Dice are rolling on a Saturday night at Game Night Games, as fans of tabletop board games take part in their favorite hobby.
Tables line the back room of Game Night Games, each one hosting a different group playing a different game. For many, this is part of a weekly routine. But for Heidi McJunken and her daughter Isabelle, they're walking in blind, playing a new card game for the first time.
“And these things right here tell you how many times you get to play for that round," said McJunken. "So you get to do eight actions.
Luckily, they also had the help of a Game Night Games employee.
“It's definitely a learning curve to figure out exactly what we're doing, and it's been nice to have him come over because he's played,” said McJunken.
“Usually one of the major hurdles is, are you dealing with people that are familiar with board games, and they already kind of know what they like and don't like, or whether you're dealing with people that their idea of a board game is 'Monopoly' and 'Life' and kind of those more classic ones which aren't bad, but they are also, I can see why people find them, not necessarily the most exciting things in the world to do,” said Alex Adler, a staff member.
Most importantly, game night is about coming together as a community to enjoy real human connection.
“I've never felt like board gaming is an overwhelming hobby or even like a gatekept hobby," Alder said. "But I feel like there is still somewhat of a stigma around it, even though it is more socially acceptable. And so having a community here that is more than happy to bring people in and teach them about the different types of games and whatnot, that's a great resource to have."
For beginners, intermediates, and advanced players, board game nights are Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Game Night Games in Sugar House.