ensure we can reserve enough tables.
๐ Level Up Series๐In2Sports ๐ถ Mixed Ability
**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/46637
**Game Description:**
๐ฏ LEVEL UP YOUR VOLLEYBALL GAME ๐ฏ
Ready to sharpen your skills and take your performance to the next level? The Level Up Series is built for players who want to grow their game through high-quality, personalised coaching in a competitive environment.
๐ Each session includes:
โ
1 hour of focused coaching tailored to the groupโs needs
โ
1 hour of game scenarios to apply what youโve learned in real time
โ
Individual feedback to help you progress faster
๐ Led by Coach Chester โ a dedicated libero and rising leader in the UK volleyball scene, focused on athlete development:
โข ๐ Coach for 2 LVA Pantheon Division 3 teams
โข ๐ผ Former President, Treasurer & Social Secretary, Kingโs College London Volleyball
โข ๐ Founder & CEO, Pantheon Volleyball
โข ๐ค Key Connector for up-and-coming athletes and programmes
๐จโ๐ซ Chester also brings his coaching and leadership to:
โข Pantheon Volleyball initiatives and talent development
โข KCL Mixed Premier Team in LUSL League
โข Volleyball England as a Level 1 Qualified Assistant Coach
With a unique blend of on-court experience, organisational leadership, and entrepreneurial drive, Chester is deeply committed to helping players unlock their potential and supporting the next generation of volleyball talent.
**Rules**
1\. Players should be respectful and follow the coachโs instructions when given
2\. Remain kind and courteous to players around you regardless of their skill level
3\. Enjoy yourself and remember to ask the coach if you have any questions \(hint: there are no stupid ones\)
Photos and videos may be taken during the sessions and used as promotional material for the Pantheon Volleyball Club. By signing up, you give your consent to be filmed and to be used for the purposes as mentioned above. If you would like to opt out of this, please send a message to the pantheon volleyball page.
๐ Casual/Social Volleyball๐King's Cross ๐ถ Mixed Ability
**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/45698
**Game Description:**
Come and play in a social/mixed ability volleyball games session on a Saturday evening in King's Cross ๐
This is a session for mixed ability players so please be positive and encouraging towards all players. Most importantly this is a session to play some fun games and meet some nice people ๐งก
Please familiarise with the rules of the game below โฌ๏ธ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLZ44KBWEbo
Directions:
๐ถโโ๏ธ7 minute walk from Euston or King's Cross station
๐ฟShowers, toilets and changing rooms available
Rules
3 teams 6, games to 15 points, max 2 games in a row.
๐5:1 Volleyball Session๐Canary Wharf ๐ถMid Intermediate
**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/50592
**Game Description:**
๐ฎ Warm up and game only setting.
๐ Positive environment.
\*Privacy policy for games only sessions\*
By attending this game session, you agree to the following:
\* Video recordings/photos are allowed only during free game\* sessions
\* Attending means consenting to potentially being recorded by other participants
\* Any videos must only be shared via private links
\* Distribution limited to session participants only
\* Explicit consent required for any public sharing
\* Respect others' privacy and comfort
\*Please contact the co-organisers if you have any questions about the policy.
**Rules**
\- point to 15
\- max 2 games in a row
\- 3 team of 6 players
\- modified games situation might be applied depending on situation \(5:1\, modified 5:1 or 6:2 etc\.\)
Game Programming Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Console & Chill: Meet, Play & Connect
I'll be bringing along a few consoles and games for everyone to enjoy. Looking forward to meeting fellow gamers, having some fun, and getting to know the group!
Game Developer Meetup
A focused Unreal Engine coworking meetup for developers, designers, and artists to build projects, solve problems, share feedback, and collaborate in person โ no talks or panels, just real hands-on game development.
Board Games in Vauxhall
Every Sunday from 3pm
Board Games in Vauxhall
Come join us for a new board game event in Vauxhall!
We're heading to the Riverside pub from 3pm to play board games (all board/card games welcome). Easily accessible from the Northern Line, Victoria Line, Vauxhall overground and Vauxhall Bus Station.
Bring some games, or just bring yourself, and join a friendly community of gamers for some relaxed Sunday fun!
Regents Park Board/Social Games
๐ฒ **Come join us for some fun in the park!** ๐ฒ
We welcome both game enthusiasts and casual players.
**This is a free weekly summer social park gathering with board/social games starting at 3:30pm.**
Food, drinks, and toilets are usually available at [Broad Walk Cafe](https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/regents-park-primrose-hill/broad-walk-cafe-0) and [Espresso Bar](https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/regents-park-primrose-hill/espresso-bar) nearby. Please feel free to bring your own picnic mats, food, and/or drinks.
**How to find us:**
Meet at 3:30pm in Regents Park. Here is the map of where we will be playing in the park (Cumberland Green): [X Marks The Spot](https://hyau.notion.site/Rounders-and-Football-at-Regents-Park-Map-8bc419b72dde4aacaec3870d291636be)[!](https://www.notion.so/hyau/Rounders-at-Regents-Park-8bc419b72dde4aacaec3870d291636be)
You can also locate us around here: [What3Words](https://what3words.com/swim.jolly.youth) (just look out for a bunch of games, a blue ikea bag, and/or an orange mat and you can usually spot us).
We also have a [Whatsapp Community](https://chat.whatsapp.com/IF3jPnvoxv0GbUPulIAd5b) where we post our live location each week.
**The Games**
We usually have a mixture of games including but not limited to:
Exploding Kittens, Scout, Sushi Go, Monopoly Deal, Catan, Ticket to Ride, Cartographers, Avalon, Blood on the Clocktower.
What we play will depend on the group as a whole. If you have anything specific you are interested in **please do bring it along** or leave us a message to make sure we bring it.
**Please keep your RSVP up to date .**
Look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces!
Sunday Evening Board Games at St Johnโs Tavern, Islington
**A small note on the venue. Itโs a good idea to finish games by 22:30 at the latest giving 15 mins to put the games away. Bring down to the bar any excess plates and glasses but the staff will sort the tables back to how they were. Enjoy gaming.**
**๐ A quick heads up! We usually have 10 plus people, and we game through the night, DM us for the link the group WhatsApp**
**๐ฒ๐ซ** **Weekly Board Gaming Night in Islington!** **๐ฒ๐ซ**
**Hey Board Gamers! Are you ready to roll the dice and embark on thrilling adventures right here in London? Join us for a fantastic evening of strategy, fun, and camaraderie at our** **Weekly Board Games Night** **in Islington! ๐**
**๐** **Venue:** **St Johnโs Tavern, Islington, London**
**๐ถโโ๏ธ A 5 minute walk from the Archway Tube Station, turn right outside tube on Junction Rd and cross the road. Canโt miss it itโs a big black pub and well upstairs in the function room. Our own private space.**
**๐๏ธ** **When:** **Every Week from 4pm - 10:30pm**
**We're all about those intricate Euro-style games and modern classics that challenge the mind and spirit. Whether you're a seasoned player of** **Scythe, a master builder in** **Catan, a strategic traveller in** **Ticket to Ride, or ruling the dunes in** **Dune Imperium, we've got a spot for you at our table! ๐ฒ๐ฐ**
**What to Expect:**
* **A cozy evening at St Johnโs Tavern๐ป, a perfect backdrop for our gaming escapades.**
* **A variety of games available, but feel free to bring your favorites to share with the group! ๐น๏ธ**
* **A friendly, welcoming atmosphere where you can dive deep into games and make new friends. ๐ญ๐ฌ**
**This meet is perfect for those who:**
* **Are you new to gaming but want to learn and play in a friendly group ๐ซถ**
* **Love Euro-style board games and modern classics ๐**
* **Are looking for a regular group to enjoy board gaming ๐**
* **Want to meet other like-minded individuals in a relaxed setting ๐ค**
**๐ Spots are limited, so RSVP now to secure your place at the gaming table!**
**Let's make this a weekly highlight! Can't wait to see you there and get our game on! ๐**
**๐ข Spread the word and bring your friends โ the more, the merrier! See you at St Johnโs Tavern.๐ฒโค๏ธ in**
๐Volleyball Sessions๐Canning Town๐ถMid Intermediate
**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/49607
**Game Description:**
Come and join a mid intermediate session in Canning Town
๐จDirections๐จ
๐Enter via Morgan Street
๐ถโโ๏ธ5 minute walk from Canning Town Station๐ Free car parking on site
๐ฟ Showers, changing rooms, water fountain & toilets are present
**Rules**
\- 3 teams of 6
\- Games to 15 points
\- Max 2 games in a row
\- Please be kind and respectful to all players ๐งก
๐Womenโs Only - Volleyball Game๐Canary Wharf ๐ถ Mid Intermediate
**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/49766
**Game Description:**
๐ฎ Warm up and game only setting.
๐ Positive environment.
\*Privacy policy for games only sessions\*
By attending this game session, you agree to the following:
\* Video recordings/photos are allowed only during free game\* sessions
\* Attending means consenting to potentially being recorded by other participants
\* Any videos must only be shared via private links
\* Distribution limited to session participants only
\* Explicit consent required for any public sharing
\* Respect others' privacy and comfort
\*Please contact the co-organisers if you have any questions about the policy.
**Rules**
\- point to 15
\- max 2 games in a row
\- 3 team of 6 players
\- modified games situation might be applied depending on situation \(5:1\, modified 5:1 or 6:2 etc\.\)
Game Programming Events Near You
Connect with your local Game Programming community
Unity GameDev Hangout (Topic TBD)
*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 โ 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 โ 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 โ or just come hang out and meet other developers.
All skill levels welcome. Food and drinks provided.
Unity GameDev Hangout (Topic TBD)
*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 โ 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 โ 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 โ or just come hang out and meet other developers.
All skill levels welcome. Food and drinks provided.
CABS Boardgaming Friday 7/10
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!!!
CABS Boardgame Saturday 7/18
Join us for a great day of gaming at CABS!!! Your first visit is FREE!!!
Board games at The Forge
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.
Cocoaheads
We have moved to guild.host. Look us up there.
https://guild.host/events/buckeye-cocoaheads-rcavwd
Stop Guessing: How to Measure and Improve LLM Outputs
Most people use LLMs by feel: ask a question, read the answer, decide whether it โseems good,โ and move on.
That works for casual use. It does not work when you are building software, automating workflows, writing important documents, or relying on AI for anything that needs to be repeatable.
In this talk, weโll look at how to improve and evaluate the inputs and outputs of LLMs using practical measurement techniques. Weโll cover how prompt changes affect results, how to compare outputs, how to build simple evaluation sets, and how math-based methods like similarity scoring can help you move beyond guesswork.
This will be beginner-friendly, so even if you don't know anything about AI, you should get something out of it. However, this will be a little more technical than our intro talks. You do not need to be an AI researcher, but programmers and technically curious attendees will get a lot out of it.
Weโll cover:
* Why โit looks goodโ is not enough
* How to improve prompts by changing the input, context, and constraints
* How to compare LLM outputs more systematically
* Basic evaluation techniques for accuracy, consistency, and usefulness
* How embeddings, cosine similarity, and scoring can help evaluate results
* Where automated evaluation works โ and where humans still need to stay in the loop
By the end, youโll have a practical mental model for treating LLMs less like magic and more like systems you can test, measure, and improve.
LOGISTICS AND PARKING:
The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks!
The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.




















