16:30 to 22:00 Every Monday
Monday Night Magic: Casual Commander
Jester Games Store, Stockport. Casual Commander and casual play
Magic: The Gathering Entry: £7.50 (includes a booster) Beginner friendly
Home / Manchester / Beginner-friendly game nights
Game nights · Greater Manchester Beginner-friendly game nights in Manchester
Beginner-friendly game nights across Greater Manchester: learn-to-play sessions and nights that welcome new players.
16 regular nights
The weekly line-up. Times and formats can change, so check with the venue before you travel.
Monday
From 17:00 Every Monday
Tabletop Manchester: Monday Night Games
The Wharf, Manchester. Open board game night, bring or join games
Board games Entry: Free Beginner friendly
18:30 to 21:00 Every Monday
Members' Night and Board Games
Hack Oldham, Oldham. Open board games, bring your own or use theirs
Board games Entry: Free for members Beginner friendly
Tuesday
From 18:45 1st and 4th Tuesday of the month
Blood on the Clocktower (Meeple People MCR)
The Old Monkey, Manchester. Social deduction, rules walkthrough for new players
Board games Entry: Free Beginner friendly
19:30 to 23:00 Every Tuesday
Tuesday games night
Variable Magers, Stockport. Medium to heavy euro games
Board games Entry: £2.50 Beginner friendly
Wednesday
18:00 to 23:00 Every Wednesday
Tabletop Manchester: Wednesday Social Deduction
The Wharf, Manchester. Blood on the Clocktower and Werewolves in the back room
Board games Beginner friendly
18:30 to 22:00 Every other Wednesday
Midweek Mixer
Goodtime Games, Manchester. Social mixer to meet new players
Board games Book ahead Beginner friendly
Thursday
18:00 to 23:00 Every Thursday
Thursday Board Games (Manchester Board and Card Game Enthusiasts)
a&o Manchester City Centre, Manchester. Board and card game night, light to heavy games, rules taught
Board games Entry: Free Beginner friendly
From 18:30 Every Thursday
Pokémon League Store Tournament
Jester Games Store, Stockport. Sanctioned league, Swiss
Pokémon TCG Entry: £5 Beginner friendly
Friday
14:30 to 16:00 Every Friday
Builds and Board Games
Failsworth Library, Failsworth. Adult social board game and building club
Board games Entry: Free Beginner friendly
From 19:00 Every Friday
Friday club night
Wigan Tabletop Games Club, Wigan. Board games, wargames and RPGs
Mixed games Entry: £3 (first visit free) Beginner friendly
Saturday
10:00 to 16:00 Every other Saturday
Wargaming at Hack Oldham
Hack Oldham, Oldham. Drop-in Age of Sigmar, 40k and Flames of War; models available to borrow
Mixed games Entry: Free for members, £3 non-members Beginner friendly
13:00 to 15:00 First Saturday of the month
Pokémon TCG Learn and Play (under 15s)
Jester Games Store, Stockport. Learn to play, demo decks provided
Pokémon TCG Entry: £5 Book ahead Beginner friendly
From 17:00 Every other Saturday
D&D One-Shot Adventures
Jester Games Store, Stockport. Standalone one-shots
D&D Entry: £6 Book ahead Beginner friendly
From 18:30 Roughly every other Saturday
Board Games Social
The Giving Tree Cafe, Manchester. Hosted board games social
Board games Book ahead Beginner friendly
Sunday
From 19:00 Every Sunday
Sunday club night
Wigan Tabletop Games Club, Wigan. Board games, wargames and RPGs
Mixed games Entry: £3 (first visit free) Beginner friendly
11 venues
Jester Games Store
Independent card and board game store with a busy events calendar covering every major card game, plus Digimon, Gundam, Riftbound and more.
Tables to play on site
12 regular nights · 6 days a week
Hack Oldham
Community makerspace hosting a Monday board game night, a Tuesday RPG group, a Magic group and fortnightly Saturday wargaming where you can borrow models. Under-18s must be accompanied.
Tables to play on site
4 regular nights · Mons, Tues, Sats
The Wharf
Castlefield pub that's home to Tabletop Manchester, a turn-up-and-play board and card game group running weekly since 2014, with around 50 players a week. Wednesdays bring social deduction in the back room.
Tables to play on site
2 regular nights · Mons, Weds
Wigan Tabletop Games Club
Friendly club for board games, miniature wargames (Legions Imperialis, Necromunda, Frostgrave and more), RPGs and painting.
Tables to play on site
3 regular nights · Fris, Suns
a&o Manchester City Centre
Hostel bar and breakfast area that hosts the Manchester Board and Card Game Enthusiasts every Thursday. Attendees get 10% off food and drink, and the space is fully accessible.
Tables to play on site
1 regular night · Thus
Failsworth Library
Public library running Builds and Board Games, a free Friday afternoon social club for adults. Use the library's games or bring your own.
Tables to play on site
1 regular night · Fris
Fan Boy Three
Northern Quarter game store and board game café with a downstairs tournament arena seating 128. Runs events for almost every major card game, every night of the week.
Tables to play on site
20 regular nights · 7 days a week
Goodtime Games
Board game café and shop in West Didsbury with a library of around 650 games and a vegetarian and vegan menu. Walk-ins are welcome when there's space, though booking is recommended.
Tables to play on site
4 regular nights · 4 days a week
The Giving Tree Cafe
Community café for South Manchester's international community, running a Board Games Social on some Saturday evenings. RSVP on Meetup, as spaces are limited.
Tables to play on site
1 regular night · Sats
The Old Monkey
Pub with an upstairs room used by Manchester Board Game Legends every other Monday and by Meeple People MCR for Blood on the Clocktower. Rules taught, all levels welcome.
Tables to play on site
2 regular nights · Mons, Tues
Variable Magers
Board and card game club with a taste for medium to heavy euro games, meeting on Tuesday evenings in Heaton Mersey.
Tables to play on site
1 regular night · Tues
More game nights in Manchester
Game nights near you, every Thursday
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