Boston-Area Board Games!
posted August 22, 2013 4:22 PM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Sun September 22 at 1:00 PM, backseatpilot's house
1400 Massachusetts Avenue, The Atrium Shopping Center, Cambridge, MA, USA (Map & Directions)
We're holding a board-and-card-games meetup at backseatpilot's house at 1:00 p.m. on September 22! The given address is not backseatpilot's: If you're coming, MeMail him your RSVP by Wednesday the 18th and he'll send back the location. If you have beginner-to-mid-level games to bring (something not totally impossible to teach to new players), feel free to bring them.
These are the games I could bring myself.

Some 52-packs of cards and Parlett's rulebook.
Carcassonne, no expansions. An easy-to-learn tile-placement game.
Dominon, no expansions. A deck-building game. Also easy to learn.
Axis & Allies Europe, which is probably too complicated for casual play and quick learning. I probably wouldn't bring this one.
Modern Art, a quick, fun auctioning game.
Cosmic Encounter, Fantasy Flight edition, no expansions. A hugely variable, fairly short response to Risk.
Acquire, Hasbro edition. A fun mix of Scrabble and capitalism.
Citadels, a card game in which each player takes on a different role each turn.
Risk, a revised edition in which the object is to win a number of objectives before your opponents do, rather than world conquest outright. Reduces play time considerably.

Please let me know your suggestions for making the event as good as it can be.
posted by Rustic Etruscan to Meetup (75 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite

Those are all games I'd play! I'll stop by Diesel this weekend and check out the space situation.

Also, I could bring:

Bohnanza, a breezy but substantive game involving a lot of trading and card-ordering.

Apples to Apples, a popular party word game. It's very conversational!

Chez Geek, a quasi-simulation of living with a bunch of geek roommates and trying to get the best of them,

I think people may also dig Pandemic, a cooperative game in which you work together to try to stop the world from exploding in disease.

And I've got poker chips.

I'm guessing someone can muster up Trivial Pursuit.
posted by ignignokt at 4:42 PM on August 22, 2013


I'm happy to have everyone at our place if that's of interest. We can seat six at the dining table, there's a low coffee table, a few sitting/standing around the kitchen island, and an outside table if the weather is agreeable.

What we have available that wasn't mentioned above:

Bananagrams, sort of freeform Scrabble-ish thing

The Resistance, which is Mafia turned into a sellable product

Cards Against Humanity, or Apples to Apples for horrible people

Guillotine, a cute game about beheading the most French royalists

Betrayal at House on the Hill, vaguely RPG-ish game

Scotland Yard, find the hidden criminal

The Great Museum Caper, thief steals paintings and cops try to catch him

Munchkin, for when you just need to be an asshole

Chess, backgammon, Scrabble, and Chinese Chess
posted by backseatpilot at 6:01 PM on August 22, 2013


I would love to do this, I will keep an eye out for the date.
posted by InkaLomax at 3:37 AM on August 23, 2013


I'd be down for games on a weekend! We have Mille Bourne and Sequence.
posted by sarcasticah at 3:56 AM on August 23, 2013


Sounds like fun!
posted by jpdoane at 4:55 AM on August 23, 2013


Sounds like fun. =) I've got Ascension + a couple of expansions, which is like Dominion but is less like playing solitaire than that game can feel like sometimes. I also have Formula De, which is Press Your Luck-via-Formula 1 racing. Kinda.
posted by andreaazure at 5:23 AM on August 23, 2013


Love the idea, will keep an eye out to see if I can join!
posted by Miko at 6:43 AM on August 23, 2013


There is a marked board/card-game deficit in my life, so I'll be watching this with interest. I'd be coming in from the sticks, so I'd be looking for a daytime sort of a thing FWIW (especially as the days get shorter.)

Games I have that might be of interest:
  • A brand new Gloom that needs inaugurating.
  • Dread Pirate (Yes yes, I know it's more of a roll-the-dice-and-move game than a skill game, but the pieces are all so lovely to look at and handle)
  • Multiple cribbage boards
  • Balderdash
  • Foil (a wonderful old 3M Bookshelf word game)
  • Trivial Pursuit Millenium Edition
  • Waterworks
  • Pit
  • Some that might be good for late 70s/early 80s nostalgia if nothing else (Dungeon Dice, Bermuda Triangle, Stay Alive, Mad Board Game, Mad Card Game etc)

posted by usonian at 7:09 AM on August 23, 2013


Oh, also: Cosmic Wimpout. (And really too many others to name, or play in an afternoon.)
posted by usonian at 7:15 AM on August 23, 2013


I would definitely be interested in board games, even if I am terrible at them. The one game I am not terrible at is Trivial Pursuit, of which I own the 5th (? or is it Millenium? Hrm.) edition and the 90s version. I can bring Set. And speaking of non-skill based games, I also have Uno.

Diesel is likely to be extremely crowded on a weekend - keep in mind that school isn't in session yet when you check out the space this weekend, ignignokt. Trying to think of other locations... Actually, during the afternoon on a Saturday, The Burren might be an option.
posted by maryr at 7:47 AM on August 23, 2013


I would possibly be interested, along with my wife. We have several games as well: Resistance: Avalon, Takenoko, Letters from Whitechapel, Innovation are a few.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 7:59 AM on August 23, 2013


Depending on where and when, I might be up for this.
posted by bondcliff at 8:10 AM on August 23, 2013


Diesel is likely to be extremely crowded on a weekend - keep in mind that school isn't in session yet when you check out the space this weekend, ignignokt.

Huh, I guess my "well, if it's always crowded during the weekdays, it must be not crowded on weekend nights!" logic was fallible, after all! I'll look in on the Burren, too, then.
posted by ignignokt at 8:47 AM on August 23, 2013


All these games sound, great, BTW!
posted by ignignokt at 8:48 AM on August 23, 2013


Well, I'm probably picturing more of a Saturday afternoon than a Saturday evening, so still worth a check. I pretty much never go to Diesel because it's so crowded, so I wouldn't even know when the less crowded hours are!

(On a similar note, there's Bloc 11 in Union, it seems less crowded on weekend afternoons at least.)
posted by maryr at 9:28 AM on August 23, 2013


Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.

Yeah I will be in Boston starting next week and am so down for boardgames. Thanks for posting this!

I have lots of games but somewhat limited ability to transport them. My Boardgame Geek profile is largely but not completely up to date; list of games there.

I love Dominion. I'm curious about Axis & Allies and Acquire.
posted by grobstein at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2013


I'd be all for this, though I'm coming from Plymouth, so I'd have to see how the drive/commute looks and such.
posted by thegears at 12:02 PM on August 23, 2013


Grobstein, are you able to bring Dixit? I freaking love Dixit.

I can't do either of the first two weekends in September, though. Any weekend before or after that, and I'm in.
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2013


Yeah probably!
posted by grobstein at 2:03 PM on August 23, 2013


I'm happy to see such a strong and positive response.

Well, I'm probably picturing more of a Saturday afternoon than a Saturday evening, so still worth a check.

Yeah, I was thinking early Saturday or Sunday afternoon, maybe at 1:00 or 1:30 PM. Sunday would be better for people who don't live in the city. Parking is easier to find then, and you don't have to worry about keeping the meter active. For dates, how do 9/15, 9/16, 9/22, and 9/23 strike you all? Would earlier or later be better? I'm leaning 9/16.

Bloc 11, by the way, looks like it would make a great space if we can snag enough tables and it isn't too crowded. The food may be a bit overpriced for what it is, if that bothers anyone. Wherever we go, I'll be sure to call ahead to let them know that a reasonably sized group is going to take up space for a while.

I'm happy to have everyone at our place if that's of interest. We can seat six at the dining table, there's a low coffee table, a few sitting/standing around the kitchen island, and an outside table if the weather is agreeable.

That would make a good space. I wouldn't want to force someone to entertain 17 people at a time, though. Maybe if it's at someone's house, we can offset that by having people bring snack food and the like.

A lot of the games you guys have mentioned sound good. I'd like to try Dixit and Letters from Whitechapel in particular. (grobstein, I've heard great things about A Few Acres of Snow, but, like Axis and Allies, it may be too big and involved.) If I can buy it by then, I'd like to bring Condottiere, which I've heard is good.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:41 PM on August 23, 2013


17 people at a time, assuming everyone on the "Maybe" list came along, which obviously isn't a given. But even half that, rounding up, would be a fair number.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:48 PM on August 23, 2013


If you're around Labor Day weekend and want to play games, my +1 (and maybe I) would be down for it, I'm sure. Could transform my hypothetical meetup from bar to games.
posted by mlle valentine at 9:14 PM on August 23, 2013


Not a problem to have that many people at our place. We're not around over Labor Day weekend or the 14th/15th, but otherwise everyone is welcome.

We do have cats, though, so if there's a large number of people with allergies it may be better to try somewhere else.
posted by backseatpilot at 5:12 AM on August 24, 2013


I'm going to be traveling during the middle half of September, but would probably come if this happens while I'm in town.

On a weekend, you could probably also take over an empty classroom on the MIT campus or the cafeteria area in building 32. It would be a little challenging on the day of the meetup to coordinate finding an unoccupied room but it would be much quieter than a bar or restaurant and the tables would be clean. Obviously you'd need to bring your own food but there's plenty of takeout in central. I've seen groups of people older than typical grad students doing just this on a fairly regular basis.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:32 AM on August 24, 2013


Oooh I'm totally up for this and so is my husband. We live very near Davis so Diesel would work best for us.
posted by peacheater at 8:19 AM on August 24, 2013


Hi! I've never attended a Metafilter meetup and moved to Boston about a year ago and don't know anybody (my girlfriend just moved here a month ago and knows even fewer people). We love board games. If it's a weekend, we wouldn't mind hiking up Cambridge way (we're in Brighton/Brookline-ish but the 86 ain't bad).

We've got Settlers of Catan (maybe a bad game if any of us want to be friends afterwards, or in particular if I want anyone to be my friend afterwards), Agricola (the best game ever, but maybe a little complicated and long), and Pit. And are of course willing to play whatever.

I'm allergic to cats but can take drugs.
posted by dismas at 12:20 PM on August 24, 2013


I agree that the MIT campus is very open and one can usually find classrooms, but it'd be a nice touch to have an actual MIT affiliate if that happens. If you're a current student, martinX (or anyone else in this thread), and around that weekend it could work, but otherwise it's a little sketchy.
posted by maryr at 1:15 PM on August 24, 2013


Awright, I got some info/facts about Diesel and the Burren.

Diesel does let you reserve that big back table if you call ahead. However:

- Not on Tuesday nights or weekend afternoons.
- There'd be a $5 minimum order per person.

The Burren will also let you book tables in the back room. (If you sit in the front, you have to order food.) However:

- Not on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.
- Sometimes there's an open mic, not sure which day.
- The booking person is out until after Labor Day, and she'd have more concrete details. I'll call her then.

So, it seems like the Burren is more likely to be a better bet.

Info/facts about me making it to this:

- Like Metroid Baby, I cannot make the first two weekends in September, if the 7th counts as the start of the first weekend. However, we might be able to do weeknights before or after those particular weekends, as well as weekends after those particular weekends.

Info/facts about meeting up at MIT:

- If we do get a sponsor, for those driving, the Hayward lot is free at night.
posted by ignignokt at 2:50 PM on August 24, 2013


YES. YES YES! I love board games. I will bring a ridiculously fun one called Vanuatu.
posted by threeants at 11:15 PM on August 24, 2013


So. I just got Star Trek Settlers of Catan if anyone is interested. I saw Pandemic on TableTop and that looked like a lot of fun, too. I am of course also a fan of Trivia Pursuit.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 12:19 PM on August 25, 2013


I would trek in from the Attleboros for this! I am away the 15th, but am usually available otherwise. I do work Sunday mornings, so I prefer later in the afternoon, but I'd manage or come late. A question, if spouses are welcome, what about well-behaved teens? Also, we love Pictionary around here and I have a large whiteboard and easel for that purpose.
posted by Biblio at 2:24 PM on August 25, 2013


Thanks for taking your time to get that information, ignignokt. To give people time to prepare, it may be best to set the date for the weekend of the twenty-first and the twenty-second. I think The Burren may be our best bet, since it has a bookable back room. If that doesn't work out, then maybe backseatpilot's place would. I'll call them after Labor Day and figure out what kind of money would be necessary for the booking. How does that sound to everyone?
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 2:39 PM on August 25, 2013


I won't be a student any more after the end of August (!) so I can't help with reducing the shadiness of hanging around MIT as a group of unaffiliated, board game playing nerds.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 5:41 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


I work for MIT Lincoln Labs and have an MIT ID, so if we go that route we're good.
posted by jpdoane at 5:58 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


So ... Burren? MIT? Either one would be fine with me. If we go to MIT, we can always update the thread with whatever room we occupy.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 7:20 PM on August 25, 2013


I'd be up for coming to this. Any of the spaces would work fine for me.
posted by acridrabbit at 8:29 PM on August 25, 2013


I think the tradeoffs between MIT and The Burren come down to MIT's going to have plenty of table space and lighting and no loud football games, and the Burren is going to have drinks and food.

Discourse Marker – I'm interested! I have not played any Settlers in quite some time because so many people burned out on it in the early '00s.

Re: Condottiere. I've played it, but I forget what the actual gameplay is like. However, I do remember it has these extra long medieval-looking cards. Whether or not it's a good game, it's a classy set of objects to have!

Does Vanuatu have anything to do with offshore financial services? Even though I'm well-aware that an intriguing theme is often the least important factor in a game's goodness, I've always felt a game about the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, et al, would be killer.
posted by ignignokt at 9:22 PM on August 25, 2013


I love the idea of board games! Ones that I haven't seen mentioned are:
  • Pandemic
  • Werewolves
  • Cards against humanity
  • Anhk-Morpork
  • Citadel
  • Betrayal at House on the Hill
  • Cosmic Encounter
  • Munchkin
I'm not sure how cool Bloc11 would be with people taking over huge numbers of tables for long periods. It gets pretty crowded on weekends, but could be a possible for week nights (not sure how late they are open). Pay-wifi though! Diesel is a non-starter.

There's a hobby space on Medford Ave in Somerville.. trying to find it online - never been in there, so I don't know what the space is like.

Burren could be neat if we ensure it's not on a night with live music or open mic where we might not be able to hear anything. Would there be enough light to read game directions or see what we're doing? :)
posted by canine epigram at 6:57 AM on August 26, 2013


Boy, with this many people, we could have a Mefi board game mini-con!

MIT could work - but we'd need actual MIT peeps, and a way to make sure people can find us. It's kinda a maze, and not super-comfy.
posted by canine epigram at 7:00 AM on August 26, 2013


I am so starved for game playing that I'd consider hauling up from CT for this depending on the date.
posted by Aznable at 7:30 AM on August 26, 2013


I'd definitely be interested if this happens earlier in the afternoon on a weekend. Also, if it ends up being at MIT, I'd be happy to bring some food and beer to share (if it's allowed of course).
posted by victoriab at 3:17 PM on August 26, 2013


I'm definitely interested, but will be out of town from Sept 21-Oct 14ish. Will be watching for a meetup I can make! Burren is right down the street from me so I have no excuse.
posted by danapiper at 10:31 PM on August 26, 2013


Depending on when this ends up being I would certainly consider driving up for this. I don't have a vast collection of board games but I can bring Shadows over Camelot.
posted by mstokes650 at 7:15 AM on August 27, 2013


Having mulled it over a bit, I think hosting this at backseatpilot's place would avoid the permission problem at MIT and the money/noise problem at the Burren. The big trouble there would be space and the cat-allergy problem. But I think we can work something out.

How does September 22nd, 1:00 p.m., at backseatpilot's place sound to everyone? We could bring food, drinks, and whatnot as well as games, as long as some people are willing to stay a while and clean up afterward, so that they don't have to shoulder that burden themselves.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:47 PM on August 27, 2013


This will be a good excuse to cook.

If you are coming, please RSVP by... let's say the Wednesday prior. I'll give my address to anyone that is definitely coming via MeMail. Might have a hard time seating 40 people at tables, but if the weather's good we can spill out into the back yard.
posted by backseatpilot at 4:03 PM on August 27, 2013


If you guys decide that you can host only X people, and no more, we can always keep the thread updated as the RSVP count approaches X.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:24 PM on August 27, 2013


Since no one has objected to the location or the time, I'll set up the event itself tonight when I get home from work.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:06 AM on August 29, 2013


I don't suppose anyone would consider the 21st instead? I'm traveling on Sunday, alas.
posted by canine epigram at 1:25 PM on August 30, 2013


Oh, you're going to MeMail your address. OK. I couldn't figure out when you'd moved in to Cardullo's.
posted by maryr at 1:46 PM on September 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yeah, to reiterate for Recent Activity: The listed address isn't backseatpilot's. He'll MeMail it to you if you RSVP by the Wednesday prior, September 18th. I RSVPed by MeMail to be sure.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:24 PM on September 6, 2013


look I just couldn't resist the sandwiches anymore ok
posted by backseatpilot at 4:26 PM on September 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


SO MANY KINDS OF TEA.

And candy.

and booze.
posted by maryr at 8:47 PM on September 6, 2013


We'll come! This should be great!
posted by peacheater at 4:22 PM on September 7, 2013


Alas, it is not in the cards for me this time!
posted by usonian at 7:33 PM on September 8, 2013


I'd be down for this. I have never played Settlers of Catan, and am mildly curious to do so.

Don't have any interesting board games myself, but quite willing to bring some apps. I like to cook.
posted by Diablevert at 10:57 AM on September 9, 2013


Oh! Those kinds of apps. Those are easier to share, yes.

(I'm just all sorts of surprised in this thread.)
posted by maryr at 1:44 PM on September 9, 2013


May I bring deviled eggs? I have too many eggs.
posted by maryr at 8:32 PM on September 16, 2013


Only if we can argue whether "one" deviled egg is half an egg, deviled, or a whole egg split in half and deviled.
posted by backseatpilot at 5:00 AM on September 17, 2013


I shall have to research the origins of deviled ham before answering such questions.
posted by maryr at 8:22 AM on September 17, 2013


Only if we can argue whether "one" deviled egg is half an egg, deviled, or a whole egg split in half and deviled.

I can easily settle this argument by eating all the deviled eggs/egg halves.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 10:30 AM on September 17, 2013


Solomonic!
posted by ignignokt at 6:27 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


LAST CALL for anyone interested in coming. I'm only giving out my address to people who are a definite YES - no maybes, sorry.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:00 PM on September 18, 2013


Sunday bus schedule means ill be there around 145.
posted by maryr at 10:08 AM on September 22, 2013


I too will be there 1:45-2ish, apologies for the lateness!
posted by threeants at 10:17 AM on September 22, 2013


Obviously I am not coming since this is already happening, but I wanted to express my thumbs-ups for games meetups in general! Too travel-zonked and whatnot to make it this weekend but would be interested another time.
posted by little cow make small moo at 10:54 AM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]


Me three, for some reason thought it started at 2.
posted by Diablevert at 10:58 AM on September 22, 2013


Dittoing little cow make small moo!
posted by heyforfour at 2:30 PM on September 22, 2013


That was a lot of fun! Thank you for hosting, backseatpilot - and for the great spread - and thanks for instigating, Rustic Etruscan. Good to meet/see everyone!
posted by daisyace at 4:23 PM on September 22, 2013


Thanks for coming everyone! It was a great time.

Someone left a copy of Carcassonne here by mistake - if it's yours, get in touch and I'll get it back to you.
posted by backseatpilot at 5:05 PM on September 22, 2013


ASK MECHAHITLER
posted by threeants at 5:08 PM on September 22, 2013 [5 favorites]


That copy of Carcassonne is mine. I'll swing by next time I'm in town.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 5:16 PM on September 22, 2013


That was a wonderful gathering! Thank you for hosting again, backseatpilot and I enjoyed all the food that you and everyone else made.
posted by peacheater at 6:11 PM on September 22, 2013


Yay for board games!!! Thanks Rustic Etruscan for organizing and backseatpilot for hosting!

We should totally do this again some time.

Also.....MECHAHITLER!!!!
posted by DiscourseMarker at 7:45 PM on September 22, 2013


Yeah, thanks to everyone who came and who showed interest. I hope we do this again.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 7:47 PM on September 22, 2013


Yes! More games meetups! More good food! More of everything! Even the robotic godwinning of the Cards v Humanity game.
posted by not_on_display at 8:04 PM on September 22, 2013



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