Not at all! We love when people come just to try out new games and offer feedback!
You are welcome to bring your 8 and older children- just be aware we may not have a game scheduled that they find appealing! Keep your eyes open for future events that are themed to be more accessible for children and family audiences.
Typically we see a lot of hobby style medium weight card and board games- but we are open to all types! Please check over the descriptions of the Open play session, the Scheduled session, and The Skunkworks session to determine what works best for your game, and/or what types of games you are most interested in playing. We very seldom have kids at our events, so if you are designing a children's game our usual sessions may not be the best fit for you. Keep your eyes open for future events that are themed to be more appropriate for specific game types!
One-off RPG’s can be brought to The Skunkworks sessions. Short party games are best during Open Play, or The Skunkworks if it requires a high number of players. Use your best judgement.
Absolutely! Though there are lots of professional game designers here, there are lots of people who are just getting started, too. Please come to First Play at least once as a playtester before you submit to run your own game. Once you've been introduced to the group, you will be able to sign up to run a playtest for your own designs. Also check out these two resources to set yourself up for success:
How to explain rules for your confusing game prototype!
It depends.
If you are looking for feedback on your game, absolutely, this is a great place to run a session! Just note that you must come to First Play at least once as a playtester before you are allowed to submit to run your own game. If you are looking for advice on how to run a campaign, advertise, pitch to game publishers, etc, we have an experienced and talented community who could give you a lot of invaluable information.
If your game is completely locked and finished, First Play is not an appropriate venue for running your game, marketing your game, or getting email addresses for your newsletter. In the same vein, we cannot send out announcements about your crowdfunding campaign if you are not already a part of our community. But don't let that discourage you from joining us. Come and meet the community, and next time you have a game you're working on we will be here to support you!
Our usual playtesting events at Geeky Teas have 3 distinct segments. You do not need to come for the whole day! However, it is good etiquette if you are testing your own game to stay and test at least one other designer's game as well.
Open Play
This is unstructured play time, and is ideal for short games (45min or less), 2 player games, and games that require a quieter environment. If you're a designer, grab an available table and let people know you are looking for players. If you're a player, sit down at a game and play.