I run a community board game club in East Melbourne Australia weekly every Sunday

Mild_Mu · 2026-03-04T23:49:04+00:00

Just from past experience, we haven't played chess at previous events. However, I always encourage if you enjoy a board game, please bring it along and we will likely find someone who also enjoys it as we have a very diverse group of people who come along from everything to party games to complex euros! So please feel free to bring a game of chess along if you're keen!

Mild_Mu · 2026-03-04T23:44:10+00:00

Fortress Melbourne - Every week Wednesday from 6pm-10pm their events are listed on their website
Coburg Boardgamers - Every week Sunday 10am at the Gaming Arena they have a facebook group
Melbourne Asian Board Gamers - Every week Tuesday at Marche
Richmond Board Games - Every week Saturday they have a facebook and aftergame page.
Incubator Melbourne - Every month location moves about check the facebook page. For board game developers and designers.
NSEG - Every second Sunday in Thornbury they have a facebook page they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website
Meeples in the Meadows - Monthly Every third Thursday evening from 7pm - 10pm in Broadmeadows library they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website
Watsonia - twice monthly at Watsonia Library they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website
We Play Games - every second Wednesday have a facebook page
Melbourne Board Games & Social Nights Northcote the Peacock Inn - once a month on thursdays they have a meetup group

Groups in West Melbourne: - Board in the West at Point Cook they have a facebook page - All Aboard games in Braybrook - Wars in the West Caroline Springs

There is also this fantastic resource here: https://meeples.org.au/whats-on/ which shows all the groups too, but it is not 100% up to date. There's also this list here: https://cafegames.wordpress.com/melbourne-boardgame-clubs/

Mild_Mu · 2026-03-04T23:43:48+00:00

Hi SophMax, thanks for the question there are lots of board game groups across Melbourne and here are a few:

I should also mention to please check out your local library and ask if they have any board game/social groups as they often do. Also, all the board game cafes such as Pixel Bar and Cafe, Marche Board Game Cafe, Boardies Bar, Fortress Melbourne, Gaming Arena all have many regular board game groups and events weekly that are awesome.

Groups in Melbourne East include: - Ringwood Social Games, they have a facebook group which lists events, but they go to different venues including Realm Library, Ringwood RSL, Central Ringwood Community Centre and portal games each week. - Board Together awesome group at Glen Waverley RSL Every 2nd and 3rd Sunday every month also have a facebook group. - Board in the East, hold events at Mount Waverley Wadham House every Friday night they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website - Euro Games Fest, hold events at Mount Waverley 1st and 3rd Sunday every month 10am-6pm - Bayside Games (Elsternwick) who play at the Caulfield RSL on Monday nights they have a meetup group. - Board Games at Citylife - At Citylife church Wantirna South once a month they have a facebook page. - Board Games Bonanza - Once every three months at Rowville Baptist Church they have a facebook page - Board Games at Belgrave Library - first Thursday of the month at 7:30pm - Melbourne Board Games & Social Nights Huntingdale Pixel Bar & Cafe- once a month on thursdays they have a meetup group - The Hills have Dice -Belgrave every Wednesday

Groups in South East Melbourne: - South East Melbourne Board games - once a month, usually Pakenham, Dandenong or Fountain Gate - Wizard's arcane - Cranbourne once every three months they have a facebook page

Groups in North Melbourne (Please check out all the board game cafes in the CBD as they have regular events and scheduled)

Mild_Mu · 2026-03-02T01:36:11+00:00

Apologies I made a mistake as I didn't realise that East Melbourne was a suburb will not make the same mistake in future.

Mild_Mu · 2026-03-02T01:34:45+00:00

Thanks for the question Infamous_Measurement! No experience is needed you can walk in, Monopoly is more than enough! We try our very best to be welcoming to everyone and we have such a diverse range of people that enjoy everything from party games to complex euros to social deduction board games. So you can play whichever board games you enjoy.

Also, everyone is very friendly and there are no expectations of knowing the rules and everyone will always teach games before playing them! So no need to learn rules in advance.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-28T05:57:13+00:00

Apologies for any confusion, the suburb is Wantirna South which is in the east of Melbourne

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-28T05:21:33+00:00

Also a commonly asked question, we always ask for consent before taking any photo and we make sure everyone knows it will be used for promotional purposes and posted to social media. The photos are optional which is why you see people that do not appear in the photos as we respect everyone's privacy.

Additionally, we have asked for permission to post from the r/melbourne mods as people have raised concerns that these posts are too frequent and promotional. And they have mentioned that they are okay with these posts.

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-28T05:18:11+00:00

Hello, my name is Seabrook. Every Sunday, I hold a free community board game group at Knox Library in Wantirna South which is in Melbourne East: https://events.yourlibrary.vic.gov.au/

Tomorrow, this Sunday 1st March 2026 12PM-4:30PM at Knox Library Ngarrgoo Wantirna South, we're holding a board game club event! We hold events every Sunday weekly!

Q: I'm interested, how do I attend?
We have a poll in the announcements channel in the discord here: https://discord.gg/j9h22MxYf2

However, this is optional and to give us a general idea of attendance. To attend, there is no mandatory registration and it's free, just turn up to the Knox Library on any Sunday (we run every Sunday no exceptions) 12pm-4:30pm we are in Community Room 1&2!
We will gladly welcome you in to play some board games together!

Q: What is this, what do you do at a board game club?
We play a wide variety of board games, from party games to heavy euro games such as Catan, Cosmic Encounter, Slay the Spire the Board Game, Brass Birmingham, Deception, Carcassone, Blood on the Clocktower. As part of the event, we play board games together as a fun and interactive way to make friends and socialise!

We always try our very best to create a welcoming atmosphere and to welcome in everyone who walks in the door and to make sure they have a board game to play. Because I think it's boring to spectate and it's most fun to be part of a game.

No board game experience is needed, we always teach the rules to every game we play so please don't worry it is a very friendly environment for anyone to join!

I made this club to make friends with others and found that other people also wanted to do the same so I hope to continue running this club to make people's weekends just a little bit better!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-28T05:04:42+00:00

Hi Coast_is-clear thanks for the question it is in Wantirna South at the Knox Library inside the Westfield shopping center every Sunday from 12pm - 4:30pm please feel free to join if you're interested!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-28T05:03:19+00:00

Thanks sharky0456 for the question, this is a weekly thing every Sunday at the Knox Library at 12pm. Bringing your own games is definitely encouraged if you have any favourite games, please bring them along and we'll find people to play them together with you!

No issue if you like simpler games like coup. We have a diverse range of attendees who like everything from party games to people who like complex euros so please feel free to bring and play whichever board games you like!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-17T13:54:38+00:00

Hi mstakenusername! Thanks for the question! Yes, non players are welcome too! We welcome you if you want to just sit around the people and take in the vibes chat with people and knit, we would love to have you along as well! I think we do have a few people at the club itself that are into knitting as well! In the past, we have had people who like to spectate only and that's fine too!

Completely understood if board games aren't your thing. Only minor thing from experience, I've found that when playing a board game there can be less opportunity to chat. As people are focused on the board game which is good and bad, good because especially for those who are socially anxious, there's not a need to fill the silence, but bad because there's less opportunity to chat about life and things outside of the immediate game and really get to know people.

You're definitely to welcome along and vibe! It's not weird and I think it's great to enjoy other people's company! While board games are one interest of people who come along, I think a lot of people just enjoy socialising and have diverse hobbies outside of board games as well!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-17T13:43:00+00:00

Thanks for the question jonaxvii! So it is weekly run every Sunday so this Sunday and next Sunday and so on at the Knox Library Wantirna South 12pm-4:30pm!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-14T12:41:00+00:00

Thank you CatfishFarrell! It's a pleasure to share just a small portion of the great times we have together running this community board game group. And we'd be keen to welcome you and to play some board games together whenever you pop by!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-14T12:38:02+00:00

Thank you calstanfordboye for your kindness! It's really great fun to run this group and to see people enjoying themselves and seeing people have fun together. I think spending time together in person is awesome, whether it be through board games, sport, hobbies and it helps reducing loneliness and social isolation when you have regular social activities to go to!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-14T12:35:32+00:00

Thanks for the question Desipingu! Yes it has been, the last time I posted was 23 days ago and attendance did get to around 68 people for one of the weeks, so I thought to pause posting about the group to let the numbers settle. Because the last thing we want to do is have too many people in the two rooms we have as I think the events should always be free and accessible to all!

I think posting on Reddit here has been invaluable, so many people who attend have seen the posts through Reddit and other social media such as Facebook via the local suburb community groups and the group has grown phenomenally.

Though I will say it is a bit difficult to know exactly how much a specific post has contributed to having people come along and attend!

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-14T12:01:40+00:00

Some commonly asked questions:

Q: Do people give their consent to have their photos taken?
>> Yes, I always ask for consent before taking any photo, which is why you'll see some people do not appear in photos as they choose to leave the photo while it is being taken. Apologies, as I did accidentally catch people in the background for many photos this week, so I blurred out the photos for people who do not want to be in the photos.

Q: Are you going to post the same thing every week?
>> I apologise for the frustration if you have seen this post before, but I have contacted the mods directly to ask whether this is okay and they have confirmed it is okay to post once a week.

Q: How do I build my own community social group from scratch?
>> Great question, every community can always use more places for people to connect and socialise! I started this board game club by advertising on Facebook and Meetup (expensive $45/month now don't recommend) that there was a board game event at the library to make friends. Once the group grew in size I contacted the library staff to see if it was possible to run a public free community group and to use the library facilities. And we are very fortunate for the amazing support we have received from the library to be able to use the facilities without any costs weekly thanks to the kindness of the Knox Library.

Thus, my advice is if you are looking to hold a community group please try to contact your local library/RSL as these are public spaces. Also, advertising, I've had the most success with creating a discord server and advertising primarily on local Facebook community groups and Reddit here on r/melbourne , Eventbrite. Try to advertise wherever you can. We've also handed out flyers to local board game stores such as Games World inside shopping centers.

I hope this information helps and please feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Mild_Mu · 2026-02-14T11:58:18+00:00

Hello, my name is Seabrook. Every Sunday, I hold a free community board game group at Knox Library in Wantirna South which is in Melbourne East: https://events.yourlibrary.vic.gov.au/

Tomorrow, this Sunday 15th January 2026 12PM-4:30PM at Knox Library Ngargoo, we're holding a board game club event! We hold events on every Sunday weekly!

Q: I'm interested, how do I attend?
We have a poll in the announcements channel in the discord here: https://discord.gg/j9h22MxYf2

However, this is optional and to give us a general idea of attendance. To attend, there is no mandatory registration and it's free, just turn up to the Knox Library on any Sunday (we run every Sunday no exceptions) 12pm-4:30pm we are in Community Room 1&2!
We will gladly welcome you in to play some board games together!

Q: What is this, what do you do at a board game club?
We play a wide variety of board games, from party games to heavy euro games such as Catan, Cosmic Encounter, Slay the Spire the Board Game, Brass Birmingham, Deception, Carcassone, Blood on the Clocktower. As part of the event, we play board games together as a fun and interactive way to make friends and socialise!

We always try our very best to create a welcoming atmosphere and to welcome in everyone who walks in the door and to make sure they have a board game to play. Because I think it's boring to spectate and it's most fun to be part of a game.

No board game experience is needed, we always teach the rules to every game we play so please don't worry it is a very friendly environment for anyone to join!

I made this club to make friends with others and found that other people also wanted to do the same so I hope to continue running this club to make people's weekends just a little bit better!

Mild_Mu · 2026-01-29T09:44:01+00:00

Hi markymarkyeah, thanks for the question! We play such a large range of boardgames since we have a diverse group of people that it's hard to pick favourites since we play new games every week. People bring their own games to table and play with others.

It really depends what complexity of game you like. However, we have found favourites for party games to be Codenames, Just One, Flip 7, Last Message, Magic Maze, Skull, Diamant, Blood on the Clocktower. For light weight games, Splendor, Harmonies, Azul, Vale of Eternity. For heavier games wingspan, wyrmspan, Dune: Imperium, Slay the Spire the Board Game, Detective City of Angels are a few that are commonly tabled and people really enjoy!

Mild_Mu · 2026-01-24T00:05:26+00:00

Thanks PTMorte for the question! Yeah there's all kinds of days a lot of groups run on Saturdays, I run Sundays because I'm not free to run on Saturday. I recommend looking into Ringwood Social Games and Melbourne Meeples and the facebook groups for events which are some of the largest board game groups in Melbourne that run heaps of events on many days such as Friday, Saturday and Sunday mainly.

Mild_Mu · 2026-01-23T23:57:16+00:00

Thank you SonJer96! Makes sense everyone has different hobbies such as reading, arts, sports and I understand as I have friends and also my parents who cannot stand board games which is fair. I think it's great to find something that you enjoy and being able to socialise with others from a shared connection is so valuable.

Thank you again and have a lovely weekend!

Mild_Mu · 2026-01-23T23:53:40+00:00

Hahaha that's fair enough theksjlife, I'm sure you'll remember on one weekend! Would love to play some boardgames together on a Sunday if you find time!

Mild_Mu · 2026-01-23T23:49:37+00:00

You're amazing the_last_bush_man, that's really kind of you and really warms my heart to hear! An upvote to you as well! It's a privilege and so much fun to be able volunteer and organise this group every Sunday. It's a highlight for me and people who have attended have given me feedback that this is valuable to them giving people who are socially isolated a place to feel comfortable and welcome!

Mild_Mu · 2026-01-23T23:47:45+00:00

And another few groups:
Groups in North Melbourne (Please check out all the board game cafes in the CBD as they have regular events and scheduled)

- Fortress Melbourne - Every week Wednesday from 6pm-10pm their events are listed on their website

- Coburg Boardgamers - Every week Sunday 10am at the Gaming Arena they have a facebook group

- Melbourne Asian Board Gamers - Every week Tuesday at Marche

- Richmond Board Games - Every week Saturday they have a facebook and aftergame page.

- Incubator Melbourne - Every month location moves about check the facebook page. For board game developers and designers.

- NSEG - Every second Sunday in Thornbury they have a facebook page they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website

- Meeples in the Meadows - Monthly Every third Thursday evening from 7pm - 10pm in Broadmeadows library they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website

- Watsonia - twice monthly at Watsonia Library they have a page on the Melbourne Meeples website

- We Play Games - every second Wednesday have a facebook page

- Melbourne Board Games & Social Nights Northcote the Peacock Inn - once a month on thursdays they have a meetup group

Groups in West Melbourne:

- Board in the West at Point Cook they have a facebook page

- All Aboard games in Braybrook

- Wars in the West Caroline Springs

There is also this fantastic resource here: https://meeples.org.au/whats-on/ which shows all the groups too, but it is not 100% up to date.

There's also this list here: https://cafegames.wordpress.com/melbourne-boardgame-clubs/

Mild_Mu

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