Join us on Saturday, June 7, 2025, to celebrate International Tabletop Day at the Hillside Club, a cherished Berkeley landmark nestled in the scenic Northside neighborhood. This historic venue offers a warm and inviting atmosphere perfect for a day of gaming and community. 
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​Event highlights

• ​Meet your favorite game designers: Donald X. Vaccarino (Dominion, Kingdom Builder, Moon Colony Bloodbath), Brendon Fong (We Need to Talk), Andy Schwarz (Envelopes of Cash), and more.
• ​Learn & play sessions: Friendly GMs will be on hand to teach and play games.
• ​Themed game tables: Join tables dedicated to specific genres or game types, catering to all interests and skill levels.
• ​Community connections: Meet fellow gaming enthusiasts and make new friends in a welcoming environment.
  
  

Whether you're a strategy game aficionado, a role-playing game enthusiast, or simply looking for a fun way to spend the day, our International Tabletop Day celebration at the Hillside Club promises something for everyone. 

​Date & Time: Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 12-5pm
​Location: The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 94709​
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​Admission is free, and all ages are welcome.

Here's the OBG lineup for May -- locations and dates subject to change. Become a member to get the latest!

May 4: May the 4th Be With You: Space-themed board games
Join us at Original Pattern Brewing (Oakland) for an epic afternoon of tabletop adventure in a galaxy not so far away. Whether you’re a Rebel strategist, Imperial tactician, or just love games with space lasers and epic quests, this Star Wars and space-themed board game meetup is for you.

Bring your favorite sci-fi or space-themed board games—Star Wars: Rebellion, X-Wing, Terraforming Mars, SETI, Galactic Cruise, Gaia Project, Cosmic Encounter, or anything that travels through hyperspace—and play with fellow fans and gamers.

It’s May the 4th, so don’t be a scruffy-looking nerf herder—grab your friends, roll the dice, and let the Force guide your strategy.

May 11: Buy, Bid, Build: Auction/stock board games
Trade smart, invest wisely, and dominate the board in this market-themed strategy showdown.

Featured games include:

• For Sale: A quick real estate bidding game
• Bruxelles 1893: Art noveau meets economic planning in this deep euro game
• Airlines Europe: Build an airline empire and invest in the right stocks
• Medici: Reiner Knizia's classic auction 
• Acquire: Stock market savvy and corporate takeovers
• Raccoon Tycoon Deluxe: An upgraded version of the fast-paced game of trading commodities
• Power Grid: Plan your network, manage resources, and outbid opponents for energy dominance

May 18: Board Game Brews
Dig into a day of crop-growing and beer-brewing with some of the best farming and plant-themed strategy games.

May 25: BYO Favorite Game
Many members of OBG will be at the San Francisco game convention, KublaCon, but for those who are around, Oakland United Beerworks will welcome you! Grab your favorite games, gather your friends and join us for a laidback open board game day. Bring what you love!

The Oaklandish Board Gamers recently hosted a 27-player, 7-table simultaneous mega game day of Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory with players from a 50-mile radius in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was such an awesome community gathering!

We started planning in January and offered training games and tutorials to those who had never played it. The list of players was 50+ and on the game day, 27 with beginner to expert experience showed up and play commenced all at once. We had each 4-player group sitting side by side so that we could have peer classes commiserating across nation-state lines.  (Girl Scouts sold us cookies at the brewery and we traded cookies across the free trade zones.)

Overall, we had 3 Working, 2 State, and 2 Capitalist Class wins.

GenCon has always set a high standard for me when it comes to board gaming conventions. During my first-ever GenCon, I met Matt Mercer (before he got uber-famous), solved elven riddles in True Dungeon, and got first dibs on new releases in the exhibition hall. Plus, with nerdy burlesque, 60,000 attendees, and an electric atmosphere, it's quite a scene.

Over the years, I’ve been interested in exploring non-GenCon events, and so this year, my partner and I decided to check out Dice Tower West (DTW), held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in early March.

The friendliest board game convention
DTW is touted as the friendliest board game convention, and true to its promise, every day, I felt at home. I either ran into people from my gaming circle in the San Francisco Bay Area or connected with OBG (Oaklandish Board Gamers) I don’t get to game with frequently. The warm and welcoming vibe made it easy to strike up conversation and fill seats for a game.

The inner circle
In addition to gaming with local friends and acquaintances, I was honored to play games with influencers I’ve been following on Instagram and YouTube, including Kenan of the Punchboard Cathedral podcast, Reggie of Rolling Reggie, Taylor Reiner of Taylor’s Trick-Taking Table, and the Brothers Murph from BoardGameGeek. It was such a treat to sit down at a table with people whose content I’ve admired from afar and enjoy silly games like Dro Polter and the Downfall of Pompeii together.

On Thursday and Saturday, Taylor hosted the Vegas Game Market, showcasing self-published games. I snagged copies of Mike DiLisio's On the Clock, Taylor Reiner's Sound Wavelength Monikers card game, and 30 to Go by Ben Kearns.

Highlights of the convention

• Daitoishi (Dani Garcia) – A clever euro with an innovative movement mechanism set in the Bitoku universe.
• SETI (Czech Games Edition) – A space-themed game where players scan the skies, launch probes, and analyze data in the quest for finding extraterrestrial life.
• Galactic Cruise (Kinson Key Games) – A fantastic economic game where players build luxury space cruises for interstellar travelers.
• Shackleton Base – A tight survival and resource management game featuring the colonization of the moon.
• Planet Unknown (with the Supermoon expansion) – A fun polyomino game that combines puzzle efficiency with player interaction, made even better with the new expansion.

Other games I played

• Critter Kitchen – A charming set collection and recipe-fulfilling game featuring adorable animal chefs.
• Floresta – A beautiful nature-themed game with mini games including area control and set collection. 
• Fishing (Friedmann Friese) – A quirky, deck building tricktaker that always makes us laugh. 
• Bora Bora (Stefan Feld) – A classic Feldian point salad with dice placement.
• Balconia – An interesting 2-player Castle Combo-like game focused on designing the perfect apartment facade.
• Marvel Dice Throne – A fast-paced, dice-rolling combat 2v2 game with Marvel heroes battling it out for supremacy.
• Fresh Fish (Friedmann Friese) – A quirky Friedmann Friese game whose art reminded me of Word Art from Microsoft Word 1994. 
• Castle Combo – A quick and tactical card drafting game where players play characters into their feudums to score the most points. 
  
• Fromage – A cheese-making game featuring simultaneous action and four mini games.
• Dro Polter – An Oink dexterity game of ghostly mischief and fast hands.
• Rajas of the Ganges: Cards and Karma – A streamlined, card-based version of the beloved dice-and-tile placement game.
• We Need to Talk – A charming tricktaking and shedding game by our very own Brendon Fong.
• Downfall of Pompeii – A thematic and chaotic game where players race to escape an erupting volcano while ensuring their rivals don’t make it out.

This month, a few of us will be attending Dice Tower West in Las Vegas from March 5 to 9. If you'll be there, please find us! In the meantime, here's what we're up to:

Sat, March 1: "Racing Games": 🔥 Rev your engines, chart your course, and race to victory! 🌍
From navigating treacherous jungles, speeding through intense circuits, or riding the rapids to fortune, there’s a game for every thrill-seeker.

📍 Location: The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St, Berkeley
⏰ Time: 12:30-6:00pm

We’ll be featuring an exciting lineup of racing-themed board games, including:

• 🏎️ Heat: Pedal to the Metal – A high-intensity card-driven racing game where timing and risk-taking lead to victory.
• 🗺️ The Quest for El Dorado – A deck-building race through dense jungles in search of legendary treasure.
• 🌊 River of Gold – Ride the rapids and outmaneuver opponents to claim the riches.
• ...and more thrilling games to test your speed and tactics!

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🎟️ All skill levels welcome!

Sat, March 15: Hegemony Mega Game Day! 🏛️ Power. Politics. Strategy. Who will rule the nation? 💼⚒️
Step into the world of Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory, the ultimate game of political maneuvering, economic control, and social influence! In this mega board game event, multiple groups will play simultaneously, shaping their own nations while competing for dominance. Will the working class rise, the middle class thrive, the capitalists reign supreme, or the state hold it all together?
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📍 Location: Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch, Alameda
⏰ Time: 12:30-5pm
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🔹 How it works:

• Players will be divided into groups of 4, each playing a full session of Hegemony.
• Compete within your game while also seeing how other groups shape their nations!
• Special prizes for best leaders, wildest political swings, etc.

🎭 Pick your role:

• 💼 Capitalist Class – Control industry, maximize profits, and influence policy.
• ⚒️ Working Class – Rally the people, demand fair wages, and push for social change.
• 🏢 Middle Class – Balance ambition and security while navigating both sides.
• 🏛️ The State – Manage crises, and (try to) keep the peace.

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🎟️ All skill levels welcome!

Sat, March 22: "Kawaii (cute) and cozy games:🐻🍯 Step into a world of charming creatures, magical places, and heartwarming adventures! 🦊✨

From managing a bustling critter café, crafting enchanting spells, or tending to a vibrant ecosystem, these games are as fun to play as they are beautiful to look at!

📍 Location: Oakland United Beerworks, 262 2nd St, Oakland
⏰ Time: 12-5pm
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We’ll be featuring a selection of kawaii, cute, and cozy board games, including:

• 🍰 Critter Kitchen – Help adorable animal chefs create the most delicious dishes!
• 🍯 Honey Buzz – A bee-autiful game of managing a honey-making business.
• 🐉 Flamecraft – Befriend tiny artisan dragons and build the coziest town ever.
• 🌳 Everdell – Create a bustling woodland city filled with charming critters.
• 🦄 Wondrous Creatures – Race through a whimsical world as magical beings.
• 🌿 Life of the Amazonia – Design a lush rainforest teeming with vibrant wildlife.
• 🎶 Harmonies – Arrange stunning landscapes in a relaxing and artistic puzzle game.
• ...and many more delightful titles to explore!

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🎟️ All are welcome!

Sat, March 29: 🌊🎲 Set Sail for Strategy: High-seas games🎣⚓

​Whether you're casting your net for the biggest catch, managing a bustling harbor, or navigating treacherous waters as a daring merchant, there's a game for every sea-faring enthusiast.

📍 Location: Almanac Beer Co, 651 W Tower, Alameda
⏰ Time: 12-5pm

We’ll be featuring a variety of ocean-themed and fishing board games, including:

• 🐟 Fishing by Friedmann Friese – A light and fun card game about reeling in the best catch!
• 🛶 Nusfjord – Manage a Norwegian fishing village and grow your fleet.
• ⚓ Le Havre – Build a port empire and keep your economy afloat.
• 🍽️ A Feast for Odin – Lead a Viking tribe through exploration and feasting.
• 🚢 Fleet – A card-based game of commercial fishing and economic strategy.
• 🏴‍☠️ Merchants & Marauders – Trade, plunder, or pirate your way to glory!
• ...and many more!

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🎟️ All skill levels welcome!651b W Tower Ave, Alameda, CA, 94501

Want to play some board games? Here are our upcoming events in February 2025:

• Sat, Feb 1: "Point Salad" games: 12-5pm at Oakland United Beerworks, Oakland. Get ready to flex your strategic muscles at our “Point Salad” game meetup, where every move counts and every decision leads to victory (or delicious defeat)! This event celebrates the art of optimization, featuring beloved games like Castles of Burgundy, Barcelona, Wondrous Creatures, and more. Whether you’re a fan of building the perfect combo, outsmarting your friends with clever strategies, or just love the thrill of scoring big, this is the day for you. New to point salad games? Don’t worry! Our friendly community is happy to teach and guide you.
• Sat, Feb 8: "The Spice Must Flow": 12-5pm at Faction Brewing, Alameda. Love the "Dune" movies or books? There are a ton of games dedicated to this IP and the most popular is Dune Imperium, Dune Uprising, and the classic, Dune. Join us at Faction Brewing in Alameda for a multi-table, simultaneous play of Dune games. No experience necessary!
• Sat, Feb 15: "Italian Masters": 12-5pm at Oakland United Beerworks, Oakland. Learn how to play euro games by designers like Simone Luciani (T'zolkin, Grand Austria Hotel), Daniele Tascini (The Voyages of Marco Polo, Teotihuacan), and Flaminia Basini and Virginio Gigli (Lorenzo il Magnifico, Golem, First Rat). Bring your fave Italian-designed game, or enjoy playing a title from our curated collection.
• Sat, Feb 22: "Space adventures": 12-5pm at Oakland United Beerworks, Oakland. This meetup is dedicated to space-inspired board games that will have you exploring--or battling--your way through the universe. Games may include: Terraforming Mars, Star Wars: The Card Game, Nemesis, and a learning session of Twilight Imperium 4ed.​

What an amazing turnout for our first OBG flea market and best of ‘24 game event!

The day kicked off with a 2-hr flea market—lots of games were priced to go! We loved seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones from around the North and South Bay.

Then we started playing games: 

• River of Gold: A “racing” game set in the Legend of the Five Rings universe
• Fromage got 3-4 plays: It features a unique lazy susan style board with four mini games and it plays in 45 min or less!
• Wilmot’s Warehouse: a cooperative memory x tile x storytelling game
• Harmonies: a Cascadia “killer”? This is a cute “token” laying game where you draft terrain and arrange them so you can score points per the animal cards you also draft. 
• Wondrous Creatures x 2 tables: This hot title from Bad Comet is a euro worker placement with engine building through card drafting and resource management.
• Caylus 1303: An updated version of the euro classic.