Student group
Anime@Penn
A student group for people who love anime. Members meet on Friday evenings to pick shows to watch together, with game nights and potlucks now and then.
Last active date not known yet
Games and puzzles in Philly
board games, chess, trivia, Dungeons and Dragons
Looking for trivia? Quizzo nights lists weekly bar trivia across the city, by night of the week.
31 groups so far
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Nonprofit
ASAP Scrabble Clubs
The Scrabble program of ASAP, a Philadelphia nonprofit for after-school and summer activities. Students play Scrabble each week in school, library and rec center clubs, take part in citywide events, and can join a school league that runs from November to February.
- Free
- Students only
- Kids OK
Last seen active: January 2026
Club
Belles and Chimes Philly
A pinball league for women players that meets at Barcade Fishtown on the second Tuesday of each month. Players sign in at a sheet at the venue, play league games, and join the group's tournaments.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit
Bringing Everybody Together
A community group for young people that runs an after school homework program, a youth program called Lady BET, a chess program, and a youth-led online talk show.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Chess Club at Penn
A student-run chess club for every level, from casual players to tournament competitors. It runs tournaments and workshops and sends players to national college and Inter-Ivy events.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Program
Chess Club at the South Philadelphia Library
A chess club hosted at the South Philadelphia Library. We could not read the library calendar, so the current schedule is not yet confirmed.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Classics Board
The student board for Penn's classical studies department. It links students with faculty, runs academic networking events and social nights with movies and board games, and helps plan the department's spring colloquium.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Cubing at Penn
A Penn group for Rubik's Cube fans, both competitive and casual, that welcomes people with no cubing experience.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Central
D&D 101 and One-Shot D&D Sessions at Philly Game Shop
Dungeons and Dragons games on Sunday afternoons at Philly Game Shop, including a D&D 101 beginner session and one-shot games. Players sign up ahead on the shop's Discord.
- Free
- Newcomers welcome
Last active date not known yet
Club
Drinks and Dragons
A roleplaying group that meets in Philadelphia bars so anyone can sit down at a table. Players use Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop roleplaying games, and experienced players help newcomers learn the rules.
- Free
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: February 2025
Club 路 Upper Northwest
Enterprise Project
A Philadelphia nonprofit fan project working toward a full-size replica of the starship Enterprise. The ship is not built yet, but anyone can join for free and volunteer-led local chapters are listed.
- Online OK
Last seen active: October 2020
Club
Epic Adventurez
A live action roleplay group that plays costumed games with foam gear. Its core event is a Saturday afternoon Capture the Flag game at Clark Park, and it also runs camps and teaches members to craft foam swords and props.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Esports Club
Penn students who play video games together, from casual players to competitors. The club runs watch parties, in-house games, and travel tournaments.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
GameOn!
Runs role-playing game camps, after-school programs and classes for kids, and hosts booked game events for parties. Volunteers can sign up through the site.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup 路 University Southwest
IGDA Philly
The Philadelphia chapter of the International Game Developers Association. It holds free monthly meetings where local game makers give talks, with networking time first. Meetings are in person at Drexel or online.
- Free
- Online OK
Last seen active: May 2026
Club 路 Upper Northwest
MasterMinds Chess Club
A chess club in Philadelphia, started in 2001, whose tournaments have drawn many of the region's strongest players.
Last seen active: September 2019
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
My Brother's Keeper Cares
A Philadelphia nonprofit that works on mental health and suicide prevention. It runs community events, mentoring, chess and golf programs, and art therapy.
Last active date not known yet
Club 路 University Southwest
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society
A society for science fiction and fantasy fans in Philadelphia. It holds free meetings most months with guest speakers, author talks and fan panels.
- Free
- Online OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit
Philcon
A science fiction, fantasy and horror convention run by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, a nonprofit. It turns 90 in 2026 and depends on volunteers to staff its art show, stage tech, registration, gaming room and con suite.
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
Philly Game Mechanics
An indie game making group in Philadelphia that welcomes hobbyists, students and pros. It runs playtest nights, game jams and workshops, announced through its newsletter.
Last seen active: November 2025
Club
Philly Mah-Jawn Mahjong Club
A Philadelphia mahjong club that meets every week for players of all levels. It has a clubhouse in Old City, teaches newcomers, and its president said in August 2026 that weekly crowds had grown to about 50 people.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: August 2026
Program
Queen & Rook Game Cafe
A board game cafe on South Street with a weekly Thursday quiz night and a steady run of game events. Its own page lists events for October 2026, including a Halloween game night on October 29.
Last seen active: October 2026
Program
Redcap's Corner
A long-running West Philly game shop on Lancaster Avenue with an upstairs room for play. Past listings describe Magic nights, a weekly Dungeons and Dragons night and card tournaments. I could not confirm that any of these still run.
Last seen active: January 2022
Club 路 Rittenhouse
Rittenhouse Chess Club
Chess players who meet in Rittenhouse Square on Wednesdays and Sundays. The club began when passersby joined informal games, and it also runs tournaments, including a recent charity blitz event.
- Free
Last seen active: June 2026
Student group
Social Deduction Club
A Penn student club for social games. It plays weekly Mafia games and builds escape rooms and murder mystery parties.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Club
Stonewall Sports Philadelphia
A recreational sports and social group for the LGBTQIA+ community. It runs leagues in sports such as kickball, volleyball, bowling and pickleball, plus trivia and social events.
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: August 2026
Club 路 University Southwest
Strategy & Board Games Club at Wharton
A campus club at the Wharton School that runs weekly game nights, small group board game sessions and game tournaments. It also runs a game expo to help newcomers find games they enjoy.
- Students only
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Tabletop at Penn
A Penn group for people who play tabletop role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Undergraduate Geography Club
A GeoGuessr and geography club for Penn undergraduates. Members learn to identify places from visual clues, play ranked games, and compete against other universities in a collegiate league.
- Students only: Penn
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
UPGRADE
Penn's game development club. Members make a club game each semester, host game jams and workshops, and bring in speakers from the games industry.
- Students only: Penn
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: February 2025
Nonprofit 路 Central
US Chess School
A nonprofit that gives free chess training to talented young players through camps. Camps run online year round and in person in some cities, with coaches who are grandmasters and international masters.
- Free
- By invitation
- Online OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Includes: board and card games, chess and strategy games, role playing games, trivia and pub games, puzzles and escape rooms, video games and esports, fan clubs and conventions.