Friday SF Games 
This is the main group, getting between 20 and 40 people playing all kinds of board and card games.  We meet Friday nights, 7:00pm (sharp!)  to 12:00 midnight (yes, 5 hours!) at Muddy's Coffeehouse, 1304 Valencia near 24th Street in San Francisco.  (1 block from BART and Mission Street).  On or near the 12, 26, 48, 49, and 67 Muni lines.  Parking within 3 blocks. If you like a large selection of games to play with a variety of people, this is the group for you.  Five hours of games!
Muddy's Map (Valencia & 24th)  

Friday Games in Los Angeles!
Living in LA?  Visiting LA?  Some SF Games people moved to LA and started the SF Games Los Angeles Branch!  Click this link.  It meets Fridays 7:00pm (sharp!)  to 11:00pm at the Sabor y Cultura cafe, 5625 Hollywood Blvd., (at Gramercy Place), between Western and Wilton Ave. (3 short blocks from Metro Red Line, Hollywood/Western station). It's just a few blocks east of Hollywood, right off the Hollywood Freeway (101). 
Sabor y Cultura cafe, (5625 Hollywood Blvd)

SF Discussion Group
A fortnightly discussion group ("salon") is being organized.  Join the SF Games email list to get details on this new project as it develops.

SF Games E-Mail Announcements
We have an e-mail list that's not very active, but we use it to announce any last-minute changes in the group, and for special events (parties, movie and museum outings, etc.) From time to time we move to other cafes, and sometimes on very short notice.  This is the way to stay in touch.  Your name and address will not be sold or traded with anyone.

Click Here to Subscribe to the email list.  

Click Here for the Web Page version of the email list.

SF Games E-Mail & Snail Addresses
Are you writing a news story about SF Games?  Do you have a question?  Comment?  Use these addresses: 

sfgames@yahoo.com
SF Games c/o David Kaye
3181 Mission Street #130
San Francisco, CA  94110

Please DO NOT send mail to the cafes where we meet.  We are NOT affiliated with them! There is no guarantee that the mail will ever get to us if you do.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

1 - Who Attends? 
All kinds of people ages 16 to about 70, male, female, straight, gay, bi have come to SF Games over the years.  Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, SF Games is not a bi or gay group.  It's a games group.  However, there has always been a large number of gay and bi folks attending.  Everybody who can play games is welcome to attend.  The number of people varies from about 20 to 35 out of a universe of about 200.

2 - What Kinds of Games?
What we play depends on who comes and what they bring. Generally, games can be divided into two groups: social games and strategy games. 

Social Games:  These are for people who like lots of conversation and laughs, where having a good time is more important than refining your game-winning strategy.  Examples of social games we play (or have played) are: (click on any link to find out more about the game and its rules) Taboo, Set, Fluxx, and Apples to Apples.  Feel free to bring other social games.  

Strategy Games:  Among the more common popular strategy games we play are Puerto Rico, Settlers of Catan, Acquire, and Scrabble.  We also have been known to play Samurai, Air Baron, Illuminati, Caylus, Carcassone, Fearsome Floors, Power Grid, Princes of Florence, Ra, Rummikub, Scotland Yard, Ticket To Ride, Zendo, etc.  As you can tell, we're hot on the various German style board games and members are always bringing new ones.  

Card Games tend to be focused on these ones using traditional decks.  Click on the game names to bring up rules for the games: Spades, Sheepshead, Hearts, 500 Rum, 500, and once in awhile Cribbage.  We also play games that use special packs such as Zendo, RoboRally, San Juan, Bohnanza (a German bean collecting game), Quiddler, and Coloretto (a color matching game).

We are not inclined to play Magic the Gathering or other collectible card type games.  We also do not play long-form (more than 3 hour) games, though people from our group do meet independently for these kinds of games.  

4 - Do You Play This Game?  
Don't ask us if we play a game -- come by and bring your game and see!  Also, if we're not playing your favorite game, feel free to learn a new one or if you brought your favorite game with you, please encourage others to play with you!

3 - Does SF Games Meet This Week?  
This is probably the most frequent question.  SF Games meets every Friday of the year unless Christmas Eve or Day falls on a game night.  Then we don't meet.  Otherwise we meet, rain or shine.  

Take The Games Poll!
Which games are the most popular?  Why do you play games?  This poll has been running for several years.  You may be surprised at some of the results of this extensive survey.  Take the poll and look at what other people had to say! It's free.

Take the Games Poll

History of SF Games
SF Games was founded July 5, 1995 by David Kaye, a community organizer who also founded the group now known as the QuickTricks bridge club, and is co-founder of the Pacific Center.  He also produces the weekly Music Box Series of unusual live music every Tuesday night in San Francisco.  

SF Games was begun not as a games group but as a social group with games.  This important difference we feel has contributed to the longevity of the group and the continued enjoyment by members year in and year out.  It has also helped the group become a more diverse group (a wider age range and a better balance of men and women) than most other games groups.  

In The Press!
What they've said about us: