Console Gaming Near Me

Our First Meetup: Let's Play & Connect

Hey everyone! I’m beyond excited to kick off our very first official get-together. Thank you all for joining the group early—now it's time to get some games on the table and connect in person! We are locked in for our first casual meet-and-greet next Saturday morning. Whether you're a seasoned player or just looking to try something fun and meet some great local folks, come on out. When: Next Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Where: The Guardtower East (5939 E Main St, Columbus, OH 43232) Feel free to bring your favorite board game, card game, or party game if you have one you're dying to play. If not, just bring yourselves—we'll have plenty to jump into! The staff over there is super welcoming and has plenty of open table space waiting for us. Drop a quick comment below to let me know if you plan on making it so we can keep an eye out for you. Can't wait to see you all there! — Coach T

Prototype, Play, and Build Workshops (In-Person @GameArena)

We're going to GameArena! We'll be in-person at the GameArena Gateway for our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event. Come to play and showcase your games! We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [www.game-arena.co](http://www.game-arena.co/) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games is all the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. For this event, light snacks from the bar and water will be provided! Though you can purchase you own if you like at the bar: [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)

Gaming for Democracy with OCOS

Join for a fundraiser promoting issue 8 and the fight for fair districts in Columbus. To RSVP, donate a minimum of $5 at the below link There will be open gaming with tabletops games library and a fun DnD experience where you can influence the outcomes of the characters. [RSVP here](https://secure.actblue.com/donate/chris4ocos)

Board games at The Forge

**Cost**: We do not require a fee to attend the events and The Forgehas graciously reserved us space to mee. We urge everyone to take full advantage of their drink selection and restaurant menu. The Forge has a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. does have a full bar and kitchen. in order to keep the event free, we want to average $20 per person. Soft drink refills are 1 each and we encourage you to try the mocktails as a level up! Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! **Parking**: We ask all attendees to park in the overflow lot located behind the Mexican restaurant next door unless of course you have mobility needs and need to park in the Forge Lot out front. **Gaming**: The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. **when you arrive**: The Forge staff can direct you to our reserved area and a group event host can help you find a table and get going on something fun! Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. **Prohibited behavior** We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. This includes especially, harassment or disrespectful behavior towards attendees and Forge staff. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area.

CABS Friday Boardgaming 9/25

CABS Friday Boardgaming 9/25 - your first visit is free. Join us for a day of boardgaming !!! We have 2222+ games onsite for playing ...

CABS Boardgaming Saturday Meeting 9/12

CABS Saturday game day ... join us for a hour or two / a game or two / or the entire day !!! YOUR first visit is free and fun!!!

CABS Boardgaming Friday - 9/18

Join us Friday 9/18 for a great afternoon / evening of gaming. Your first visit is free and fun!!! Only 2222+ games in our onsite library to choose from !!!

September 24th Meetup - TBD

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *TBD* **YouTube Link** TBD

Columbus Verified Gay Professionals Speed Dating

An inviting virtual gay speed dating night for singles living in Columbus, held via Zoom. We are a supportive and inclusive group where local residents connect with authentic people nearby. Look forward to brief individual conversations, organized by age group, all while relaxing in your own space. Sign up here: [Reserve your place](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=636.0&productType=onlineSpeedDatingGay&city=Columbus&groupurlname=level-up-together-mobile-gaming-social&face_v=5.0) Clicking RSVP indicates your interest. To participate in the sessions, please complete your registration at the link provided above.

DOTS 101: Entities, Jobs, and Why They Are Fast

This meetup is a hands-on workshop on Unity's Data-Oriented Tech Stack - the Job System, Burst, and ECS. Instead of slides or theory-heavy lectures, we build the same game three times and watch the frame time drop each pass. The format is structured but interactive. You'll see a short demo of each idea, then write the code yourself with guidance, and we'll compare numbers before moving on. By the end you'll have a top-down arena running 5,000 enemies, and you'll know which of the two performance problems each DOTS piece actually solves. **What to Expect:** * Build one game three ways: plain MonoBehaviours, then jobs plus Burst, then full ECS * Profile each version yourself and see where the time goes * The Job System, Burst, Collections, and Mathematics, what each is for and when to reach for it * Entities, components, and systems, plus baking and sub scenes * No prior DOTS experience required; comfort with C# is enough * Checkpoint files provided if you fall behind * Resources for continued learning All experience levels are welcome. Whether you've never installed the Entities package or just want to fill gaps in your knowledge, this is a supportive space to learn by doing. **Food and drinks provided. Bring a laptop with Unity 6 installed. Join us to learn, build, and make things go fast.**

Dinner at Giammarcos

Columbus Code & Coffee 90 @ Improving

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!