Edinburgh Board Gamers

Edinburgh Board Gamers is a community organization based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, dedicated to modern board games and tabletop gaming. The group has a strong online presence and active membership, boasting 5,215 members on Meetup, 323 in their BoardGameGeek Guild, and 171 on Board Game Arena. They focus on playing a variety of titles, from Ticket to Ride and Game of Thrones to Codenames, explicitly moving beyond traditional games like Monopoly or Cluedo. The organization prides itself on being very welcoming to newcomers, emphasizing the friendly and social aspect of gaming for both strategy and casual players. Edinburgh Board Gamers hosts regular events throughout the week. On Mondays, they organize "Monday Night Strategy Games" at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel (Fountain Park), focusing on medium to long-form Euro and strategy games, starting at 6:55 PM BST. These events are informal, typically running until around 10:00 PM, and attendees receive a 20% discount at the hotel bar. There is no charge for the space, but participants are encouraged to purchase drinks. Also on Mondays, at 7:00 PM BST, they hold "Monday Night Online Games via Discord" for online-only play using Discord for communication and Board Game Arena for the games. These online sessions often begin with lighter games before players branch off into different groups. Friday nights feature "Friday Night Games" at The Grassmarket Centre from 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM BST, offering a wide array of games from party games to strategic epics. This venue provides huge capacity, large tables, good lighting, quiet spaces, and excellent disability access. A café and bottle bar are available, and attendees are encouraged to buy food and beverages on-site, with no outside food or drink allowed. Parking is available on nearby single yellow lines after 6:30 PM. Saturdays include "Hub Board Gamers" at Drumbrae Library Hub starting at 10:00 AM BST, where a mix of solo, co-op, light, Eurogames, and heavier strategy games are played using the library's collection or personal games. The library provides a kitchen area and free tea, coffee, and biscuits until 3:00 PM. The group also organizes occasional larger gatherings, such as the "Big Gaming Day and Charity Fundraiser" at The Grassmarket Centre, which has previously taken place on Saturdays from 10:00 AM BST. These events raise funds for the Grassmarket Community Project, a charity supporting homeless and vulnerable adults. While a suggested donation of £5 is mentioned, it is entirely voluntary, with no pressure or obligation, and participants are encouraged to spend money at the café instead if preferred. These fundraisers can include features like a Bring and Buy Table (10% of sales donated to charity), and tournaments like Blood on the Clock Tower or Klask. For all in-person events, organizers are present to ensure newcomers receive a warm welcome, and games are typically taught to those unfamiliar with them. Edinburgh Board Gamers maintains its operations through running costs, and support is encouraged via their Patreon. The group has an excellent reputation, with a 4.9-star rating from 241 Google user ratings and 4.8 stars from 4038 ratings on Meetup. The physical location associated with some of its activities, like Ancient Robot Games (an independent board game shop and café which they list as a gaming venue), is wheelchair accessible and located at 23 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8LN, UK. The group actively communicates through its Meetup group, Facebook page, Discord server, and BoardGameGeek guild for announcements and event coordination.