There is something I find deeply satisfying about playing board games with friends in a bar. The blend of people, noise, and drinks feels right. I enjoy this atmosphere so much I host two regular tabletop game meetups at breweries. The community forming around these events is amazing. Everyone is welcoming, willing to teach and learn new games, and understands the most important component of any game is the player. Fostering such a community takes work. I want to help spread this congeniality by providing my advice on how to start public tabletop meetups.
Games are not Art
There is a perennial debate within the industry whether or not games have to be “fun”. This discussion swirls around the ability of art to convey the full spectrum of emotions. Conspire’s design revealed my position (and that of Cherry Picked Games), though there is certainly more to discuss. However, I find the tangent mentioned here far more interesting to dissect. Are tabletop games art? As much as I love the medium, I will stake the claim games are not art, but rather craft.