We catch up with Alex, the gamesmaster behind the Fun and Games Club in Trowbridge, which has a game for all ages to enjoy
Where did the idea for the Fun and Games Club come from?
I’ve spent 10 years working in the tabletop industry and that journey started with me working as a Games Guru in a popular board game cafe in London (Draughts). I worked in a few different areas after that – as Head of Events for the board game publisher Big Potato Games and Video Producer for the tabletop YouTube channel Dicebreaker – and while the job titles were different and my day-to-day responsibilities varied, I was essentially always a Games Guru, recommending and teaching games to the masses.
So the idea was always there really. From my beginning as a Games Guru and throughout my career, I’ve loved finding the right game for every person and I always wondered about setting up a place where I could do that for myself.
Who is the Fun and Games Club aimed at?
It’s aimed at everyone! While we operate as an After School Club for kids aged 9+ during the week, we open to the public on Saturdays and literally everyone is welcome to come in and play some games. We even have a small play area for babies if we have young families coming in.
While the main concept is a Board Game Cafe, we actually operate as a crafting space too and regularly host both tabletop events and crafting workshops.
What type of games do you offer?
We have a lovely library of over 150 games which vary widely from your classics like Jenga and Monopoly to simple games that you can learn in five minutes or less, to bigger games for the people who like to get really stuck into something meaty and don’t mind a big rulebook. There’s educational games, word games, family games, party games, the list goes on!
Our library is ever growing too and we’re always open to requests if there’s a game someone would like us to add to our library! I know the rules to most of the games that we have and am always happy to teach a game or help with rule clarifications too so there’s no need to be shy if you don’t know your way around.
What do the gamers take from the experience?
We’re offering local gamers a space to come and game, whether they want to play a game from our library (maybe there’s some titles in there that they’ve always wanted to try) or whether they want to bring their own games with them. We offer food and snacks and a nice big table space so they can really make themselves comfortable for several hours!
We also run regular events where gamers can come together and play specific games they are interested in, such as our popular Social Deduction event which has allowed attendees to play the games The Traitors show is based on for example!
Can children visit without grown-ups?
For our regular opening hours and events, we ask that children under 14 are attended by a guardian. For our After School Club and Holiday Clubs specifically, children are welcome from the age of 9+ but must be booked in by a parent/guardian for security reasons.
When does the after school club run and who is it designed for?
Our After School Club runs every midweek day during term time 15:00-18:30 (those are the hours we are open for. – children are welcome to arrive later or leave earlier as long as the parent/guardian making the booking informs us). We also run holiday clubs during half term and school holidays operating 9:00-17:00 and offering various tabletop themed activities.
What do you like about gaming?
I enjoy the slow pace of gaming, being able to put down my phone for a few hours and just focus on the game and the people I’m playing with. There’s such a vast variety of games these days there’s just so many ways a game can make you feel. A game can have you rolling on the floor with laughter or it can have you feeling panicked as you try to team up with your fellow players against the game. It can have you chanting and screaming, telling stories or feeling incredibly zen. There’s a game for all occasions and I honestly believe wholeheartedly there’s a game for every person.
Which is your favourite game?
My favourite game of all time is a little deck-builder called Star Realms, a two player space themed game in which you build a fleet of spaceships and bases and try to destroy your opponent before they destroy you. A space game is always a winner in my books honestly!
Also in my Top 3 are the Push-Your-Luck potion brewing game The Quacks of Quedlinburg and the Social Deduction game Secret Hitler (think The Traitors but instead of Traitors and Faithfuls, you’re Liberals and Fascists trying to get Hitler to power).
For more details about the Fun and Games Club, go to www.funandgamesclub.co.uk
