Ask MTD: “How can I start a board, dice, domino, or card game group in my town? I want to be more social in the new year.”

Let’s get the quiet part out in the open: we love games of all kinds and hearing about people playing our online Mexican Train Dominoes game. But there is something special about playing with friends, family, and even new friends we haven’t made yet. Gameplay moves beyond the mechanized clicking and scrolling and becomes secondary to the fun of hearing stories, making jokes, and enjoying the company of other people.

Not everyone can play in person all the time. Online games like ours are a fine way to start or end a long day. But when you can, play with other people. Here are some things you can do and keep in mind as you start a game group in your town.

Start a game group in 30 Minutes

• Pick a day & time (be specific and regular)
• Text 3 people you already know
• Choose 1 game + 1 backup option
• Decide snacks (and be prepared to do it yourself)
• Pick a place (home, library, game store)

For finding people, start with those you know for game nights

You’ll get the best response starting with the people you already know. If it’s just one or two people, then invite those people directly. Network effects are the best tool you have. Ask your friends or family to invite someone they know – maybe a coworker, sibling, or other friend or spouse.

You don’t have to start by renting an expo center and hosting some sprawling multi-day D&D tournament. Your board game group or crew can just be three or four people you invite over for some Sunday afternoon snacks at the kitchen table.

Recognize that social media and Facebook groups might not work well

People who spend all day marketing to other people know that social media is not what it used to be. Nearly all networks’ algorithms are designed to keep people on their platform, engaged in the most eye-popping stuff. They’re probably not going to be a great place to pull together a group of people interested in actually getting together.

It’s possible! But don’t be surprised if your “Hey, who wants to start a gaming group?” post gets no likes, few if any comments, or largely gets ignored.

It’s not that your idea is a bad idea. It’s just that those aren’t the right tools for this job in some places some of the time. If your meetup group starts to take off, a Facebook group might be a useful way to keep people together if they’re all on the network. Just know that Facebook is much less popular among younger players.

Invite all ages to the gaming club

Avoid the trap of thinking the only interesting or fun people who might want to play a game are the people =/- 10 years of your own age. We promise plenty of 60-year-olds won’t mind playing some games with 20 and 30-somethings.

Be open-minded about inviting people outside your own peer group. Your friends and family know people who are also grandparents and high school-age kids.

Pro tip: Encourage people to leave their phones in their pocket, car, or another room. Use this opportunity to detach from screens for an hour or two.

Be prepared to do a lot of “the work” before game sessions

If you’re considering hosting a gaming group, be prepared to do a lot of the initial planning. Set some times and dates, buy the snacks and prepare the drinks, and be the host. That also means you might have to do some of the dishes, but most people will come to offer a helping hand, even if that means “just” bringing the napkins.

If you were hosting a birthday party for a friend you’d expect some level of effort to go along with that. You’d call venues or find a space for everyone. You would expect to put together some kind of invitation and coordinate some food and gifts. The same applies here.

Rotate what you play and try new games

Don’t just play the same game over and over. That’s fine if you all really like a specific game, but we all need variety. Explore new games, and try new games none of you are familiar with. This way you can all learn together. Embrace the fact you won’t like every game, but, in a week or two you’ll move on to something else.

Ask people to come with specific game recommendations and make a list for future sessions. And be prepared to coordinate what kits or supplies are needed.

Great games to play with a group of friends

We’re fans of classic parlor games, like Mexican Train Dominoes, Bunco, Yahtzee, and well-established board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, and even Candy Land. Games that are easy to learn, like Rummy, Poker, Texas Hold ‘Em, Bridge, and Euchre (a favorite in the Midwest), are the best. Some more chance-oriented games like LCR work great, too.

Games like Checkers can often limit the number of people, but work well if you’re just two people. Chess is another game that can be played with one other person, but tends to be so mind-intensive that it crowds out conversation and camaraderie.

Video games can work, too!

If you’ve got the space and the gear, couch co-op game sessions are a lot of fun. If more than four players are involved, some players might not mind watching others play while they take a break.

You don’t just have to be a ‘board game group‘

Board games are an obvious choice, but look around your local game store and you’ll find there are all kinds of options. You might even consider sports or low-key outdoor games, like croquet, badminton, and mini-golf.

Go where the people already are, like a local store

Your local library, senior centers, and schools are good places to consider approaching. Libraries have big email lists of people they can invite, and they have space. So do senior centers, where they often have space. If you’re a parent with a kid looking for a way to play some games with others, most senior centers will happily invite you in to play alongside their residents or patrons. You might be able to teach games or learn new games along the way.

Local game and hobby stores are another opportunity. They’ll be happy to invite in more customers if they haven’t already started their own groups. And they usually make for a great gaming space. Local gamers are already likely looking for the same thing you are and just want to play games!

Schools can also be a useful place to start an after-school program, assuming you’re comfortable meeting at their campus and on their schedule.

Be consistent – you have to stick with the group to overcome “everyone’s busy”

Most groups fall apart because consistency lags. A regular group becomes an irregular group very quickly. To be a regular gaming club you have to have a regular day.

“I started this group and we met once or twice but it never panned out…” is usually because “...everyone was so busy.” Busy can be overcome when you’re consistent, like a gym class. “This group happens every Sunday at noon” or “We meet alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6” are consistent ways to ensure no one’s confused or misses when something happens. A specific day and time means a lot.

Sometimes people will always have a conflict, and that’s okay. But for every person who doesn’t, someone else won’t.

20+ game ideas worth trying at your game club

Not sure what to try at game night? Here’s a bunch of ideas that work great.

Game	Type	Ideal Players	Skill Barrier	Conversation Friendly
Mexican Train Dominoes	Dominoes	2–8	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bunco	Dice	4–12+	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yahtzee	Dice	2–6	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scrabble	Board	2–4	Medium	⭐⭐⭐
Monopoly	Board	3–6	Medium	⭐⭐
Candy Land	Board	2–4	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rummikub	Tile	2–4	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Checkers	Board	2	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐
Chess	Board	2	High	⭐
Rummy	Cards	2–6	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Poker (Texas Hold ’Em)	Cards	4–8	Medium	⭐⭐⭐
Bridge	Cards	4	High	⭐⭐
Euchre	Cards	4	Medium	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Uno	Cards	2–10	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Phase 10	Cards	2–6	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spades	Cards	4	Medium	⭐⭐⭐
Ticket to Ride	Board	2–5	Medium	⭐⭐⭐
Catan	Board	3–4	Medium	⭐⭐
Carcassonne	Board	2–5	Low–Medium	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Apples to Apples	Party	4–10	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cards Against Humanity	Party	4–12	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pictionary	Party	4–10	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Charades	Party	4–12	Very Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dominoes (Classic)	Dominoes	2–6	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Croquet	Outdoor	2–6	Low	⭐⭐⭐⭐