What is Watch the Skies?
Recently West Coast Megagames organized Watch the Skies, a live-action megagame of international diplomacy, media manipulation, and interstellar mystery. The participating countries (UK, US, France, China, Russia, and Japan) navigated geopolitical crises, science breakthroughs, and secret extraterrestrial agendas.

UK Team Roles:

• Head of State: Set the nation's agenda, wrangled Parliament, and made the final calls under pressure.
• Diplomat: Brokered international deals, spun narratives, and spoke suavely on the global stage.
• Commander: Managed the military response to alien incursions, intercepts, and global threats.
• Scientist: Advanced our tech, translated alien languages, and brought home the Nobel Peace Prize.

United Kingdom – Science first, chaos later
From the outset, the UK chose to lead with brains over brawn, prioritizing scientific collaboration. In Round 2, our scientists brokered a key tech exchange with Japan—unlocking communication with alien species by sharing advances in xeno-linguistics.

Our breakthroughs revealed the presence of not one, but two alien factions:

• The Conglomerate: A capitalist, contract-bearing faction that offered deals to join the Galactic Federation—though we suspected shady labor practices and environmental exploitation behind their smiley-faced legalese.
• The Remnant: A more mysterious, stranded group represented by a single alien named “Jeff,” who pleaded for a rare element, red mercury, to return home.

Tensions escalated when France uncovered alien sleeper cells in Paris, catalyzing a global call to arms. Initially, the UK toyed with betraying humanity and siding with the aliens, but upon learning Japan would stand with Earth, we backtracked and joined the world’s leaders in a joint press conference confirming alien presence and affirming human resistance. Despite this, we couldn't resist some sneaky backchanneling. We allowed the press to get close to the aliens and held informal talks—only for our military to accidentally shoot down the Conglomerate’s ship, killing their ambassador. Oops.

Our scientist was the pride of the UK:

• We won a Nobel Peace Prize,
• Developed high-efficiency political influence tech that became the hottest global commodity (and income source),
• And advanced our military capabilities.

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In the final stretch, both alien factions made their case at the UN, claiming a common enemy: the Reapers. The Conglomerate begged humanity to join forces. But, spurred by U.S. and French conspiracy theories alleging that the Conglomerate were the Reapers, we declined to sign the treaty—leaving only Russia to gamble on the stars

🃏 July 8 / 15 / 22 / 29 (every Tuesday from 4 to close) – Tricky Tuesdays @ Two Pitchers Brewing
Tricky Tuesday is our recurring celebration of trick-taking, climbing, and shedding games where timing and wits reign supreme. From classics like Tichu to modern mind-benders like Trickarus, Yokai Septet, and Innovation, we’ll be diving into clever cardplay. Just don’t get caught holding the wrong card at the wrong time!

🎲 July 13 (Sunday from noon to 6pm) – Power Struggles & Shifting Borders: Area control @ Oakland United Beerworks
Stake your claim, form fragile alliances, and dominate the map! Join us for a night of area control games where every move can tip the balance. Whether you're hopping through dimensions in Cosmic Frog, bidding for influence in El Grande, or waging whimsical war in Wonderland’s War, expect plenty of tension, tactics, and table talk. Titles also include Tigris and Euphrates and Blood Rage.

📜 July 20 (Sunday from noon to 6pm) – T-Game Takeover: Tascini and Luciani euro games @ Oakland United Beerworks
Step into the rich, strategic worlds of the T-series by Board & Dice. From building mighty pyramids in Teotihuacan to managing divine balance in Tekhenu, these games blend innovative mechanics with deep thematic play. We’ll explore fan favorites like T’zolkin: The Mayan Calendar and the alchemical puzzler Trismegistus. Perfect for players who love crunchy decisions and clever engine building.

🐾 July 27 (Sunday from noon to 6pm)  – Cats vs. Dogs (But Mostly Cuteness) @ Original Pattern Brewing
Paws, claws, and wagging tails! Join us for a night of games celebrating our favorite four-legged friends. Will you rescue feline families in Isle of Cats, outwit your opponents in the tricksy Kabuki Tricks, or spoil your pets rotten in Cat Lady? Maybe you’ll lead your pack in Dog Park or relive neighborhood childhoods (and pup ownership) in Fort. Whether you’re Team Cat or Team Dog, there’s a game—and a tail—for everyone. Come play, stay, and unleash some fun!