By From brand new to seasoned players, the Long Beach State Tabletop Game Club (TGC) invites students and alumni alike to join the excitement, storytelling and experience of tabletop games from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Thursday in Liberal Arts Building 5, room 265.
With a vast collection of board games, trading card games and role play game materials, the TGC welcomed players with whatever supplies they needed for a night of tabletop adventures during their Nov. 21 meeting.
Tabletop games are a wide sweeping genre. Within it, there are highly complex card games including Magic: The Gathering and board game titles such as Catan and Monopoly.
Role play games, which feature collaborative character enactments, include games like Dungeons & Dragons and One Night Ultimate Werewolf.
Many students originally joined TGC with no history in tabletop games, including Club Secretary Brenden Saraf. Joining the club just last year, Saraf had previously only played the popular games Monopoly and Uno.
“I didn’t realize how much of a world there is in it, and all the mechanics,” Saraf said.
It did not take long for Saraf to start enjoying games like Catan and Dominion with the group. After getting hooked on the fun of board games, he became a regular participant and is now this year’s elected secretary.
A group of students band together at TGC’s Nov. 21 meeting to learn how to play Everdell for the first time. Photo credit: Aiden Redsteer
Beyond a love for games, some students participate in the club to socialize.
Club Vice President Nicole Chen, an English major that recently changed her focus towards photojournalism, has been a member of the club since she began attending CSULB.
The TGC was the first club she joined, and she has served as the club’s vice president for the last two years.
“I have made a lot of really good friends here,” Chen said.
Club President, Brendan Cheng, said he has always had a love of board games and the variety of mechanics and play styles they provide to players.
Like Nicole, the tabletop games have been more than just fun for him; the games have also provided him a means to connect with others.
“I have a hard time talking to people,” Cheng said, “But over a board game, it’s fun and easier.”
From left to right, Caroline Nelson, Dylan Machado and David Do get together to play Villainous on Nov. 21. The three have been in the club since the start of the fall semester. Photo credit: Aiden Redsteer
Other participating students in the club have found ways to continue personal traditions while in school.
Claremont “Montey” Worley, the club’s current events coordinator, said their family has a lot of family game nights. With TGC, Worley is able to continue the tradition while away from home.
“You get to play tabletop games, and we are awesome, so come by,” Worley said.
Two of the club’s board members called Worley the “backbone” of the group, as Worley organized club collaborations with other CSULB student organizations including the Chess Club and Anime Club.
Additionally, Worley organized workshops where participants were taught how to become a Dungeon Master in Dungeons & Dragons and given tips on character creation for role playing games like Blades in the Dark.
Next semester, the club plans to bring back many of the same workshops and events, with a special return of a dedicated Warhammer table – allowing intense battles between miniature Space Marines and Orks to erupt into game nights.
To find more information on upcoming TGC events, check out their group page on the CSULB Student Organizations website.
