Indie Games

Join 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 Thursday!

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)

Come along a join us to play some board games and meet some cool people. If you don't like games, come along anyways haha. Its just a good excuse to meet new people and have fun.

Excited to announce our new ADVANCED openplay session during the week at KCARC! Welcome to Melbourne Volleyball Academy. 🤗 **[[WHAT]]** This session is specifically for games only (no training). There will be a cap of 18 players, allowing for 3 teams of 6. Games will be played to 15 points, with a cap at 18 points. These games are intended to be played at a high-intermediate(BB)/advanced(A) level. Please see an explanation of skill levels on our website here: [https://melbournevolleyballacademy.com.au/skill-levels-explained](https://melbournevolleyballacademy.com.au/skill-levels-explained) **[[WHO]]** The session is intended for Intermediate players. Players should be able to: * Have strong fundamentals for all volleyball techniques * Serve receive a majority of serves well & serve over the net consistently * Basic understanding of 5-1, and 6-2 systems (we do not play a pass middle 4-2 system in this session) * Have an understanding of base defense * Know all/most volleyball rules Players that are not of the intermediate(BB)/advanced(A) level will be asked to leave as we want to ensure that all players have an enjoyable time playing. **[[HOW MUCH $$]]** $21 card payment will be processed on the day via square reader (EFTPOS). **[[WHEN]]** The stadium is booked from 6:30 PM-9:30 PM weekly, every Thursday. However, feel free to come early and stretch as the Community Centre is open earlier. Last minute dropouts and no shows will have a zero-tolerance policy going forward. All players are expected to update their RSVP at least 24 hours in advanced if they are unable to attend. This applies to players on the going list and the waitlist. **[[OTHER DETAILS]]** Only those on the “going” list are permitted to play. If you are on the waitlist, or not registered at all, you will not be permitted into the gymnasium.

Three concurrent competitions, drinks, snacks, boards, dice, players young and old! Backgammon returns to The Hub on Thursday evening. (And the AFL thinks scheduling the season opener at the same time will work for them. Cute.) Players of all levels welcome, and refreshers and introductions always available. We look forward to seeing you - as usual - at The Hub, Thursday, 7pm.

To celebrate ***International Women’s Day***, we’re bringing our community together for a special evening featuring two inspiring women in tech. This event is all about sharing experiences, learning from real journeys, and creating space for honest conversations about building a career in cloud and technology. Whether you’re just starting out, making a transition, or already deep in the industry, you’ll find stories, insights, and perspectives that resonate. **And some exciting news** — thanks to our friends from [Programmable](https://www.programmable.tech/), attendees on the day will get a chance to win a ticket to the Programmable conference (valued at $449!). Expect practical lessons, personal reflections, and the kind of discussions that remind us why community matters. See you then! **Topics** **1\. One Platform\, Infinite Connections** An API Platform is not simply a layer for routing traffic; it is an operating model for how organisations design, secure, and monetise digital capabilities. This session opens by defining what an enterprise API Platform looks like in practical terms and why it’s becoming a core part of modern engineering and business strategy. Using a real implementation as context, the discussion examines how Apigee enables structured governance, streamlined developer onboarding, intelligent traffic control, and deep observability. It also addresses how the platform supports emerging AI, LLM, and MCP patterns, outlining its security architecture in production environments and demonstrating how APIs can be bundled into consumable products to create commercial value. Particular attention is given to advanced protection strategies for managing both conventional API workloads and AI-driven traffic. Attendees will leave with a concrete, experience-backed framework for turning an API platform into a measurable driver of innovation, resilience, and revenue. **About the speaker** Neha is an Engineering Manager at MYOB, leading the API Platform capability. With nearly two decades of experience in the IT industry, she has built deep expertise across cloud infrastructure, platform engineering, and large-scale technology transformations. **2\. Stateful Secrets in a Stateless World: Navigating the Azure Serverless Landscape** Serverless is more than just a buzzword; it represents a fundamental shift from managing infrastructure to focusing entirely on code. In this session, we’ll begin by comparing serverless with traditional server-based models to unpack the true differences in cost, maintenance, and scalability. From there, we’ll walk through a real-world application architecture to see how Azure Functions can be used to solve practical engineering problems that conventional servers often struggle to handle efficiently. Drawing on lessons learned from hands-on experience, we’ll also explore common pitfalls, optimisation strategies, and cost-saving techniques. Whether you’re new to serverless or already working with cloud-native systems, this talk will leave you with a clearer, more practical blueprint for designing and building modern applications. **About the speaker** Archana is a Master’s in Data Science candidate with a foundation in Computer Science and Engineering. She brings hands-on experience from her background as a Full Stack Developer, where she focused on building web applications powered by Azure serverless backends. By blending her software engineering roots with her current work in data science, Archana designs cloud-native solutions that are both scalable and data-driven. She is passionate about sharing practical lessons and helping the community understand how to effectively bridge the gap between web development and serverless technology. **Agenda** 5:30pm – Food and networking 6:00pm – Presentation 1 6:40pm – Presentation 2 7:20pm – Networking Thanks to our sponsors: [HAL systems](https://www.halsystems.com.au/), [Mantel](https://mantelgroup.com.au/) and [REA group](https://www.rea-group.com/)! Join us for an evening of learning, conversations, and great company!

1) Ludos Reserved Cafe. After work, come to boardgames. If this goes well, I'll get us kitchen service also☕ 2) Donations. QR codes to donate to our Ko-Fi will be around. We have a library of games that we think will suit all players. If you have any suggestions please message: Messaging Anna on meetup through the link here Messaging Jope on meetup through the link here Schedule: We will start at 6:00pm and play until 9:30pm. 2 Strike Policy Late-leavers: attendees who cancel within 24 hours of the event. No-shows: attendees who mark themselves as “going” but don’t turn up. Someone who does either of these once will be forgiven but flagged. On a second offence, they will be removed. Long-time regulars will be afforded some leniency. Legitimate reasons will be considered for leniency. What to bring: Yourself! Feel free to bring any games of your own but neither is necessary to having an enjoyable time with us (no alcohol permitted). What we will bring: We will bring our library of games that we think will suit players of all experience and taste, tap water is available. Below is the list of games we make available to this event. We will bring a subset of these games. WAVELENGTH (2019) Codenames Duet Codenames Monikers The Resistance: Avalon Deception: Murder in Hong Kong Dominion: Second Edition Dixit 7 Wonders Sheriff of Nottingham: 2nd Edition Catan Splendor Modern Art Chinatown Landmarks (2024) Bang! Secret Hitler Mafia Crossfire Insider Wonky (2015) Love Letter 7 Flip And Way MORE List of banned games: Monopoly (any version)

Are you a board game enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to spend your time? Join us at the library for our monthly board game event! Whether you’re a seasoned player or a complete beginner, everyone is welcome to join in the fun. ### Where do we play? We play in the Watsonia Library foyer. ### What do we play? There will be a range of games available, from beginner to more experienced. We play modern board and card games that are fun and relatively easy to learn. We are more than happy for new people of all experience levels to come and we are always eager to teach. ### How about Food and Drinks? Enjoy some tea or hot chocolate on the house. Or bring in your own meal or grab one from one of the fine local places in the neighbourhood. ### Do I have to be a Melbourne Meeples Inc. Member to attend? No. We are running this event in partnership with Watsonia Library. It is free for everyone to attend.

❤ **!!MAC LIBRARY MEETUP 8 MARCH 2026 !!** ❤ EARLY BIRD RSVP TICKETS until 1 MARCH or FIRST 30 tickets- $15 Tickets thereafter - $18 This is our TYPICAL library event if you have not yet experienced one with us before ^_^v \>\>\>\>Strictly no drop ins will be allowed<<<< \>\>\>\>Tickets sell quickly\! Please do not wait to RSVP<<<< Connect with us on Discord for quick responses as there can be a multi day lag via Meetup messages: JOIN MAC DISCORD: [https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F](https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F) ❤**ANIME:** TBA ❤**DATE:** 8 MARCH 2026, SUNDAY ❤**TIME:** Meet at 3:00PM for 3:30PM START ❤**START PLACE:** THEATER ROOM (AKA PERFORMANCE SPACE) Docklands Library Main Building Top floor (Library at The Dock) **THE PLAN:** Arrivals take place from 3:00pm for a 3:30pm start!! We encourage you to mingle before our announcements> ice breakers and games > watch party > raffles > close. We will then head to Melb Central for dinner and some quick games afterwards. We encourage our members to support anime artists and producers by purchasing their movies or any full series should they wish to watch the endings. **Some insight for newer members:** It's a natural process to feel a little anxious attending a large event you have never experienced before. During sign ins our hosting team will naturally be busy however our meet & greet volunteers will do their best to say 'Hello' to everyone and perhaps connect you to others. If for some reason this does not happen (because it's really busy), don't fret! Our ice breaker games are designed to help everyone bond over a shared experience. You should expect adults having fun and letting lose whilst being challenged to push some comfort zones which we invite you to do as well! The games are suppose to be silly to help people come out of comfort zones and get to know someone new. We will then take a break to watch anime and we really do encourage you to stay for games after dinner which is when our team gets a breather and a good chance to get to know our newer members better in a quieter setting! We have witnessed many wonderful long term friendships formed at MAC amongst our members - We do hope you join us! **THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS** A big thank you to everyone who RSVPs - This money helps with the club's upkeep and hiring of the venue! We are completely NOT-FOR-PROFIT and we sincerely appreciate your contributions!! Raffle tickets will be available on the day to further support our MAC community!! ❤\*\*::MELBOURNE ANIME COMMUNITY ONLINE::\*\*❤ You can also join our online MAC Discord Server via the following link to discuss this event and have any of your questions answered. JOIN MAC DISCORD: [https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F](https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F) *Please follow the prompts and provide your FIRST NAME in our #introduce-yourself channel. Providing your real first name helps you build happy healthy long term friendships especially when meeting in person. If you are not able to provide this please kindly provide reasons to @superbec who can help assist.* **IMPORTANT TO KNOW** ❤Everyone is welcomed to MAC events. We ask that all attendees be polite, respectful, and kind to one another. We pride on genuine SAFE SPACE for any one and every one. Our community does not tolerate bad behavior and we are committed to stamping out bullying! If you see bad behavior disguised as "jokes" please call it out or contact the community leaders so we can address this and keep the community a safe space. For more information please see our POLICY on our Discord. JOIN MAC DISCORD: [https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F](https://discord.gg/C3Ug63F) ❤By RSVPing to our events, you automatically agree to our policy and your pictures taken at our events for promotional purposes. If this does not suit you, please let us know during sign in. ❤Our events have a strict 'Respectful Attendance' policy. This means our community will not tolerate drop ins or creation of concurrent events with MAC members during a live MAC event. This is in line with our creating-community values. ❤MAC is committed to being an inclusive space. Where a carer is required, a carer must attend and have a purchased ticket. This is to ensure that all individual needs of a participant can be met during an event. None of the organisers of the event are trained to provide special assistance. ❤\*Release and Indemnity. Please read carefully. This section contains a surrender of certain legal rights. Upon RSVPing to all MAC events, you hereby acknowledge and assume all of the risks in participating in the event and agree to release, waive indemnity, and not to sue Melbourne Anime Community along with any applicable organisers, hosts, and related personnel/venue spaces, and volunteers. This is respect to any and all claims, liabilities, suits or expenses including attorney's fees and costs for any injury, damage, death, lost, stolen, or disposed property or any loss connected to participation of the activity that you may have suffered. Help us improve our community by providing negative or positive feedback!

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 10 consecutive games between 1 February 2026 and 30 April 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. Want to support Victorian Riichi Mahjong and receive exclusive benefits? Then become an official member! For $30/year, members receive an extensive benefits package that includes: -Eligibility to discuss and vote on Club matters during live Club meetings, and to vote and run for Leadership Officer positions. -Complimentary Vic Riichi merchandise every membership year. -Early access and discounted entry fees for events and tournaments. -Mahjong coaching, workshops, study sessions, and online log reviews. -Access to exclusive members-only merchandise and events. -Access to meetup benefits such as discounted loyalty cards. Please see [here](https://www.vicriichi.org/membership) for more info! If you would like to connect with other Victorian/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://vicriichi.org/discord) and [Australian Riichi Mahjong Association (ARMA)](https://discord.gg/m8rYv4fS4F) Discord groups!

We will meet at the starting point and a take round trip along the Port Melbourne beach. BYO a water bottle. Dress for comfort and outdoor walk. Come along & simply say, "Hi, it's my first time joining the group event." or ask the organiser to introduce you. You can take it slow and start from there. If you enjoy the conversation(s), you can hang out in the area over a bite/ drink after. **\-\-\- Running Late \-\-\-** If you are running late, please message at least 30 mins in advance. We will wait up to 15 mins before heading off. We won't be able to keep track of messages once we start. **\-\-\- RSVP / Change of Plan \-\-\-** Change of plan or decide not to attend is absolutely okay. Please do update your RSVP to "NO", so others can have the opportunity to attend. **\-\-\- Intro \-\-\-** Kudos to Friends….Expand Your Social Circle Meetup group is a community of individuals who prefer to take it slow to get to know each other overtime in Melbourne. Join us on a fun journey as we explore cafes, restaurants and bars, including drinks, meals, outings, chilling, cultural exchange, etc. Above all, we’d like to celebrate the importance of friendships. So if you are looking to expand your social circle and explore new adventures and venues in Melbourne, come join us! **\-\-\- WhatsApp Group \-\-\-** We use WhatsApp for more fluid communication, including ideas, interest groups, questions etc. Please let the organizer know if you would like to be added to the WhatsApp Group at the event. We will send an invite to attendees to the group. (give us some time) **\-\-\- Rules \-\-\-** Admin will only add members to the group with a clear profile picture. (No hidden behind sunglasses, masks, drawings) **You might be removed from the group in the case of…** * no show * without a clear profile picture * anti-social behaviour (i.e. acts rude / disrespectful regularly) * take advantage of individuals for personal gain(s) **\-\-\- Privacy \-\-\-** Do not disclose your contact number in this post comment. We will delete your comment/info as soon as we see it to protect your privacy.

This is a relaxed, community-driven Unity GameDev meetup. There’s no strict agenda this time — 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!

This month, we are in-person at GameArena!!! We will also be joined by students and their games from [Shawnee State](https://www.shawnee.edu/game-design-programs)! \-\-\- Join us for our our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event @GameArena! Come to play and showcase your games. We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk mezzanine area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor as well as the 1st floor in the gaming room below the mezzanine. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)

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

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 neighboring Mexican restaurant that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

Our First Friday meeting of the month. Come join us !!! Your first visit is FREE!!!

Thanks for being a part of the CABS Meetup Group! We meet @ the COFFEE UNDERGROUND on Indianola Avenue. We play many different games @ CABS - bring your own or play one of the OVER 2000 in our library. What are your favorite games? What was the last game you played? Hope to see and game with you soon! Check us out on Facebook! Doors open early on Saturday Mornings at 10am and around 4pm on Fridays if you are interested in learning new / simpler games ... or new to the hobby or just want to check us out come in early just after noon and we will show you around before the crowd grows. Stay for a game or two, an hour or two or for the day! Your first visit is free and after that it's $5 a meeting or you can join for the year! It's Your Move