If you’re a fan of tabletop games, then you know one of the biggest headaches with this hobby is finding like-minded people to play with. Sometimes people are dead set on only playing one particular game and others have no interest in playing tabletops at all.
If you find yourself needing a new group to play with or someone to play with, period, then there are some things you can do to start networking. It’ll take some time and you’ll probably have to implement a few of the suggestions below, but they can all help you get closer to that gang of tabletop fans you’ve been looking for.
10 Friends & Family
The best place to start is with your inner circle. Friends and family are often the best source for finding new people to play with because you already know them, there’s no need to build a rapport and scheduling is a lot easier.
Chances are somewhere in your inner social circle is an aunt who likes Canasta, a roommate who plays Dominion, or a grandpa that’s alarmingly good at Deception. Test the waters at your next family reunion or get together with friends and you might be surprised.
9 Meetup
After exhausting your social circles turning to online resources is a great place to start your search for tabletop fans. Meetup in particular is widely recommended for finding like-minded groups. There are many, many groups of people passionate about games that are actively looking for more members.
Often times these groups will post their schedules and the games they play, and they're thrilled with new members who bring new games to the table. You have a good chance of finding niche groups too, such as those who only play card games and so on.
8 Facebook
Another great resource for finding people in your area is Facebook. Groups will often have a social media presence here that makes it easy to keep tabs on upcoming events and connect with other members.
There are a lot of dead accounts where people have stopped meeting up and haven’t bothered to close things down so do a bit of research whenever you find something. But generally, this is a great way to connect and find people that are in your area.
7 Gaming Sites
If Facebook and Meetup haven’t turned up any results, then you’re probably going to have to cast your net a bit wider and use Gaming Sites like BoardGameGeek or Geek & Sundry. These are great if you live in a large city or don’t mind traveling to one in order to play games now and then.
Every once in a while you’ll get lucky and find something in smaller towns, but it doesn’t happen often. At the very least you can meet up at a different location and see if maybe you find others from your community.
6 Reddit
The last recommended online method of finding people to play tabletop games with is Reddit. There are many subreddits for board games that will have groups looking for members or people wanting to start something.
It’s also a good idea to check out your city’s subreddits as sometimes groups will post there looking for people in specific areas. Like the gaming sites, this is more for big city areas, but you can get lucky. Check in every now and then and something may pop up for you.
5 Board Game Store
If the internet is proving to be fruitless then you’re going to have to hit the pavement and start getting creative. Board game stores are the best first place to look for groups wanting to meet up. Often times these stores will host events of their own.
At the very least the employees or owner of the store will be familiar with groups that are meeting in the area and can send you in the right direction. If even this proves pointless then these stores will have bulletin boards where groups will post their events and contact information.
4 Colleges
Colleges can also be a great source for finding people. Many colleges have clubs of tabletop enthusiasts and there are often sponsored game nights for young adults looking to have fun and meet new people.
Keep in mind that many clubs and some of the events will require you to be a college student. Also you’ll be interacting with young adults which may or may not be a good thing depending on the type of group you’re looking for. That being said you can find some intelligent and mature individuals looking to play some games so definitely check your local college out.
3 Library
Sometimes libraries can host groups looking to get together to play games. They will often have these events posted somewhere or can put you in contact with whoever is managing the events.
The downside with libraries is that the type of groups you’ll find will be very, very random. Sometimes you’ll find a group of like-minded individuals playing your favorite games or it can be a group of older folks who refuse to play anything other than pinochle. Do your homework, ask some questions and see what you can find.
2 Churches
Surprisingly churches can be a great way to connect with other people and play some games. Many churches host events to connect members of the church, the community, or simply to provide clean safe fun for those who have nothing to do.
You may be worried this will be used as a recruitment tool, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Most churches simply offer these events to provide wholesome entertainment and a way for people to come together. Also don’t feel like you need to be a member to attend, most denominations won’t care and probably wont even ask. Just be respectful, follow any guidelines they may have, and you can have a great time playing games with new people.
1 Host Your Own
If you’ve gone through the list and found absolutely nothing, then your last resort is to set up your own events and form your own group. Odds are there are others in your community like you who would love to play tabletop games with people and couldn’t find anyone.
Find a place to host the event, get a couple games, use the above resources to post the details of the event and how to contact you, and you’ll start building a group in no time. It’ll take some work and you may get a few oddballs joining here and there, but you can easily set up something and have a great time.