it starts with a game
we play games. that's the whole point of the night. every gathering is built around one game, picked by us, because having something to do with your hands makes talking to strangers easy.
the game sets the theme, and the theme does the rest. trusting your gut. connecting the dots. back to the beginning. you end up in conversations you'd never have had standing at a bar with the same people.
but it always becomes much more than that
you don't need to know how to play. we teach every game on the night, and the rules go out in advance if you'd rather read them first. t
he games are chosen carefully. learnable in five minutes, enough strategy to hold your attention, and enough personality reveal that you find out something real about the person sitting next to you. that's the whole test. if a game doesn't do that, we don't use it.
what kind of games do we use?
some of our themes / games
A fast-paced card game where players decide whether to accept a number card — and the cost that comes with it — or pass it along. Every choice is small, but the pressure builds quickly. It’s the perfect backdrop for a night about boundaries, risk, and the quiet strength it takes to say no.
minimalist, quick, and surprisingly revealing
A compact card game of hidden identities and strategic guessing, where you try to eliminate others while protecting your own secret role. It’s quick, sharp, and built on subtle reads and well-timed accusations. The theme invites conversation about visibility, secrecy, and the moments we get caught revealing more than we meant to. You’ll see who plays it safe — and who risks being seen.
bluffing. deduction. a little scandal.
A quick, competitive game with oodles of colorful unicorns. Players build whimsical unicorn armies with cards while sabotaging one another with spells, upgrades, and sudden reversals. The mechanics are playful, but the strategy is real. Under this theme, the game becomes a lens on ambition, spectacle, and when “more” stops being better.
chaotic. strategic. delightfully unhinged.
expansion. negotiation. cooperating / competing. knowing where you’re going.
A classic board game of resource gathering, trading, and building settlements across a shared island. Progress depends as much on cooperation as it does on competition. As the night unfolds, conversations mirror the mechanics: compromise, recalibration, and working through tension. You’ll learn how your table navigates disagreement — and what resolution actually looks like in real time.
A gem collecting ‘engine builder’ game where players collect jewels to attract noble patrons. It’s smooth, restrained, and built on long-term positioning rather than dramatic swings. The theme highlights the difference between what you earn through work and what comes to you freely. You’ll see how your table thinks about reputation, patience, and what carries real weight.
elegance, strategy, and quiet brilliance.