Innovation Games

Come out to [Third Hill Brewing Company](https://www.thirdhillbrewing.com/) and play some board games! Serving food with their variety of drinks so come and fuel up for the games. Learn about new games, play games, meet new friends, and have a good time! All ages and levels of experience/knowledge of games are welcome as long as you have a willingness to learn and/or teach your games. Host will provide some games but as always, you are welcome/encouraged to bring your own (recommended you know them and/or ready to teach them). Please be aware that there is no direct parking but there is nearby parking garages. **NTBG** is a safe environment for all to have fun. Bullying/harassment is not tolerated.

**Please Note:** This game has limited slots, and you must RSVP. If the event is full, please signup for the Waitlist, and you will be moved up as people update their RSVPs. In ***Apiary***, each player controls one of twenty unique factions. Your faction starts the game with a hive, a few resources, and worker bees. A worker-placement, hive-building challenge awaits you: explore planets, gather resources, develop technologies, and create carvings to demonstrate your faction's strengths (measured in victory points) over one year's Flow. However, the Dearth quickly approaches, and your workers can take only a few actions before they must hibernate! Can you thrive or merely survive? BGG - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/400314/apiary Light Refreshments are provided. We are right on the NOMA Red Line Metro Stop. Please RSVP so we can account for Snacks.

This meetup is for people that want to play table games: board games, strategy games, episodic RPGs, eurogames, card games and co-operative games. NOT A GAMER BUT WANT TO LEARN? We teach them all... We are open minded on all games. Games we plan to teach and play include Ascension, Azul, Azul Summer Pavillion, Splendor, Magic The Gathering, Melee/Wizard, Backgammon, Castallan, Chess Variants, Compounded, Dead of Winters: Crossroads, Dixit, Dominion, Exploding Kittens, Flux, GravWell, Ghost Stories, Hanabi, Heroquest RPG, Hive, House Divided, House on the Hill, Illuminati, Ingenious, King of Tokyo, Lost Cities, Machi Koro, Munchkin, Pandemic, Pirate Dice, Ogre/GEV, Qwirkle, Race for the Galaxy, Roll Through The Ages, Ricochet Robot, RoboRally, Settlers of Catan, Sagrada, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Splendor, Spot-It, Sushi-To-Go, Takenoko, Ticket to Ride, Tsuro, Up Front, Yahtzee, Advanced Wizards Card Game, etc.

**CHILL N CHESS/CHECKERS** Come play!! Classic, clock, social. From novice to grandmaster. We play both chess and [American Pool Checkers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pool_Checkers) (not your kindergarten checkers!). Come chill with us, get your mind in the game. We offer Blunder Support Groups ;) 🤦‍♂️ **How’s your week?** Did you hang a queen? Fork yourself? Promote to *rook* instead of queen? 😭 > **Don’t worry—we’ve all been there.** > (Literally. We meet weekly. Bring snacks.) **Parking/transit:** Street parking. Also there are private parking lots in Adams Morgan. For public transportation: Five city blocks away from Columbia Heights Metro stop. Same block for bus stops: D60 and D6X on 16th St. A 7 minute walk from the C51 bus stop and same block for D72 bus stops on Columbia. We limit spots to 10 players on meetup in order to maintain space for everyone -our regulars and players from other signups

Alexandria Pints & Pawns is now part of the Chess on Tap community! If you have a travel chess set and/or clock, please bring them so we can be sure to accommodate everyone. If not, feel free to come anyway!

​**Due to the popularity of the event, registration for free lessons and the support table are required at [https://luma.com/dcmahjongg](https://luma.com/dcmahjongg).** We do not use the RSVP system on Meetup. **A drop-in game every Tuesday at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Central Library, located at the corner of 9th and G Streets NW.** The Gallery Place Metro station (9th Street entrance) is located across the street. Street parking is available. We play in the Great Hall -- as you enter the library, we are on the right of the room. **All skill levels are encouraged to participate.** Lessons for new players (as needed) at 6:00pm. Please arrive on time. Games for all skill levels begin at 6:00. Games wrap up at 8:00. **If you own a mah jongg set, we encourage you to bring.** More resources (especially for new players) are available at http://linktr.ee/davidmahj

Whether you’re new to modern games, or a seasoned gamer, our new Boards & Barrels game night is the place to play. We’re pairing the best wines with new and classic games for an evening of analog fun and community. Choose from our growing game library or bring a favorite. *Unplug. Uncork. Unbox.* **Every Wednesday 6 pm - 9 pm**

Everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated, but not required. I just got mine. I don't want to get any of my friends sick! I will, however, be screening for a standard set of COVID symptoms. If you are showing any symptoms that could make people nervous, please postpone coming to the meetup till you're over it. While sneezing is not a COVID symptom, I think folks would rather not risk getting even a cold right now, so again please don't show up if this is the case, even if you're sure it is just an allergy. On the other hand, no masks are required, although feel free if it'd make you more comfortable. General day of games! Whatever folks feel like playing. Bring your own or learn a new one! If you want to play a longer game, you might want to propose it on the meetup discussion to judge interest. I'll have snacks and soda on hand. Additional snacks or soda welcome. We usually order out for dinner and then continue on till 10pm. The games we usually play tend towards those requiring more thinking than typical family or party games and they are usually in the 2-4 hour range. Photos from past meet ups can give you a sense of them. We do sometimes play lighter games though.

**DC Service Jam is back.** This March, SD:DC is hosting the DC edition of Global Service Jam 2026 week. We are part of a worldwide movement of designers, strategists, and curious minds who come together to build real service concepts from scratch. From **Saturday March 14 to Sunday March 15**, you'll work in a small team around a secret theme revealed at kick-off. No briefs, no client. Just hands-on design, rapid prototyping, and plenty of Post-its. This year we're bringing AI into the mix. Throughout the weekend we'll look at how AI tools can support service design work, as a sensemaking tool, to build artifacts faster, and to push prototypes further. **WHAT TO EXPECT** **Saturday March 14th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast (theme reveal + team formation) * **10am - 6pm:** full day of research, ideation, and prototyping (meals provided) * **6:30pm (optional):** social / happy hour (nearby bar) **Sunday March 15th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast * **10am - 12pm:** finalize prototyping & storytelling * **12pm - 2pm:** present your work and share what DC made with the world **WHO SHOULD COME** You don't need to be a service designer. If you're a UX or product designer, strategist, public servant, researcher, or just someone curious about how services actually work, you're welcome here. **LOGISTICS** * **Dates:** Saturday March 14th & Sunday 15th (ending at 2pm) * **Venue:** SteamPunk, McLean, VA * **Capacity:** 50 spots only (first come, first served) * **Attendee fee:** $60\* (covers meals, materials, and space) *\* If the fee is a barrier for you, we have a limited number of discounted tickets available, just reach out to Sergio Venegas directly for a code.* **WHAT TO BRING** ✔️ An open mind and a willingness to make things ✔️ Laptop and charger ✔️ Curiosity about Service Design (no experience needed) **Follow SD:DC on LinkedIn and @DCServiceJam on Instagram for updates!** \*\*\* Many thanks to our host and sponsor, **SteamPunk** *Design. Disrupt, Repeat. Steampunk is anchored by a startup culture with a customer-centered delivery approach. We put our Federal government clients in the center of everything we design, develop, and deliver to drive high quality mission impacts and user experiences at speed.*

We play a variety of games with a focus on high interaction Euros. Events will start with quick games while people arrive and eat lunch. We will start longer games between 1:30pm and 2pm. While the official end time is 5pm, people are welcome to continue playing games afterwards. Western Market closes at 7pm on Sundays. This page has more examples of high interaction Euros: [Old-school German-style Games](https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/view/3948). Here are some games that have been played at past events: High Interaction Euros * [Medici](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/46/medici) * [Catan](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan) * [Hansa Teutonica](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43015/hansa-teutonica) * [Puerto Rico](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3076/puerto-rico) * [Concordia](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/124361/concordia) * [Power Grid](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid) * [Brass: Birmingham](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham) Other high interaction games * [Innovation](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/63888/innovation) * [Imperial](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24181/imperial) There are a variety of food and drink options. Western Market is allowing us to use the space for free. Please reciprocate by purchasing something, even if it is just a soda. Directions If you're taking the Orange, Silver, or Blue lines, exit at the Foggy Bottom metro station and walk two blocks to the east. If you are taking the Red Line, Farragut North is an approximately a 15 minute walk away. There is also free street parking to the north.

We planned on playing Manhattan Project: Energy Empire a couple of weeks ago, but it didn't work out. So we are trying again! We have two copies of the game. So we can accommodate 10 players. RSVPs will be set at 10. Anyone joining after the 10 spots are full will be put on the waiting list. If you have a copy of MM:EE, then let us know, and we will increase the RSVPs. Manhattan Project: Energy Empire Description: From the ashes of war, nations rise to power in the atomic age! In ***Manhattan Project: Energy Empire***, each player takes control of a nation struggling for power in the latter part of the 20th century. They build up their nation’s industry, commerce, and government by acquiring resources, building structures, and tapping sources of energy. The major threat in *Energy Empire* is not war, but uncertain global impacts, that result from side effects of industrialization and pollution. Many actions come with a cost. So, as nations become more industrious, they also increase the amount of pollution in the environment. Careful use of science can mitigate the harmful effects of industry, and can also help avert global crises. *Energy Empire* uses worker placement, tableau-building, and resource management mechanics. On each turn, a player can choose to either work or generate. On a work turn, a player plays a single worker on the main board, then uses workers and energy to activate cards in their tableau. Players may spend energy to use an occupied space on the main board, so no spaces are ever completely blocked. On a generate turn, players get to renew their supply of energy by rolling "energy dice" that represent nuclear, coal, oil, solar, and other forms of energy.

*A series of pop-up arcades of locally-made games!* The Washington, D.C. Chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA DC) has partnered with the D.C. Public Library to host a series of showcases at library branches across the city. **At these showcases you can come play games made by local developers and learn about how those games were made!** Saturday, March 14, 2026 2-5pm Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library 5401 South Dakota Ave NE, Washington, DC 20011 (Near the Fort Totten Metro Station) Family-friendly and appropriate for all ages (recommended for children ages 7 and up mainly because video game controllers are hard for younger children to use.) Come out and support your local community of game developers!

Pitch Labs is happy to partner with George Mason University's Computer Science Graduate Student Association to host a tech talk for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, AI, and more. Damon Feldman, co-founder of Advocara, will be joining us to share his experiences in a fireside-chat styled event. **About the Event** This fireside chat will bring together students, founders, and innovators for an engaging conversation at the intersection of AI, entrepreneurship, and real‑world problem‑solving. Damon will share insights from: * Building and scaling AI‑driven products * Navigating the startup landscape from idea to execution * Lessons learned from leading engineering teams and deploying mission‑critical systems * Opportunities for CS students in emerging tech and founder ecosystems The session will include a moderated discussion, audience Q&A, and opportunities to connect with fellow students, founders, and members of the DMV startup community. **About the Speaker** Damon Feldman is the President and Co‑Founder of Advocara, an AI‑based healthcare navigation startup working to bring transparency to medical billing. His career spans leadership roles in customer engineering, large‑scale data integration, and complex system design across healthcare, government, and enterprise technology. Damon holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has led engineering initiatives for organizations of various sizes and industries

Looking for a fun, screen-free way to spend your Sunday afternoon? Join us every other week at the Community Center for a few hours of friendly competition and laughter. Feel free to bring your own treasured game or borrow one from our shelves. It’s the ultimate low-pressure way for families to connect. Note: This is not a drop-off event. Please ensure children have a parent or guardian joining in on the fun.

Come join us for some fun and games at Huzzah Hobbies! We play a variety of games such as strategy, co-ops, or party games. This is a great way to meet new people, play some new games, and have some fun at the same time! Plus, the snack bar is now open! Nachos, chips, candy, drinks. Please note that the attendee limit is not a hard cap. That said, please RSVP if you are planning to attend as that helps for an accurate headcount. Thank you! http://huzzahhobbies.com

Come out to the Reston Community Center and play some games! Party games? Strategy games? Tabletop role-playing games? This massive space can accommodate games for every interest. While the event starts at 5pm, feel free to roll in whenever you are able! If you have games to bring that you'd like to share or run, please do! Food and drink are not provided within the venue, but you are allowed to bring in anything you need from outside locations, just please be considerate of other people's games and the tables when doing so. Park anywhere in the parking lot. The Community Center building is located directly behind Ledo Pizza. Walk straight back to the main room once you enter the building. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to either David Gray or Bill Parker through Meetup, or you can email Bill at william.parker@fairfaxcounty.gov. Hope to see you all there!

Games night is back! With our favorite local game store opening back up, Games night will come back starting Monday June 7th! We are an lgbt+ games group that’s been going for nearly 3 years now! We welcome anyone in the lgbt+ community to come play board games every Monday with our fun and chaotic crew! If you’re brand new to board gaming and looking to make some friends or if you love playing 4 hour space operas and are looking to make some rivals, we’re the group for you! We are an lgbt+ group that focuses on creating a safe lgbt+ community. Non-lgbt+ individuals are welcome when attending with an lgbt+ friend, family member, or partner. Huzzah hobbies currently follows cdc guidelines, where customers who are vaccinated are allowed to not wear masks indoors. With their current hours on Mondays, they are open until 9pm; if they change hours and remain open later, games night will continue until close. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to message us here!

Games night is back! With our favorite local game store opening back up, Games night will come back starting Monday June 7th! We are an lgbt+ games group that’s been going for nearly 3 years now! We welcome anyone in the lgbt+ community to come play board games every Monday with our fun and chaotic crew! If you’re brand new to board gaming and looking to make some friends or if you love playing 4 hour space operas and are looking to make some rivals, we’re the group for you! We are an lgbt+ group that focuses on creating a safe lgbt+ community. Non-lgbt+ individuals are welcome when attending with an lgbt+ friend, family member, or partner. Huzzah hobbies currently follows cdc guidelines, where customers who are vaccinated are allowed to not wear masks indoors. With their current hours on Mondays, they are open until 9pm; if they change hours and remain open later, games night will continue until close. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to message us here!

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun – March 11th Business Presentation** **Featuring Q Studio** **Wednesday \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun** Join us for an engaging and forward-thinking presentation as we welcome **Q Studio** to the 1 Million Cups Loudoun stage. *** ## **About the Business** Q Studio operates on the belief that **peak mental performance** is a state of optimal functioning — where individuals intentionally control their thoughts, understand their emotions, and respond with clarity and wisdom to opportunities and challenges. Through science-backed **Mind Skills**, Q Studio helps individuals strengthen focus, resilience, emotional regulation, and performance. Their digital platform, the **MyQStudio app**, provides unlimited access to micro-learning courses, personalized assessments, practical techniques, habit-building tools, progress tracking, and a supportive member community — all designed to build sustainable mental excellence. Beyond individual development, Q Studio partners with organizations to help teams integrate Mind Skills into everyday work. With customizable tools, reporting, and expert guidance, companies gain insight into how developing Mind Skills as a core competency drives engagement and performance at every level. *** ## **Target Markets** Q Studio serves: * Organizations seeking workforce upskilling * HR and talent development leaders * Corporate teams focused on engagement and performance * Businesses looking to strengthen leadership and team resilience *** ## **Current Business Focus & Barrier** As Q Studio continues to expand, they are seeking feedback around: * Hiring strategic personnel * Expanding market reach * Scaling sustainably * Strengthening positioning in B2B markets Insight from leaders who have scaled teams, grown SaaS or app-based platforms, or expanded into new markets would be especially valuable. *** ## **Why Attend?** * Learn how mental performance directly impacts workforce success * Offer insight to a growing, innovation-driven company * Connect with business leaders focused on growth and development * Be part of a collaborative, solutions-oriented conversation **About 1 Million Cups** 1 Million Cups is a national program that brings entrepreneurs and communities together to learn, connect, and grow through presentations and discussion. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month. Join us for coffee, connection, and a powerful conversation about unlocking peak performance in individuals and organizations. We look forward to seeing you there.

Every Wednesday and Saturday! There will be prizes and fun, and even drinks!