Board Games For Everyone

Last year I started to attend a board game meetup night in downtown Vancouver on a monthly basis. West End Game Night is a really fun and welcoming meetup hosted by some friends and even though it takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to get there, it is totally worth it. It’s a regular opportunity to play my favourite games and discover new ones, to hang out with friends and get a regular night to myself.

At the start of this year the call went out for applications for a Vancouver based grant to support small events in communities and neighbourhoods around the city. The Small Neightbourhood Grant program by The Vancouver Foundation is designed to provide support for projects that bring people together and nurture a community spirit.

My application was for a regular meetup in my neighbourhood in South Vancouver where people could come and play board games in a shared space, open and free to all. I live in Marpole, one of the older neighbourhoods in the Vancouver area, with a wide, diverse population. It’s also central for people travelling from Richmond, New Westminister, or Downtown.

I called it Marpole Meeples.

A local church was kind enough to give us access to their hall, a huge space with plenty of room for tables and chairs, which were provided in ample quantities.

Before the first event in May, I made sure all my friends knew about it. I emailed, texted and instant messaged everyone I had contact details for, even if we hadn’t spoken in a few years. My biggest fear was that I’d open the doors and have four people in this huge hall. Worst still would be four friends that I game with every other week. The whole point of Marpole Meeples was to meet new gamers in my neighbourhood and bring people from the community in to discover the joy of modern board games.

On the first night, I had thirty people show up, of which I knew maybe eight by name, another eight by face and the rest were brand new to me!! Success! As hoped, Marpole had a gamer community I hadn’t met yet, and they were coming out to join my meetup! Honestly, I had a said before that first night that I’d be happy with ten and delighted with twenty. Thirty was not even worth considering for our first night.

To date, I’ve run four Marpole Meeeple events and every one has been a success. We’ve been pretty consistent, with around 30 people gaming each night, and it’s a wonderfully warm and inviting group, with a nice selection of people bringing their own games to teach, as well as those just showing up to try something. I bring two full bags of my own games for people to use on the night, and there is always a great selection on offer among all the tables, with something to suit most levels and interests.

I learned from my friends that run the West End Games Night that the host shouldn’t play games, and I’ve taken that to heart. It’s my role to welcome people in, find out what level gamer they are and find them a table to join, or teach a game to a group if needed. I always have games like Azul, NMBR 9, Guillotine, No Thanks and Love Letter available, as I can teach them in just a few minutes, but I also make sure to pack some bigger games, like Quantum, Flamme Rouge or Sheriff of Nottingham for those who want a longer session. Marpole Meeples runs from 7pm until 10:30, so we have plenty of time for longer games. Just not Twilight Imperium.

When I dreamed this up I thought it would take us months to get to where we’ve been since the very first night. The support from the gaming community has been phenomenal, with people travelling to attend from all around. The financial grant support form the Neighbourhood Small Grant program allows us to keep Marpole Meeples completely free to all who walk in the door, as well as paying for the Meetup.com page, which has been a great success in drawing in new people. It also covers the donation we make to the church for the use of the space.

I’m so glad I get to share my passion for this great hobby of board and tabletop gaming with new faces every month. I’m so grateful of all those who attend in being so open and welcoming and inviting people to their tables.

Together we’ve build a beautiful addition to the Marpole Community and I look forward to it lasting many years.