Independent Game Development

🎲 **Social Games Night at Board and Brewed – Every Tuesday!** Join us every Tuesday at Board and Brewed for an evening dedicated to board game nerds and newcomers alike. From 5 PM to 10 PM, immerse yourself in the world of strategy, creativity, and fun! * **📍 Location**: 75 York Road, Dún Laoghaire. * **🕔 Time**: 5 PM - 10 PM, every Tuesday. Arrive any time! * **🚉 Nearby Transit**: * **DART Stations**: 5-10 minute walk from both Dún Laoghaire and Salthill stations. * **Bus Routes**: 46A, 75, 75A, and 111 bus routes stop just outside. The 7 bus stop is just a 5-minute walk. * **🚗 Parking**: Conveniently park in the nearby underground car park (library Road) or find on-street parking outside. * **💰 Cost**: Just €5 for an entire evening of unlimited gaming. * **🎲 Games Galore**: Choose from over 300 games, with new additions each month. From classic favorites to the latest hits, there's a game for every taste and skill level. * **👥 Perfect for Everyone**: Whether you're a first-time player, looking to try new games, or an experienced strategist, our Social Games Night is designed for all. * **🍕 Delicious Bites**: Fuel your gaming with our gourmet pizzas and toasty sandwiches, perfect for sharing with new friends or enjoying solo. * **🤝 Make New Connections**: Arrive solo or with friends and connect with fellow game lovers in a welcoming, vibrant atmosphere. * **🌟 Experienced Staff**: Our friendly team is always ready to recommend games and help with the rules, ensuring a great experience for all. * **🏆 Monthly Specials**: Keep an eye out for our themed gaming nights and special events! Social Games Night at Board and Brewed isn't just a gaming session; it's an opportunity to dive into new worlds, challenge your mind, and form lasting friendships. See you there for a night of laughter, strategy, and unforgettable memories! 🌟🎉🍹

We are organizing this games night **every Tuesday at 7.00pm, Wild Duck 🦆**, Temple Bar! **🎟️This event is ticketed at the gate.** **With a 10€ ticket you'll get a drink too. Card/Cash accepted** *Do you want to meet new people and also enjoy playing games? Then join us!* We usually play Social, quick and easy to learn games where you break the ice and have fun! You don't need to be a game expert, our games are easy and other attandees will explain you in few minutes if you have never played that game. We have lots of games here but You’re more than welcome to bring your own games. *(also some people may stay till midnight)* *See* *you there 🎲*

Try a new board game or play your old favourite or bring one along . Gaming event to meet new people and try something new. **Fun event for meeting new people while playing board games.** Join us for our board game night in This Must Be The Place in Smithfield. No experience is necessary and throughout the night you can play multiple games and meet new people. Our host will help everyone settle in and also run some of the games. There is unlimited**tea or coffee & biscuits included for everyone attending.** Play some new games, get stuck in to your favourite or bring one along and share with others. **I'M GOING TO BE LATE, CAN I STILL COME?** Yes we don't usually start exactly on time. Due to a large volume of people arriving at once it usually starts at least 10 minutes after the time of the event. If you're really late just come in and don't worry! **THE EVENT SAYS SOLDOUT, CAN I BRING SOMEBODY ELSE?** Unfortunately not, if an event is sold out it means there are no seats left. **LOCATION:** This Must Be The Place 42 Arran Quay, Smithfield, Dublin 7 **IS IT WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY?** The venue is not wheelchair friendly unfortunately but do get in touch as we host events in various locations that are accessible for wheelchair users. **DO YOU DO PRIVATE EVENTS?** Yes, we host private events, brand events, hen parties, and work parties. Contact us on bookings@alternativeexperiences.ie **HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS?** Signup to our weekly newsletter[ here](https://www.alternativedublincity.com/newsletter-signup/ "https://www.alternativedublincity.com/newsletter-signup/") **ARE YOU ON INSTAGRAM?** Yes find our page [here](https://www.instagram.com/thismustbetheplacedublin/ "https://www.instagram.com/thismustbetheplacedublin/")

Join us for some casual games @ Corrigans. All levels welcome!

TOG will be open on Tuesday evenings from 19:00 to 21:30 for a general Open House event. Expect to find members and visitors in the space up to all sorts of activities. It's a great time to drop in and see what the space is about. If you're an artist, tinkerer, maker or just plain curious, come in and see what the space is about. Maybe you already have something to work on (or want to), have something to fix, create, design, bodge or tinker... drop in. We're also open for just for plain old social chat and hang out, with plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits. We have lots of free parking right outside our door.

A lovely session of music and song in a relaxed and supportive environment. All levels of musician and singer welcome. You can come and sing or play one song or just come and listen to the other members. Great way to build up your playing skills and build up your confidence. We don't pay the bar for this session, so make sure you buy at least one drink. Charge €2.

✨ We are delighted to be hosted by Liberty IT this month. 🎤 Talk details will be coming soon. 📚 And thanks to [Packt](https://www.packtpub.com/), we have a physical book to raffle after the talk: * [Python Illustrated: Not another boring Python book, learn programming the fun way](https://www.packtpub.com/en-us/product/python-illustrated-9781836646327) by Maaike van Putten and Imke van Putten \-\-\- 🎟️ **PLEASE REGISTER ON LUMA TO ATTEND:** **[https://luma.com/pm0gpsda](https://luma.com/pm0gpsda)** \-\-\- **​Schedule (\*subject to change)** * ​18:30 Event Starts * ​18:40 Welcome and Introductions * ​18:50 Talk: Learning in Public, Again by Sarah Novotny * 19:15 Networking after * ​20:30 Event Ends **TALK DETAILS:** **TALK 1: Learning in Public, Again** (10-20 mins) I spent two decades building software communities. Kubernetes, NGINX, MySQL. And then I moved to Dublin and enrolled in a master's programme in political science at Trinity College. People have asked me why I took a left turn away from a perfectly good career. The honest answer is that I kept running into questions my industry experience couldn't answer. How do open source communities actually function as political systems? What does "technological sovereignty" mean when the phrase shows up in EU regulation, national security strategy, and corporate marketing decks, all in the same week? Why is corporate investment in OSS not patently obvious? I needed different tools. So I learned Python. Not the "I'll automate a spreadsheet" kind. The "I'm running topic models on 1,600 EU consultation responses to figure out who is shaping digital policy and how" kind. I learned statistics. I learned how to scrape legislative databases. I learned how to be bad at something in front of people half my age, which, if you've spent twenty years being the expert in the room, is its own special discipline. This talk is about what happens when you decide the next interesting problem matters more than the comfort of the last solved one. It's about moving countries, going back to school, picking up a programming language for the first time in decades, and discovering that the willingness to be a beginner is a skill that compounds. Whether you're 25 and pivoting, 45 and reinventing, or anywhere in between, the capacity to start over is not a concession. It's a superpower. **About Sarah Novotny** Sarah Novotny is a technology executive renowned for her pioneering leadership in open source, cloud computing, infrastructure automation, and big data.. She has led an Open Source Ecosystem and Strategy group for both Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. During her tenure at Google, Sarah played a pivotal role in expanding the Kubernetes open source project leadership and represented the company during the founding of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. At her core, she is driven by the ethos of open-source collaboration – where every line of code and every contributor interaction contributes to a greater collective purpose. She believes in fostering mutual aid and community care to build bridges across diverse coding languages and experiences. * [https://sarahnovotny.com](https://sarahnovotny.com/) * [https://linkedin.com/in/sarahnovotny](https://linkedin.com/in/sarahnovotny) **TALK 2: I'm a Software Engineer and I (Barely) Code** (10-15 mins) I dabbled in coding for years while working as a library manager, learning to write "Hello World" in at least four languages before moving to Belfast and coding my way through a master's degree in Software Development. I took my first job as a software engineer only to find that - surprise! - I barely code at all. I work in Machine Learning Operations, and while I touch a whole lot of Python code, most of my time is spent working with configuration files and infrastructure-as-code. Can I still call myself a software engineer if I'm not writing code? What does this mean when I’m faced with the next inevitable coding assessment, at this job or the next? This talk raises questions about what defines a software engineer in a world of increased software abstraction and, while I promise I won't talk too much about it, AI. **ABOUT Frances Veit** Associate Software Engineer, Liberty IT Frances is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, but has called Northern Ireland home since 2018. She holds a Master's degree in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master's in Software Development from Queen's University, Belfast. Frances is glad to have done her software training before AI was on the scene, but she's equally grateful to have an on-screen mentor while she figures out what she's doing. When she's not not-coding, she's at the beach with her two little kids, or baking. * [https://linkedin.com/in/frances-veit-49169926/](https://linkedin.com/in/frances-veit-49169926/) \-\-\- 🎟️ **PLEASE REGISTER ON LUMA TO ATTEND:** **[https://luma.com/pm0gpsda](https://luma.com/pm0gpsda)** \-\-\- **💖 THANKS** **Sponsors** * [Liberty IT](https://www.liberty-it.ie/about-us/overview): Hosting * [Packt](https://www.packtpub.com/): Raffle prize **Community Partners:** * [Coding Grace](https://codinggrace.com/) * [PSF](https://www.python.org/psf/): Meetup * [PyLadies](https://pyladies.com/) 🔍 **FAQ** **Note that all our events are 18s+. Although this a social event, it's a professional networking event, please refer to the [Code of Conduct](https://dublin.pyladies.com), e.g. behave as you would attending a work event.** **Q. I'm not female, is it ok for me to attend?** A. Yes, PyLadies Dublin events are open to everyone at all levels. We encourage non-female attendees to suggest a female friend/colleague to sign up to the event. So bring a friend! ✨ **Q. Do you have a Code of Conduct?** A. Yes, you can find it at [dublin.pyladies.com](https://dublin.pyladies.com/) **Q. I am interested in giving a talk at PyLadies Dublin, where do I submit my interest, workshop, and talk details?** A. You can submit your talk details to the following form: [https://sessionize.com/pyladies-dublin-meetup](https://sessionize.com/pyladies-dublin-meetup) 🤔 Any other enquiries (e.g. getting involved, sponsoring), email [dublin@pyladies.com](http://dublin@pyladies.com%2A%2A/)

Who says hump day has to be a drag? Hump Day Board Game Night is here to turn your Wednesday into the highlight of the week! Join us for an evening of games, laughter, and maybe a little friendly trash talk. Location: Black Bull Inn Lots of Parking, close to bus stops, short walk from the train station.

Our free-of-charge meet-up in the Black Sheep Pub on Capel Street. This is a casual meet up for people who want to play boardgames. Lots of people bring plenty of games and rules will always be explained so don't worry if you're new to the hobby and you don't have anything to bring along or think you won't know how to play. The meet-up runs for the whole day but late comers always welcome, you just may have to wait a little for a game to open up but games will be starting and ending throughout the day. **IMPORTANT!** **The meet up is free of charge but we do ask that people support the bar by buying food and/or drink. The bar is very accommodating to us and it's important that we support them in return. Bringing in outside food or drink is completely unacceptable.** Check out the comments below where people will say what games they are bringing and express your interest in joining if interested. Any questions contact either of the organisers Gavin or Stephen.

A weekly board game meet up in "Mc Mahon’s Bar and Eatery" which is a pub. We get our own section, it's wheelchair friendly and parking is free! 🙂 Whether you are new or a veteran player you are all are welcome! General guidelines are: 1. Avoid handing drinks to people OVER a game. 2. We cannot take responsibility in the event of theft so keep your valuables close to you. 3. Strictly over 18+ only. The "rules" would be: 1. Be respectful to each other. 2. Don't be a creep. 3. Be patient to players of all skill levels. Failure to be a decent human being\* will jeopardise your participation in future events. The pub owner is really nice and are letting us use the space so if you can - please buy a tea, coffee or a drink on the night to support them if you can but don't feel obligated to do so. They also do food so you won't go hungry! The event starts at 7 PM and everyone is free to play until 11 PM where we'll wrap it up for the cleaners. Feel free to bring your games, join in on a game if there's space or organise a game here for the upcoming event to get participants. We advertise the games we want to play ahead of time on our discord server, so feel free to check it out. https://discord.gg/xW8WryXmKu If you get lost or have any questions feel free to message me on WhatsApp at 0858405446. Just a note for those coming by car from Dublin: 1. I highly recommend using the motorway then driving into the pub. There's a slightly faster way with the back roads but unless you are from the area its not worth the 2 minutes saved since it's barely lit and the bends are somewhat hazardous. 2. Traffic from 5 - 6:30 is horrendous but the roads are clear enough after this time.

Join us every Sunday and tell a story as a group by playing a beginner-friendly roleplaying game. Every week we have 2-3 different games - you will choose which game you play on the day. All materials provided and rules are explained at the start of each game, you just need to bring your imagination. *** Details for the event (number of groups and games) will be published here or earlier on our [Discord server](https://tinyurl.com/indie-rpgs-dublin). Feel free to ask the organisers any questions you have (here or on Discord).

There's been a bit of demand for a meet-up on the south side of the city so we're going to trial a new location. You'll find us in the main bar. This is a casual meet up for people who want to play boardgames. Lots of people bring plenty of games and rules will always be explained so don't worry if you're new to the hobby and you don't have anything to bring along or think you won't know how to play. Late comers always welcome, you just might have to wait a little for a game to open up. **The meet ups are free of charge but we do ask that people support the bar by buying food and/or drink. The bar is very accommodating to us and it's important that we support them in return. Bringing in outside food or drink is completely unacceptable.** Check out the comments below where people will say what games they are bringing and express your interest in joining if interested

We've survived the Winter, and are looking forward to a busy Summer! To kick things off we're partnering with **MongoDB** to bring you our latest Meetup. We'll be hosted by **MongoDB** in their Dublin office on **Thursday 21st May from 6:00pm** and we'll have two speakers for you that evening. **MongoDB** need very little in the way of introduction, they've a strong presence here in the Irish tech scene and are big supporters of other communities we're all part of. We're delighted to have finally made that connection now ourselves here at Go Ireland and look forward to what's to come over the next few years together. We've got two speakers for you for this Meetup, the first is a Go Ireland regular Dmytro Lahoza, and the second is MongoDB's own Andrei Matei who'll be coming over from Manchester to join us on the night. **"MongoDB × Go: Inside the Ecosystem and How It Runs at Scale" with Andrei Matei - Software Engineer at MongoDB** **"Plugins Without Borders: A Language-Agnostic Plugin System for Go and Beyond"** **with Dmytro Lahoza - Software Engineer at Verda** Big thanks again to **MongoDB** who'll be supporting us for this entire event. As always, you'll be fed, watered, and we'll head to a pub nearby after the event to keep the conversations going. We've also got a new home on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/go-ire), going forward this will be the best place to find updates.

Drink & Draw Ireland's paint party. Win Prizes. Create A Masterpiece. Music & craic! Absolutely no painting experience is necessary. This event is open to everyone, bring a loved one, a friend or come alone🎨 No experience is needed and in under two hours you will create a painting of your very own masterpiece ***[Get your Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/drink-draw-paint-your-own-cocktail-byob-tickets-1985736104142)*** **What you get with your ticket?** ☀ 1 x Canvas to keep ☀ All the painting materials necessary ☀ Instructor to help guide you ☀ Patterns and designs to inspire you ☀ Custom playlist with feel good tunes ☀ Win prizes! **FAQs:** **I'M NO GOOD AT ART AND HAVEN'T PAINTED SINCE SCHOOL?** Drink & Draw is a super fun event designed so you can have a good time, we aren't about perfection we want you to relax and create. We have instructors who will help guide you to creating your own masterpiece. It doesn't matter if you can't paint this about relaxing. **WHAT IF I GET PAINT ON MY CLOTHES?** We use non-toxic paint that can be machine washed. **DO YOU DO PRIVATE EVENTS?** Yes, we host private events, brand events, hen parties, and work parties. Contact us on bookings@alternativeexperiences.ie **HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS?** Signup to our weekly newsletter [here](https://www.alternativedublincity.com/newsletter-signup/ "https://www.alternativedublincity.com/newsletter-signup/") **IS ALCOHOL PROVIDED AT THIS EVENT?** This event is a BYOB event to make it a cheap and fun event for you!

This meetup is a beginner-friendly session introducing version control for Unity projects, with a look at three common tools: Git, Perforce, and Unity Version Control. The goal is to help you understand what version control is, why it matters for Unity development, and what options are out there. The format will likely be presentation-style, with live demos and time for questions throughout. You'll see each tool in action and learn how they fit into a Unity workflow. What to Expect: * An introduction to version control and why it's essential for Unity projects * An overview of Git, Perforce, and Unity Version Control * Demos of each tool in a Unity workflow * Tips for getting started * No prior version control experience required * Resources for continued learning All experience levels are welcome. Whether you're new to version control or already using one of these tools, this session will help you understand what each one offers. Food and drinks provided. Join us to learn more about version control options for Unity.

PLEASE NOTE!!! This event will be In-Person for our very 1st 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 1st event and are doing a soft launch with limited attendance. 1st come 1st serve. If you want to be there and we fill up, please email me at [info@thecogg.com](mailto:info@thecogg.com) and I'll be in touch. All street parking is free on Sundays 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 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.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** TBD **YouTube Link** TBD

Welcome to Casual Boardgames, where we enjoy classic tabletop games and social deduction games while bonding over good food, drinks, and great conversations. 
We started this group to meet new people and make new friends, and bonding over games in a relaxed atmosphere is a great way to do that. We currently meet near route 23 and Polaris Parkway, and this is close to areas like Powell, Lewis Center, Worthington, and parts of Westerville and Columbus. 
Feel free to bring your own games or play one of the many games our members bring. If you are inexperienced, we will help you learn. 
Here are just a few examples of the kind of games we play. 
Tabletop/board games: Splendor, Catan, Azul, Dominion, 7 Wonders… 
Social deduction games: Code Names, Chameleon, Werewords… 
IMPORTANT: 
1. While we love playing a variety of games and competing, we are not just about the games. We interact and talk while playing, and this leads to a lot of laughter and fun. If you just want to compete and focus solely on the game, then this is probably not the group you are looking for. 
2. Many people join groups like this and never (or rarely) show up after weeks or months. If you join and never really come, we will eventually remove you from the group as a courtesy to our members. Why? Because limiting group conversations (on the app) to regular members makes communication and planning much easier. Also, while it may be rare, it protects members from people who join because they are interested in following a person instead of having a real interest in our group. If you get removed, it is just because you haven’t come, and we follow this protocol as a courtesy to our regular game players.

**Building a great product is one thing—building momentum behind it is another.** Join **Senior Product Manager Adam Solaiman** and **User Experience Manager Tyson Smith** for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into scalable products inside large organizations. In this session, they’ll share how teams move from ambiguity to execution—navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders, and continuously evolving products after launch. You’ll walk away with insights on how to: * Build and sustain momentum across teams * Adapt to changing priorities without losing direction * Scale products thoughtfully in complex environments Whether you're driving a new initiative or growing an existing product, this conversation will give you practical strategies to keep things moving forward. Come connect, learn, and swap stories with fellow product professionals. \-\-\- Food and drinks will be provided by Switchbox, our generous host. Free parking will be available at the front and back sides of the Switchbox Office.

Try new games, meet new people, and find out what story games are all about! Explore the reaches of space! Witness kingdoms rise and fall! Create and explore tragedies! All within a single game night. We play story games like Fiasco, Kingdom, Polaris and Microscope that encourage everyone at the table to participate creatively. We also have one-shots of indie, OSR, and narrative-focused RPGs such as Apocalypse World, Dread, Lady Blackbird, and Old School Essentials! Everybody's welcome! It doesn't matter if you've never tried story games before or never played roleplaying games at all! Just bring your brain and a good attitude and come try it out! *** **IMPORTANT** * When you arrive look for the marked Story Games Columbus Tables. Each table will have a separate game. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis. * If all tables are full, look for a Facilitator. We will find a way to get you into a game! * There is a flat $3 cover charge for events at Tabletop. *** **Facilitators!!** Please arrive early so that we can get you set up with a table. Please reach out to me ASAP if you would be willing to help facilitate. You can reach me on the SGC Discord here - https://discord.gg/jUTvWUu