What we’re about
Seattle Board Games supports a vibrant and inclusive community of board game enthusiasts in the Seattle metro area. Our events and gatherings offer opportunities to have fun, make friends, and deepen our appreciation for the art, design, and strategy of board games. We seek to make games more accessible by removing barriers to enjoying and learning from them.
We host all types of boardgames, from lighter games such as Settlers of Catan and Lords of Waterdeep to heavier Euros like Brass Birmingham, Dune Imperium, and others. We also play thematic games such as Battlestar Galactica, social deduction games, Magic the Gathering, card games, and party games. If it's on BroadGameGeek's list of over 25,000 games (https://boardgamegeek.com/browse/boardgame?sort=rank), we might be playing it!
Anyone can become an event organizer and host events - either specific games or open gaming sessions. If you are interested, please contact the primary organizer.
We are member and organizer driven, and welcome suggestions for improvements and new directions.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- MEXICA @ Phoenix Comics!Phoenix Comics & Games, Seattle, WA
"All right. Fine. After all, I'm sure you know the proper rituals for blessing a tribute. The holiest days on the calendar. Oh, and of course you know all about Xibalba. Okay, good luck! See you at the execution."
The year is 1325, and we have just discovered the original island, as foretold in the prophesy. We will once again construct Tenochtitlan, the future Aztec capital.
Each of us is a Pilli Mexica, a great noble. To make ourselves even more indispensable to the sovereign, we will construct canals to carve out districts -- calpuli -- of specific sizes, as commanded by the Emperor, and travel to these districts to found them officially before anyone else does. We shall build temples in the districts to demonstrate out spiritual supremacy over one another and gain favor with the Emperor.
Mexica is a medium-complexity abstract strategy and area majority/influence game with a high degree of player interaction and blocking. It also includes elements of tile placement, grid movement and action points. New players are welcome, and the host is happy to teach if you haven't played before.
2 - 4 players
90 - 120 minutes expected play time, depending on turnout and player familiarityMexica on Board Game Geek
Game overview: Watch it Played with Rodney Smith (Don't worry, we'll go over the rules on the day, too.)A few important details:
- It's Cap Hill, so parking can be a challenge. Sorry, it's a walking neighborhood! Phoenix Comics & Games is only about a block from the First Hill Streetcar (Broadway & Denny stop), less than a block from the Capitol Hill light rail station, and very close to several bus lines, though.
- Purchasing something isn't a strict requirement, but it's nice to do since we're using the space. Please support the business if you can!
- I open signups for most of my events 1-3 days before pressing the "announce" button here on Meetup; if you want to know about that when it happens and have the opportunity to claim a seat before others, you can join the Seattle Board Games Discord server, where I'll post to let users there know as soon as RSVPs open!
- SCYTHE @ Phoenix ComicsPhoenix Comics & Games, Seattle, WA
"As a man sow, shall he reap. And I know that talk is cheap. But the heat of the battle is as sweet as the victory."
It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory”, which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries.
Scythe is set in an alternate-history 1920s period. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor. In Scythe, each player represents a character from one of five factions of Eastern Europe who are attempting to earn their fortune and claim their faction's stake in the land around the mysterious Factory. Players will conquer territory, enlist new recruits, reap resources, gain villagers, build structures, and activate monstrous mechs.
Scythe is a medium-complexity area majority/influence and action-selection game with engine-building elements, which also incorporates some combat (but not as much as it looks like it does).
New players are welcome, and the host is happy to teach if you haven't played before.
2 - 7 players
120 - 150 minutes expected play time, depending on turnout and player familiarity. The store closes at 9:00 PM, so we're done at that point (and preferably about 15 minutes before then) whether anybody has won or not!Scythe on Board Game Geek
Rules overview: Watch it Played with Rodney Smith (Don't worry, we'll go over the rules on the day, too.)A few important details:
- It's Cap Hill, so parking can be a challenge. Sorry, it's a walking neighborhood! Phoenix Comics & Games is only about a block from the First Hill Streetcar (Broadway & Denny stop), less than a block from the Capitol Hill light rail station, and very close to several bus lines, though. Taking public transit is highly recommended.
- Purchasing something isn't a strict requirement, but it's nice to do since we're using the space. Please support the business if you can!
- I open signups for most of my events 1-3 days before pressing the "announce" button here on Meetup; if you want to know about that when it happens and have the opportunity to claim a seat before others, you can join the Seattle Board Games Discord server, where I'll post to let users there know as soon as RSVPs open!
- I've already said it but it bears repeating: the venue closes at 9:00 PM, so we need to be finished, cleaned up, and on our way out the door by then.
- Let’s Play Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails! @Anchorhead Coffee!Anchorhead Coffee & Bakery, Seattle, WA
The world is changing fast. All over the world, railroad tracks bridge countries and continents, and trips that would take weeks can now be completed in a matter of days. Water is no longer the obstacle it once was; now, huge ocean liners carry hundreds of passengers across the sea. from Los Angeles to Sydney, from Murmansk to Dar Es Salaam, Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails takes you on a railroad adventure across the entire globe. All aboard, and get ready for an unforgettable journey!
Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails is a Hand Management, Route Building, Drafting, & Set Collection game. Players start with tickets in hand that show two cities, and over the course of the game they try to collect the appropriate transportation, then claim routes with their procured trains and ships At game end players will calculate the value of claimed tickets, positive or negative, before declaring a winner!
Rails & Sails introduces new concepts such as Tours, harbors, & asset management..
New players are welcome, and the host is happy to teach if you haven't played before.2 - 5 players
60 - 120 minutes expected play time, depending on turnout and player familiarity.
BGG Link
12-min How-to (Games Across the Board)
(Don't worry, we'll go over the rules on the day, too.)A few important details:
- The event space is in the basement and there are only stairs (no elevator) if you have mobility issues keep this in mind.
- This event is scheduled to start at 10:00 AM PLEASE be on time!
Please factor traffic & parking into your commute. - Speaking of… It's Cap Hill/First Hill/Seattle U, so parking can be a challenge. Sorry, it's a walking neighborhood! Anchorhead is only a few blocks from the First Hill Streetcar (Broadway & Pike/Pine or Broadway & Marion stops are about the same distance) and very close to the #2 and #12 bus lines, though.
- Purchasing something isn't a strict requirement, but it's nice to do since we're using the space. Please support the business if you can!
- If you need to cancel please do so as soon as you know. People on the waitlist and playing that day will appreciate it!
- Signing up for this event means other people are counting on you to attend; board games have both a minimum and a maximum player count, so with a limited number of seats available at the table, I want to be sure for everyone's benefit that those seats actually have people in them when the session starts. Last-minute cancellations (less than 12 hours), no-shows, and late arrivals (more than 15 minutes) without good reason will be marked as no-shows for the event and should expect to be automatically moved to the waitlist for any and all future events they join which are hosted by me.
- I open signups for most of my events 1-3 days before pressing the "announce" button here on Meetup; if you want to know about that when it happens and have the opportunity to claim a seat before others, you can join the Seattle Board Games Discord server, where I'll post to let users there know as soon as RSVPs open as well as posting polls for future meetups!
