In this new occasional series we’re going to meet members of the Dice & Balls family, starting with the wonderful Matt! Thank you Matt for this idea!!
What do you play?:
Well I want to play everything, I love games! Competitive, cooperative, ones for fun and munching on snacks in a social environment, and ones that require a lot of thinking and social deduction.
Any Favourites?:
Carcassone is probably my favourite because with a couple of tweaks to the rules it can be relaxing and rewarding and gentle enough for including children, or the biggest sweatfest rivaling chess if you have some of the bolt-on expansions! It’s generally all-done in an hour, and doesnt have a million pieces, just need a decent size coffee table!
Why Dice & Balls?
I first got in to Dice and Balls to hopefully make some friends and make Arnold a bit more of a home after moving here. Its been a while now but I think I came to a few board game evenings and then joined some Dungeons and Dragons beginner sessions, and then it wasnt long until I was running sessions myself!
I think the people here are of an amazing caliber and I’ve made some close friends. The outreach work by the Hub is amazing, and I hope that in 2026 D&B can expand so that others can get the lovely feelings of worth, belonging and friendship that I get from it!
What do you attend?
Not enough to be honest! While I had time I enjoyed learning to knit with the Knot Just Knitters on Thursdays, and they helped me with a sewing project! I could spend all Thursday there because it’s the wargaming club in the evening, where we try to play a variety of gamesworkshop games (and others). Hopefully I can get some more weekend roleplaying in but we’ll see haha.
Any last thoughts?
Well my time both playing and volunteering at Dice and Balls helped me secure a new job, not that I think that should be a reason to attend. Learning about, and empathising with people’s experiences and lives from environments and contexts wildly different to my own in a safe, humble and welcoming hub is a rare and precious thing indeed. Come along, I promise there’s something here for everyone and anyone, and if there isn’t, I’m sure Zoe and Phire would love to hear a suggestion.
Want to be the next player we meet? Drop us a line