Jennifer Schlickbernd: Ask Ms. Meeples - How to Regroup the Game Group
How do I revitalize a game group?
I have a game group that has been meeting for over five years. The list of members has varied, but currently the invitation list is some 50 people. In the past we have had 7-15 people come to gaming each time it’s held, which is once or twice a month on Saturdays. But over the years some people have gotten married, some have children, gas prices have caused some to look for more local groups, etc.
As a result, I currently struggle to get a group of four including myself for the game days. I have polled the invitees, and all 50+ people wanted to continue to be notified in case they can come, but we are dropping below critical mass for gaming. To make up for it, I have been attending other local game groups, but my wife would prefer that I have people over to game rather than going out since she gets lonely.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Signed, MissingGamers
Back in the day, people were just happy to get together to play games, but nowadays people seem to be busy and you won’t always get to the top of their priority list just by offering games. I was having a hard time, too, in getting gamers to come to my house but now I regularly get 20+ gamers at my monthly group and 10+ for the mid-month gathering. Here’s what I do:
- I use Meetup.com. Meetup costs money to the organizer of an event, but it provides a great service to hobbyists like us. Members pay nothing, and as an organizer I pay $45 for three months and that gives me access to the site’s tools to create meetups. My meetup also shows up when people are searching for board games. More and more gamers are using Meetup.com to find game groups in their area. Meetup also allows you to screen those who want to get into the group. I require a photo, for example, so I at least can get a picture of who may be coming. My group requires approval to get into. This allows me to reject people who might be not be suitable, such as the person who emailed to ask, “wut is u grp like”. I’ve gotten great people through Meetup, too. I’ve been very comfortable with them.
- I provide snacks and drinks. I spend about $50-60 for the monthly meetup. I’ve seen groups fall apart because people leave to get something to eat and never come back. We also arrange for pizza to be delivered in the evening. I ask for a $.50 donation for drinks and put a tip jar with the snacks.
- I make sure that everyone is having a good time. From my home page on Meetup:
I would like to note that everyone is expected to play games in a way that respects other people. The first rule of gaming for me is to be mindful of the other players playing games with me.
If people are behaving or playing in such a way that is not respectful, I’ll warn them. I did remove a person (after warning him) from the group because he was very negative in his approach to games, he refused to play most games, and he was a very self-centered player. These types of people can poison your group, so keep an eye on how people are behaving.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful. I know some people might be afraid to let “strangers” in their house, but it’s been my (and others) experience that people who are into hobbies tend to be good people. And since others will be there with you, the likelihood of something disastrous happening is pretty low.
From Last Week:
Kris Hall’s column was discussing quitting as a team in a team game where his team had no chance of recovering. I think my previous column’s advice still applies here, with the caveat that it’s even more important not to walk out on a team member and leave him or her holding the bag while you go to play something else:). Certainly there is more of an obligation on the team that’s winning to recognize that instead of making several people waste their time, but it’s up to them. At the end of the game, however, I might note that since the winning was not in doubt from whatever point, it would have been kind of them to offer to end the game early.
Suggestions are needed for a Ms. Meeples microbadge for BoardGameGeek.com! Please leave suggestions in the comments. I have a person who does microbadges, but I need to tell him what to make.
As usual, comments are welcome and please send in your questions to askmsmeeples@gmail.com.
Posted by Jennifer Schlickbernd on Jun 17, 2010 at 01:00 AM in Columnists, Jennifer Schlickbernd / 1033
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I add my praise to Jennifer’s for using http://www.meetup.com asa way if finding new gamers and keeping the geoup informed of game nights. Another usfull way of finding new gamers is the boardgamegeek forums. There are forums for each area of the States and and a post advertising your group might find some new gamers Posted by Paul Lister on Jun 17, 2010 at 05:43 AM | #
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I second Paul’s suggestion of using the boardgamegeek game group forums. Several years ago I found a wonderful gameday though the forums. I also agree with Ms. Meeple: If people have fun, they will want to come back. You can’t expect a gameday to preempt other scheduled events like a child’s sporting event or a friend’s birthday party. However gamedays need to be compelling enough that people prioritize them ahead of doing chores like mowing the lawn or cleaning house. Food is also good, but you don’t have to provide it all yourself. In the invite suggest people can bring snacks if they want, but they don’t need to. In my experience this usually produces more food then people can eat. Finally if you can send out the invite 2 or 3 weeks in advance, you give people a chance to avoid some (but not all) scheduling conflicts. However don’t expect many RSVPs until closer to the gameday. Posted by Eric Clason on Jun 17, 2010 at 10:02 AM | #
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My game group meets every week in my home, and I have room for 14 people(3 tables) or so. I have found that two primary methods work for attracting new people to attend: 1. Encourage friends to bring their friends to game night. 2. Be open to meeting new folks, who may contact you through BGG. I’ve had several new friendships get started from a cold call e-mail. I probably have 50+ people who *might* come any given game night, but frequently we are 5 - 9 people. Often it is a very different composition each week. I never pressure people to come, but make it clear they are welcome whenever gaming fits into their schedule. I also find being open to playing the game they brought is helpful. Posted by Kevin_Whitmore on Jun 18, 2010 at 12:47 AM | #
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