GrogHeads Forum

Tabletop Gaming, Models, and Minis => Other Games Around the Table => Topic started by: Emeraldlis on December 18, 2016, 11:04:10 AM

Title: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on December 18, 2016, 11:04:10 AM
I went to a cool gaming store near me called "dungeons and doughnuts " .......love the name !!

Me and my daughter rented out a board game called Jamaica, never played it before or heard of it , but we both had a ton of fun chasing each other's pirate ships and trying to blast each other off the high seas  ;D you pay €5 , for that you get any board game you pick to play for as long as you like , a doughnut and a drink :)  The guy in the store was super helpful , the atmosphere was really good with other gamers having fun enjoying their board games , and all in all it was a great experience !!

I'm definately going back ...next time , Star Wars imperial assault shall be played ...to.....the....death  :D
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bob48 on December 18, 2016, 11:40:19 AM
What a good idea!

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28023/Jamaica

Looks like a good casual Christmas type game.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 18, 2016, 01:08:18 PM
My son got Jamaica for a Christmas present about 4-5 years ago.  It's gotten a lot of use in our house :)

We first played it in 08-09 or so back when Borders still existed and we used to hold our regular board game night there.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on December 18, 2016, 03:55:02 PM
Yeah guys it's a lot of fun  <:-)   And inbetween swigging coffee , eating doughnuts , and bantering with each other , it only took about an hour or so to play . So I think if you played this over Christmas with your family/friends , it's short enough to keep everyone's attention , but long enough to get your gaming fix if your other half wants you in the kitchen slicing turkey or scrubbing dishes !! ( or secretly throwing sprouts out the window  O:-) )

I don't know if you found this Brant , and it's my only small complaint about the game . The rules were messy and not easy to understand at first . Personally , I want a rule page that I can just glance at , get the gist of the game quickly , and then just dive straight into playing :)  first my daughter looked at the rules ....scratched her head  #:-) , got most of it set up , got stuck , passed it to me ....I scratched my head #:-) , but couldn't work out how to start the game . Maybe it's just me be being thick  L:-), lol , but just as I was about to throw my hands up in exasperation ,and stamp my wooden leg , and throw a bottle of rum across the room .....which would have been a waste , haha , the guy in the store came over and asked if we wanted help . *CUE *the Angel choir........ O:-)  O:-) O:-)

He talked us through all the rules , showed us how everything worked and moved around the board , basically went through a quick mock game with us . Then he just left us to it :)  He couldn't have been more helpful . I liked that he didn't make us feel like a pair of idiots for not knowing what to do straight away , because that would have put me off going back again for sure !!

But apart from that , as soon as we got into the game ....wow ...it was a ton of fun  :bd: I'm not surprised you've all played it a lot as a family ! I liked the option to be a woman pirate , which of course we chose , can't just let all the guys go out pillaging and ...uhm.....finding hidden treasure  now , can we ?!?!?!?!?  :dreamer:  :arr:

So I'm glad you've got that game , it's a great one to have on hand for quick easy fun and general gaming frolics .As long as you know the rules , or have a smartie pants on hand to explain them for you !  :notworthy:

What was borders ? Was it a game store ? And more importantly .....what does bayonet junior get this year , hahahahaha !!!


Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 18, 2016, 06:24:56 PM
The first time we played, someone explained the rules to us.  After that, we just used them as a reference as needed.

Borders was one of the 2 biggest bookstore chains in the US, and it went out of business in 2011.

This year he's getting some games for his Xbox.  It's Bayonette that's getting the tabletop games (there's a new Jr edition Ticket to Ride for her)
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: BanzaiCat on December 18, 2016, 07:23:15 PM
Unfortunately, Barnes and Noble is the only brick-and-mortar large-scale book seller in the U.S. right now that I know of. A real shame. In the past I've worked for Waldenbooks and Book Stop (both long gone themselves) and remember B. Dalton Booksellers well (another one that's bit the dust). Competition is always nice.

On the other hand, Barnes and Noble DOES have a rather healthy boardgame selection, even if their prices are a little on the gougy side.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 18, 2016, 08:15:43 PM
Books-a-Million is still hanging on in many towns that don't have B&N's, and a few places that do.  There's one in Columbia, SC, right down the street from a B&N (both on the block I used to work on) and both seem to be doing OK.  The only other BAM's I know off the top of my head are Myrtle Beach, and Wilson, NC.

I used to really like BAM.  They had good deals on a lot of 'light' books - the picture-heavy text-light coffee-table style books that were always good for drawing people into the material visually.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Bison on December 18, 2016, 08:36:51 PM
There are several BAMs out here.  We were actually at the our local one today.  They are nice enough and I ogled some Pathfinder books, but they don't carry much in the way of board games.  We used to have a Hastings but they went belly up nation wide in October.  I LOVE Half Priced Books.  Those places are veritable goldmines of books and games.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Nefaro on December 18, 2016, 08:45:40 PM
So... they also taught you how to play? 

Agreed, it's a good idea for a store service.   O0





Never played Jamaica, although I recall grokking it when I was looking for a pirate themed boardgame a few years ago.

I still need to get Merchants & Marauders (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25292/merchants-marauders) to the game table, which is the one I eventually picked up for the theme.  Especially since I also picked up the expansion.   :nerd:

Perhaps the holidays will allow for more pirate marrrrrauding time for extra playarrrs to join.  :arr: 

Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: BanzaiCat on December 19, 2016, 06:41:39 AM
That's good re: Books-A-Million. We have Half Price Books everywhere here, but I generally don't like them - the ones near my house, anyway, hardly ever have anything interesting.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on December 19, 2016, 01:49:51 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on December 18, 2016, 08:45:40 PM
So... they also taught you how to play? 

Agreed, it's a good idea for a store service.   O0





Never played Jamaica, although I recall grokking it when I was looking for a pirate themed boardgame a few years ago.

I still need to get Merchants & Marauders (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25292/merchants-marauders) to the game table, which is the one I eventually picked up for the theme.  Especially since I also picked up the expansion.   :nerd:

Perhaps the holidays will allow for more pirate marrrrrauding time for extra playarrrs to join.  :arr: 



Yeah I thought the service was excellent , really top notch :)  they also had a great section for painting minis and remembered all the great advice you gave to me for painting and wondered what you'd make of it all ! I'm ashamed to say I still haven't painted any minis  :-\ I do intend to get around to it one day mate !!

I'll look out for merchant and marauders at the store , if it's there I'll try it after Star Wars imperial assault . I really like the pirate theme .....I blame that entirely on pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise , hrrrrrrr yo ho yo ho ........and recently I went through the POC ride in Disneyland and I think it stuck in my head , so when we spotted Jamaica, we grabbed it  :arr: :arr:

The game play is actually really good :) if your Intrested in knowing how it plays , let me know , and I'll write about here  O0



Quote from: bayonetbrant on December 18, 2016, 06:24:56 PM
The first time we played, someone explained the rules to us.  After that, we just used them as a reference as needed.

Borders was one of the 2 biggest bookstore chains in the US, and it went out of business in 2011.

This year he's getting some games for his Xbox.  It's Bayonette that's getting the tabletop games (there's a new Jr edition Ticket to Ride for her)
[/quote]

Glad you had someone there to show you the way , lol , and , yeah we found ourselves referring back to rules as and when we needed to because there's a fair bit going on in the game play to get the hang of  :)

I've never heard of a bookstore allowing gaming nights to be held there , so that's a very intresting  and new concept to hear . I'm wracking my brains ( doesn't take too long  :D) to try to think have I ever heard of that before or seen it , and I don't think I have . All the book stores I've ever been to ,usually just carry books , and gaming stores are seperate . The game store I went to , just purely did gaming and gaming paraphernalia ....very cool  8)  do you have anything like this in the states though , a place to rent board games from ? Because quite honestly I thought it was a very good business , and the place was packed , not just people gaming , but a steady stream of customers coming in to buy games and stuff .

I hope your kids have a lot of fun with their Christmas prezzies , I'm sure they will !! And why does it not surprise me that you've got games on your list mate   ;D  I think I feel an unboxing coming on .......on the front page !! :DD
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on December 19, 2016, 02:04:17 PM
Quote from: Bison on December 18, 2016, 08:36:51 PM
There are several BAMs out here.  We were actually at the our local one today.  They are nice enough and I ogled some Pathfinder books, but they don't carry much in the way of board games.  We used to have a Hastings but they went belly up nation wide in October.  I LOVE Half Priced Books.  Those places are veritable goldmines of books and games.

Quote from: Banzai_Cat on December 19, 2016, 06:41:39 AM
That's good re: Books-A-Million. We have Half Price Books everywhere here, but I generally don't like them - the ones near my house, anyway, hardly ever have anything interesting.

I don't think I can even remember the last time I held a "real ,hold it in my hands and turn the page " book !! The only time I seem to end up in a bookstore is to go to costa coffee in town , which is inside the bookstore  ;D. Probably to pull people in to look at books because we're all so used to just downloading stuff on to kindle and reading them that way . But I do love all those old bookstores that I spotted on a trip to London once . All very Dickensian, and intriguing!! I love old books , I just finished reading "the epic of Gilgamesh " recently on my kindle , and it was super intresting I found . It's the first recorded story known to man , about three thousand years old .......I guess we've always loved a good story as humans,  for time immemorial . And living in Ireland ...welllll , they're just born naturally good story tellers , it's in the blood , most Irish people will weave you a good yarn if you get the chance to stop and chat  :)
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on December 19, 2016, 02:18:28 PM
I just realised Brant , it's your daughter getting the games , not you !! The bayoNETTE bit didn't register straight away  :idiot2:.......oh geez , my brain isn't functioning today !!
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 19, 2016, 02:31:01 PM
Quote from: Emeraldlis on December 19, 2016, 01:49:51 PM
I've never heard of a bookstore allowing gaming nights to be held there , so that's a very intresting  and new concept to hear . I'm wracking my brains ( doesn't take too long  :D) to try to think have I ever heard of that before or seen it , and I don't think I have . All the book stores I've ever been to ,usually just carry books , and gaming stores are seperate . The game store I went to , just purely did gaming and gaming paraphernalia ....very cool  8)  do you have anything like this in the states though , a place to rent board games from ? Because quite honestly I thought it was a very good business , and the place was packed , not just people gaming , but a steady stream of customers coming in to buy games and stuff .

There are some board game cafes starting to pop up much more around the country, but my go-to location here is The Gamer's Armory, where I ran the game camp over the summer.  They have a few hundred games in their in-store library that you can check out and play for free in the store there.  They do sell some snacks / drinks, but most folks are playing games to try them out before they purchase.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on December 20, 2016, 10:39:03 AM
Yeah I remember reading your posts about the summer camp at the time . I honestly thought that looked like a lot of fun and a cool thing to get involved in and run  8)  All that gaming though ....it's gotta make a person hungry , no ? I can guarentee the snacks come out in our house when the games get under way .....or a movie .....or when visitors show up ....or watching tv . Yeah , that's pretty much all the time  ;D ;D

I wish the store I went to was closer to my house , it's over an hour away for me  :-\ so I've pretty much been going at the weekend , Saturday's usually . But we make a day of it because it such a drag to get there and back , and Galway is actually a beautiful place to walk around at any time of the year  :smitten:
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: mirth on December 20, 2016, 10:46:52 AM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on December 18, 2016, 08:15:43 PM
Books-a-Million is still hanging on in many towns that don't have B&N's

We have one in Portland that filled the space left when Borders went out.

We have a nice local chain of music/video stores that expanded into books and games a while back. I frequent them mostly these days.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 03, 2017, 01:17:09 PM
Quote from: Emeraldlis on December 18, 2016, 03:55:02 PM
Yeah guys it's a lot of fun  <:-)   And inbetween swigging coffee , eating doughnuts , and bantering with each other , it only took about an hour or so to play . So I think if you played this over Christmas with your family/friends , it's short enough to keep everyone's attention , but long enough to get your gaming fix if your other half wants you in the kitchen slicing turkey or scrubbing dishes !! ( or secretly throwing sprouts out the window  O:-) )

I don't know if you found this Brant , and it's my only small complaint about the game . The rules were messy and not easy to understand at first . Personally , I want a rule page that I can just glance at , get the gist of the game quickly , and then just dive straight into playing :)  first my daughter looked at the rules ....scratched her head  #:-) , got most of it set up , got stuck , passed it to me ....I scratched my head #:-) , but couldn't work out how to start the game . Maybe it's just me be being thick  L:-), lol , but just as I was about to throw my hands up in exasperation ,and stamp my wooden leg , and throw a bottle of rum across the room .....which would have been a waste , haha , the guy in the store came over and asked if we wanted help . *CUE *the Angel choir........ O:-)  O:-) O:-)

He talked us through all the rules , showed us how everything worked and moved around the board , basically went through a quick mock game with us . Then he just left us to it :)  He couldn't have been more helpful . I liked that he didn't make us feel like a pair of idiots for not knowing what to do straight away , because that would have put me off going back again for sure !!

But apart from that , as soon as we got into the game ....wow ...it was a ton of fun  :bd: I'm not surprised you've all played it a lot as a family ! I liked the option to be a woman pirate , which of course we chose , can't just let all the guys go out pillaging and ...uhm.....finding hidden treasure  now , can we ?!?!?!?!?  :dreamer:  :arr:

So I'm glad you've got that game , it's a great one to have on hand for quick easy fun and general gaming frolics .As long as you know the rules , or have a smartie pants on hand to explain them for you !  :notworthy:

What was borders ? Was it a game store ? And more importantly .....what does bayonet junior get this year , hahahahaha !!!

To emeraldis and the others that have been to such stores - quick question, do these stores strike you as coffee shops where you can play games or game shops where you can buy coffee and donuts
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bob48 on January 03, 2017, 01:22:00 PM
An interesting question, 'geek. Do you have something in mind?
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 03, 2017, 01:32:09 PM
Why bob, thanks for asking - it's funny you should mention it!

I'm just planning for all possibilities with the restaurant sale and this is a 'if the sale falls through' plan - I found a site listing the 12(?) current board gaming shops and all seemed to have gone with the coffee and cakes/donuts theme and then a nominal charge for the gaming table.

I ask because I already have the restaurant, the tables, the space. But do not have the mega barista style coffee machine, we have a bean to cup machine. Also we don't currently do cakes/donuts but that can be rectified - my question arises because we're next to a Caffè Nero and oppposite a costa coffee, and from experience of low coffee sales know we're not seen as a viable coffee shop.

So I was wondering if the clientele were people drinking coffee who wanted something more to do than read the guardian or are they gamers who think, awesome I can play there AND get a coffee and cake - double win.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Barthheart on January 03, 2017, 01:35:08 PM
There are a few "game cafes" here in Ontario. They tend to be coffe shops that are set up play games in. A few have food but most don't. They have their own bunch of games to play.

Lots of game groups here in Ottawa have made deals with local restaurants/bars/legion branches to take over a few tables on set nights during the week for their members to gather and play... and drink and eat.

Don't go myself because I mostly don't like people....  :nerd:
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Barthheart on January 03, 2017, 01:39:23 PM
Quote from: undercovergeek on January 03, 2017, 01:32:09 PM
Why bob, thanks for asking - it's funny you should mention it!

I'm just planning for all possibilities with the restaurant sale and this is a 'if the sale falls through' plan - I found a site listing the 12(?) current board gaming shops and all seemed to have gone with the coffee and cakes/donuts theme and then a nominal charge for the gaming table.

I ask because I already have the restaurant, the tables, the space. But do not have the mega barista style coffee machine, we have a bean to cup machine. Also we don't currently do cakes/donuts but that can be rectified - my question arises because we're next to a Caffè Nero and oppposite a costa coffee, and from experience of low coffee sales know we're not seen as a viable coffee shop.

So I was wondering if the clientele were people drinking coffee who wanted something more to do than read the guardian or are they gamers who think, awesome I can play there AND get a coffee and cake - double win.

If there are already good coffe shops nearby then go a different route. Most gamers, I think, are looking for a regular place to play and food/drink is an added bonus. How hard is it to sell beer there. From licensing point of view? Even just pizza is a good draw ... here at least.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 03, 2017, 02:03:30 PM
Yup got a licence and were known for our burgers and pies but I figured that might be a bit heavy
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 03, 2017, 02:08:33 PM
The ones I've seen are bars / coffee shops that happen to have a library of games to check out, so you can sit there and order a coffee and a pastry and not play a damn thing, if you choose.

The key distinction being that game shops that sell coffee are game shops and make their money selling the games, and the coffee / snacks are just for the convenience of customers that happen to stick around to play.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 03, 2017, 04:28:11 PM
Thanks brant - that may have sorted it for me
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: BanzaiCat on January 03, 2017, 08:42:56 PM
Could be wrong, but I've heard that game stores make a lot of their profit off of snacks/food/vending sales. I heard that from one guy that was ex-Matrix PR and had designs to open his own gaming shop in the Pacific Northwest somewhere. Can't recall his name and don't know if he even did it, but I do clearly remember our conversation strangely enough. Probably because I'd LOVE to run my own gaming shop. But not unless I had really, really deep pockets.

Shut up, mirth, I can hear you now. :P
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on January 05, 2017, 04:53:53 PM
I definately felt like when I was in this store that it was a serious gaming place  :) definately not a cafe with games , but a game store with snacks !! I don't think you would go here if you just wanted a coffee , there are plenty of other places to go for just a chill out , a chat with friends and a coffee . The talk around the other tables ....from what I could gather with my stealth like listening in on other people's conversations ...ahem ....ok , eves dropping ,lol ....was that , they were mostly regulars who turned up at the store to game . I heard one young guy say he spent most of his cash there on gaming and eating doughnuts !!!  :D  I do agree with other comments though , that I think the coffee and doughnuts keeps the store afloat , money wise .

Although there was a steady stream of people in there buying games as well , but that was before Christmas , so maybe that had something to do with it , people buying gifts . I'm hoping to go back in the next week or two , so I'll see if they still have a steady flow of customers now we've hit the new year . I hope they do , it's a great place  :) hope that helps undercover geek :) just on a side note , the doughnuts were not your average fare !! They're awesome , all different designs ...2 quid a piece ....totally worth it imo . People were just coming in to buy a box of doughnuts and go . So maybe that's something to consider ? A quirky gimmick to get feet in the door and money in the bank !!
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bob48 on January 05, 2017, 05:00:57 PM
I'm sure that when you're looking at the pros and cons, 'geek, you will also take into consideration the potential customer base and catchment area. Knowing where you are, is it the sort of place that could support that type of establishment.

Now, if it was in Newcastle, I could be one of your little 'elpers, innit :-)
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 05, 2017, 05:20:46 PM
You're a star emeraldis - thank you, I anticipate your next intelligence report with great interest

Bob, you're right, location, location, location - I did have a squiz at Galway and the other places on the list and they're predominantly big cities with a student campus, where I am currently it's a pensioners paradise, coach trips and antique shops, I'm a few miles from Leamington which has a massive campus but I'm just that bit too far out - I'd love to do it but the biggest barrier is the locale
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bob48 on January 05, 2017, 05:23:11 PM
Since you used to live up here, you'll be aware of the fact that Newcastle is a university city - all avid gamers..................
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 05, 2017, 05:33:26 PM
Sigh, yes I know!!
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on January 05, 2017, 07:22:53 PM
Haha , no probs undercover geek  O0 I'll report back on my next fact finding mission ....sir , yes sir !!!!!  ;D

It's a pity you can't lure the OAP's grandkids in with cheap booze ...oops , I mean gallons of cheap fizzy pop !, ....I'm sure they'd sneak the booze in for themselves  ::) 

I wonder if they would travel from the campus you have near leamington though , you know , if word got around that there was a gaming store where you are thinking of setting up ?
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: mirth on January 05, 2017, 07:27:35 PM
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 03, 2017, 08:42:56 PM
Could be wrong, but I've heard that game stores make a lot of their profit off of snacks/food/vending sales. I heard that from one guy that was ex-Matrix PR and had designs to open his own gaming shop in the Pacific Northwest somewhere. Can't recall his name and don't know if he even did it, but I do clearly remember our conversation strangely enough. Probably because I'd LOVE to run my own gaming shop. But not unless I had really, really deep pockets.

Shut up, mirth, I can hear you now. :P

You certainly have the merchandise to open your store :P

I think it's pretty accurate that game stores make a good chunk of money off drinks and snacks. I know a guy opeates one of the few remaining FLGS in Southern Maine and the food/drink sales add substantially to his bottom line.

Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on January 06, 2017, 09:54:11 AM
Quote from: mirth on January 05, 2017, 07:27:35 PM
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 03, 2017, 08:42:56 PM
Could be wrong, but I've heard that game stores make a lot of their profit off of snacks/food/vending sales. I heard that from one guy that was ex-Matrix PR and had designs to open his own gaming shop in the Pacific Northwest somewhere. Can't recall his name and don't know if he even did it, but I do clearly remember our conversation strangely enough. Probably because I'd LOVE to run my own gaming shop. But not unless I had really, really deep pockets.

Shut up, mirth, I can hear you now. :P

You certainly have the merchandise to open your store :P

I think it's pretty accurate that game stores make a good chunk of money off drinks and snacks. I know a guy opeates one of the few remaining FLGS in Southern Maine and the food/drink sales add substantially to his bottom line.



I wonder why FLGS don't include a section for console gaming ? Y'know , make guys who want to do that wear headphones so that the noise isn't a distraction to board gamers . I know the cons to that are most people have there own consoles , game online with other friends , or just don't want to leave the house .......can't walk around your FLGS just wearing nowt but ya pants !!!  :o Then again who knows .......haha

But I think that would be very cool to have the option to do both , rent a board game , or a disc , and actually go meet up with your buddies face to face , rather than always online . Maybe that's just my preference though , gaming for me is about being social and having fun around other people  :) I also just think if I owned a shop like that I would be thinking of all sorts of ways to diversify and keep the place up and running , and appealing to more than just a niche market :)  I think it would be very cool to own that kind of a store .......and sounds like we could raid banzai_ cats stash to get up and running  ;D sorry mate , needs must ....for the greater good and all ...... O:-)
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: undercovergeek on January 06, 2017, 10:57:13 AM
I used to own a lan centre and we would host up to 30 players at any onetime, we'd get the occasional clan who came in, some who'd never met each other except online and they had a blast from Friday til Sunday but sometimes you just couldn't convince people to get out of bed and get their gear ready when, as you say, you could sit in bed in your pants and join our game

But I'd definitely prefer the sat with mates option than sat online with mates

I wish all shops like this good luck and hope them every success and one day hope to have one
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on January 06, 2017, 03:59:29 PM
That sounds like an awesome business you had there undercover geek :)  that just sounds like a LOT of fun !  And yeah , I would much rather game with mates than alone or online . I really hope you get a game store up and running , all the best with it mate :)

I went to a game place with a bunch of friends last year during the summer ( haha , feels weird saying last year now ) don't know if you remember a TV show called the crystal maze ? You had to go through a series of rooms solving puzzles , could be a physical challenge or a mental challenge , and if you didn't solve the puzzle you got locked in the room .

Well about 20 of us went to this place called lough key forest park , they have a set up like the crystal maze . OMG ....it was a lot of fun !!! We split into teams and competed against each other , if you got a part of the puzzle wrong , you couldn't get through the whole room and had to start again ....so you had to remember how to do the first part .....tricky on memory puzzles !! It was very physically challenging , crawling through trap doors , and through glass floor tunnels , and squeezing through tight spaces ...I loved it  :D and the puzzles were really challenging ...and hilarious in parts . It was a really awesome day out . I really want to go again this summer , but camp as well . It's got another activity center there , zip wires  and such , I'd love to give that a try next time :)

I love being outdoors , I'm definately an outdoor type girl :)  but to be honest doing anything like that socially with friends is right up my street !
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Arctic Blast on January 09, 2017, 12:04:05 AM
Sounds like a gaming cafe. We have 4 of those (with a 5th open or soon to be open) in Edmonton now, which seems like an absurdly high number. But it's a great business model for a gamer...pay whatever the fee is, play games, and I can get something to eat and a beer? In.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on January 09, 2017, 02:04:56 PM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on January 09, 2017, 12:04:05 AM
Sounds like a gaming cafe. We have 4 of those (with a 5th open or soon to be open) in Edmonton now, which seems like an absurdly high number. But it's a great business model for a gamer...pay whatever the fee is, play games, and I can get something to eat and a beer? In.

Agreed , Arctic blast  :bd: I think those places are a gamers dream , and it's a nice way to spend time , relaxing , playing a game , the atmosphere in the place I go to is a nice laid back vibe  :) sadly no beer ....but hey , there's a street of bars right around the corner , so it's all good !!! Lol . Hope the new shop that opens turns out to be a good one , at least you have plenty of choice  :D
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Arctic Blast on January 12, 2017, 12:49:43 AM
Quote from: Emeraldlis on January 09, 2017, 02:04:56 PM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on January 09, 2017, 12:04:05 AM
Sounds like a gaming cafe. We have 4 of those (with a 5th open or soon to be open) in Edmonton now, which seems like an absurdly high number. But it's a great business model for a gamer...pay whatever the fee is, play games, and I can get something to eat and a beer? In.

Agreed , Arctic blast  :bd: I think those places are a gamers dream , and it's a nice way to spend time , relaxing , playing a game , the atmosphere in the place I go to is a nice laid back vibe  :) sadly no beer ....but hey , there's a street of bars right around the corner , so it's all good !!! Lol . Hope the new shop that opens turns out to be a good one , at least you have plenty of choice  :D

If they at least have good coffee, that's a nice fallback from beer.  :)
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on February 12, 2017, 10:04:24 AM
I need some advice guys please :) how weird would it be if I turned up to a gaming cafe by myself ? I haven't been able to go back here recently with my gaming partner for various reasons , and I'm feeling the need to open a board game !!! Do you think they will rent out solitaire games ? And how weird would I look sat there by myself playing it !!!!!  :-\
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 12, 2017, 10:11:20 AM
Go by yourself and put a sign on your table that says "will game for food"
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on February 12, 2017, 10:15:08 AM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on February 12, 2017, 10:11:20 AM
Go by yourself and put a sign on your table that says "will game for food"

:DD........food AND booze !!! Might improve my chances of winning  ;) honestly though , do people just show up at these places hoping to get someone to join them in a game ?
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Nefaro on February 12, 2017, 10:51:32 AM
Quote from: Emeraldlis on February 12, 2017, 10:15:08 AM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on February 12, 2017, 10:11:20 AM
Go by yourself and put a sign on your table that says "will game for food"

:DD........food AND booze !!! Might improve my chances of winning  ;) honestly though , do people just show up at these places hoping to get someone to join them in a game ?


That's certainly one way of going about it.  Brant had a good suggestion with the standing note.

I would ask someone working there that question, about how best to get a 'pick-up' game going there.  They're generally pretty helpful on the topic.

They may also have designated nights for certain games.  Where pick-up games, with whomever is looking to play, are more likely.  The employees/owner should be able to fill you in on such things if you ask about it.  It's in their interests to get more regulars in the store more often, too.

Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 12, 2017, 11:31:44 AM
Quote from: Emeraldlis on February 12, 2017, 10:15:08 AM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on February 12, 2017, 10:11:20 AM
Go by yourself and put a sign on your table that says "will game for food"

:DD........food AND booze !!! Might improve my chances of winning  ;) honestly though , do people just show up at these places hoping to get someone to join them in a game ?

yes.

and "will game for food" sounds a lot less desperate than "let me be your third wheel"
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: besilarius on February 12, 2017, 11:37:48 AM
Es, if you're unsure about gaming cafes, or places that sell games, there are gaming clubs that meet at people's houses.
I like miniature gaming so a website that has helped when traveling is www.hmgs.org
Most gamers are always looking to find new people to join their groups.  Some have members that are neanderthals, but there is usually a good mix of personalities.
Title: Re: Dungeons and doughnuts
Post by: Emeraldlis on February 13, 2017, 06:53:17 PM
Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement guys to go and give this a try by myself  O0

I'm not sure about going by myself to someone's house for a game Besilarius. I think I'd feel much more comfortable about doing that with someone else to go with, b/c knowing my luck I'll end up with the Neanderthal  ::) but thanks for the link because you never know I might try that in the future :)

I am going to ask about gaming groups though when I go back to the store , and hopefully they'll have something that I can join in on over there :)  now to go make that sign..............