Firstly, don’t be afraid,
It’s a friendly group who are happy to game with anyone, be they a newcomer to board games, rediscovering their interest in board games, or people who never lost that love of gaming.
If you still feel nervous or have any specific concerns, contact Ian Sutton or Lewis Walker via facebook and we’ll ensure you are fully supported, or simply mention it on arrival to anyone there and they’ll be happy to make you feel welcome and supported.
How much does it cost and do I have to join?
There is no charge and there is no membership - you are simply free to turn up whenever it is convenient for you. In buying drinks or food at the bar, it does help ensure the pub get value from providing the room(s) for us.
There's a good selection of food if you're hungry, from very light snacks to properly filling meals, and a few of us often arrive a little early to fuel up for the gaming!
They brew their own beers and ciders, but also have plenty of others available, plus a rather decent wine list (Trimbach and Kooyong impressed this wine lover), together with a wide range of soft drinks, plus tea. herbal teas, coffee and even hot chocolate with marshmallow floating on top! 👻
Where to find NOBOG ü
It’s currently hosted *upstairs on the 1st floor of the city centre pub ‘St Andrew’s Brewhouse’ (opposite Cinema City / St Andrews Hall) on Mondays and Tuesdays every week, but we usually have a temporary venue in December.
* Ask the bar staff on Mondays, as we’ll either be upstairs as normal or in the ground floor restaurant area
When to arrive ½
Anytime before the 7:30pm roll call and people often start arriving a little before 7pm, to have a drink and a chat or a bite to eat before the gaming commences.
7:30pm Roll call?!!!
At c. 7:30pm, one of the more gregarious gamers (often Lewis - photo above) will stand up and ask everyone to call out the games they’ve brought, so everyone knows what’s available that night.
At the moment about half the attendees bring games and about half just bring themselves and that works rather well.
If there’s anything that sounds interesting, head over to the person that called it out, to get that game played.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what these games being called out are, as you can also stroll around the room to see what they are. In addition there is always someone coming round the room who will ensure everyone has a game to play. We’ve never yet left anyone without a game to play and don’t intend that to ever happen.
In addition, the person who brings the game will always teach it to those at the table.
What games get played?
There is a very wide range of board games played, from lighter & shorter ‘filler’ games like Just One, Cockroach poker & Codenames, through ‘becoming mainstream’ games like Ticket to Ride, Wingspan & Root. Dexterity games like Junk Art and Men at Work have made recent appearances, as have some social deduction games like Blood on the Clocktower. Then at the ‘bigger’ end of the scale we’ve the full spectrum from a ‘heavy euro’ like On Mars through to a classic thematic game like Zombicide.
If you haven’t heard of any of these games or haven't played many games before - don't worry! The rules for a game are explained at the start and even the longest serving members are regularly learning new games. Everyone is welcome to bring along games they would like to play or think others may enjoy, but don't worry if you can't as there is always a good selection of games to choose from.
Once a game has finished the table may start another game or players are free to break up and join other games that may be starting. Often the second games will be shorter to fit into time constraints, or to play larger more social games.
To get a full sighter of the sort of games that have been played, the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/nobog usually lists all the games played of an evening, often with pictures of the games.
What time does it finish? Á
We aim to be all packed up and exiting the pub by closing time (currently 11pm). However it’s also feasible to plan to leave before that, so when choosing a game, it’s very much possible to arrange for a game that’s likely to finish earlier.
For a video of what it looks like upstairs, here's a video from a while back showing games in progress https://www.facebook.com/100008174955627/videos/2842234852725652/
FAQ (and unusually for FAQs, these questions do actually get asked!)
Do I need to bring games?
It’s entirely up to you. Around 50% of people bring games along. Bringing games is fine, as is not bringing games.
What can I bring?
Anything that you’d like to get played and that you’re confident enough in the gameplay / rules to teach them to your fellow gamers. The group’s focus is board games, but we hosted a role playing group for a few years and would be happy to do so again.
I’m new to gaming - is this ok?
Absolutely! The person who brought the game will teach the gameplay / rules at the start of the game and no prior knowledge is assumed. We have a mix of experience in the group, and new gamers keep the group fresh, so you are every bit as important to the group.
What does it cost?
Nothing! We host the group in a pub and there is no charge for gaming and we intend to keep it that way. Although it’s in our interest to ensure the pub gets enough revenue from drinks and food to want us there, there is never any pressure, and we want the group to be as inclusive as possible.
Can young people come along?
Due to licencing conditions, it's not possible for under 16s to join us (the pub would need them to leave by 8pm). However there are a group of parents who are arranging meetups on other days / times, at venues better suited to hosting children. If this interests you, feel free to post on the NOBOG facebook page to co-ordinate with those parents.
How accessible is the location?
Whilst it's a good central location, the upstairs is not wheelchair accessible. It's one flight of stairs to the upstairs gaming, with enough width to allow two people to squeeze past each other, and of moderate steepness.
Getting There.
Car
Ad-hoc parking is available around St. Andrews Brew House, parking restrictions are in places dropped after 6.30pm for single yellow lines, but there are also a number of car parks available situated close to the venue. Here is a helpful PDF map of the parking available. Closest car parks are St Andrews Multi Storey car park ( closest and best ) and the smaller, tighter St Giles Multi Storey carp park. £3 for the evening after 6.30pm. The Forum car park has a flat rate after 4.30pm.
Bus
St. Andrews Brew House is located fairly centrally and is within easy walking distance of the main bus hubs available in Castle Meadow. If a bus goes to Norwich then chances are it stops at Castle Meadow, a mere 5 minute walk from St. Andrews Brew House. The bus station is about 10 minutes walk.
Cycling
There are dedicated cycle parking facilities dotted around, here is a useful map of all the cycle racks and lockers, rather awesomely there are some cycle parking facilities right outside the door of St. Andrews !
Latest Cycle Map of Norwich
Older Cycle Map of Norwich
Train
Norwich is served by its rather swanky Victorian era mainline station. A 10 minute walk from the station will get you to St. Andrews Brew House. However depending on your route the last trains from Norwich can leave relatively early - before 11pm. Check your rail timetable for details.
Air
Norwich has it's very own airport - the Norwich International Airport. Arrival here for some gaming is feasible, if impractical for a regular commuting type basis ( unless you are a fabulously wealthy and pampered jet setting type ). Taxi/bus/chauffeured limousine required after flight!
