CityGames: Connecting with Chiang Mai’s Gaming Scene

by Paul Hardacre | July 12, 2017

Once confined to the family rumpus room or occasionally dusted off to help while away the time during long school holidays, board games and card games are enjoying a global renaissance. Even geek staples like Dungeons & Dragons and myriad other role-playing games have burst forth from angst-ridden tween and teen bedrooms to hold sway over cafes and other newly declared ‘gaming locations’, with Chiang Mai being no exception.

Chiang Mai’s recently established board game community continues to flourish, with both regularly scheduled meet-ups and more impromptu gatherings. Whether you prefer to ally yourself with one or more of the popular university-affiliated board game clubs, or to instead rendezvous with like-minded gamers at one of the many dedicated and ultra-cool game cafes dotted around town, you’re certain to be able to rustle up some gaming action at a time and place that best suits you.

If you’re new to Chiang Mai or just to its gaming community, possibly the best starting point is the Chiang Mai Board Games Meetup which has more than 450 members and organises three regular meet-ups each week. This group is very active and doesn’t discriminate against or favour certain types of games over others. All games are welcome as long as it’s offline and doesn’t require a TV or computer screen.

There are also two Facebook groups worth connecting with: the Chiang Mai Board Games Community (with 400+ members) and the newer and very specifically named Chiang Mai (Nimman Area) Catan and Other Board Games Meetup (currently close to 100 members). Getting involved with any or all of these groups will help you to stay informed about regular game days and nights, along with special events (like tournaments), hosted by the likes of Meerkatto Cafe & Board Game, Chubby Cat Board Game & Café, Enjoy Café, OpenBox, Time Capsule Board Game Café, and Payap Game Club.

So, once you’ve played Catan or Mansions of Madness or Zombicide and enjoyed the experience so much that you’d like to get your own copy, how do you go about doing so? Although many of the aforementioned game cafes sell board games on site, Chiang Mai’s sole specialist game store remains Golden Goblin Games. Founded in 2015 by lifelong gamer Jean-Sébastien Dupuis (JS) and his wife Wannapat Pongtepin (Bow), this bricks-and-mortar store stocks not only board games but also card games, dice games, miniatures-based games, role-playing games, and games accessories (including specialist paints for miniatures). The store is welcoming and suitable for everyone – from younger kids seeking simple, fun and easy-to-grasp games to adults after more complex and sophisticated world-building and wargames – and the owners are able to provide helpful guidance and informed recommendations if needed.

How to Meet Other Gamers in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Board Games Meetup

www.meetup.com/Chiang-Mai-Board-Games-Meetup

Chiang Mai Board Games Community

www.facebook.com/groups/CMgame

Chiang Mai (Nimman Area) Catan and Other Board Games Meetup

www.facebook.com/groups/NimmanBoardGames

Where to Play Games in Chiang Mai

Meerkatto Cafe & Board Game
Phone: +6687 137 5775

Web: https://www.facebook.com/meerkatto/

Chubby Cat Board Game & Cafe
Phone: +6696 234 8577

Web: https://www.facebook.com/chubbycatboardgame?fref=ts