Game Night Social, which I host at the Garage Food Hall in Indianapolis is now deep into its third year. The game library I keep there continues to overflow my cart with more than 70 games available to borrow and play on any given Tuesday (6-9 pm). Some folks like to just play with the folks they came with. Others like to welcome or join others. One of the distinct pleasures is watching friendships form over the gaming tables.

We have regulars who come back week after week to try new games and play old ones. I usually get there early and set up something that one group of regulars haven’t tried before. Those have included classics such as Revolution! and Alhambra and more recent titles such as Fountains (see below). There’s a father who rotates which of his kids he comes in for Dad/child nights (Last week they played AbDUCKtion). Two friends who bring their daughters in — and usually have their own games to play. And many more.

The fact that we are in a public space means we also get folks who stumble unexpectedly on Game Night Social. These range from the “This is cool…do you have Uno?” to the “I can’t believe you have Planet Unknown and Colt Express. Those are two of our favorites. I wish we had this in our town.”

Once every quarter, we also host a Board Game Swap Meet, which allows folks to clear their shelves of the overplayed, underplayed or never played titles and replace them with ones they are more likely to get to the table. The next one is April 28. To participate, just bring your games, take a table, and make deals.

Looking ahead, we’ll also have our fourth annual Pre-Gen Con event on July 28. Last year’s event attracted more than 275 people who not only played games from the library but also tried games from nine game companies that offered demos and door prizes. For that event, we go from 3-9.

Beyond Game Night Social, I’ll also be hosting game events at Snarky’s Gaming Circus on April 26 and will serve as Trivia Guest of Honor at the InConjunction convention, celebrating its 45th con July 3-5. Recent events have included a nature-games benefit for Mud Creek Conservancy. Got a group that might enjoy a fundraising game night? Reach out.

Now, some recently played games:

Frenzy Falls (The Op Games)

How many ways can game designers come up with to manipulate a simple set of cards, transforming them into a compelling game? I don’t know the answer to that, but from The Game to Skyjo to Up or Down, there seems to be no end to creative card construction.

The latest to impress is Frenzy Falls in which players secretly select cards to play, face down, on specific scoring “pools.” Once the cards are in place, they are turned over, in sequence, with points being added to the pool’s total and, sometimes, manipulation happening — bumping, pulling, proxy — that can change the numeric totals as well as who dominates.

The goal is to have the most influence on a pool — especially those pools with higher victory point values. The kick in this easy to learn newcomer comes from both the decision making and the way cards can spillover (hence the title) creating a domino effect.

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig (Stonemaier Games)

Evan as a big fan of The Castles of Mad Kind Ludwig and someone who enjoyed Between Two Cities, I never got around to trying this hybrid sequel. It recently received a reprint in an “essential edition,” which adds in the the original Castle’s Secrets & Soirees expansion and packages it all in a remarkably well-organized box.

While I appreciate the use of the “between two” mechanics — you are sharing real estate with the players to both your left and right — the challenge of keeping track of two castles while also trying to keep track of the iconography on very small tiles left me yearning to get back to either of the originals.

Still, I’m looking forward to finally getting The Palace of Mad King Ludwig off of my shelf of shame.

Flip 7 with a Vengeance (The Op, Games)

Believe the title.

If you’ve played Flip 7 — one of the most popular card games, deservedly, of the past few years — you know the mix of pleasure and frustration that comes from its push-your-luck gameplay. The structure is simple. In the deck there’s one one, two twos, three threes and up to twelve twelves. The goal is to score high without busting, which happens when you get a second card of the same number. There’s also some other cards that can impact play — including second chance cards that keep you in the round even if you double up.

The new, vengeful edition, dispatches with those second chance cards and adds even more take-that cards. The new cards add to the tension as you push negative cards on other players, swap cards — sometimes forcing plays out in the process — and otherwise mess with the dealt hands.

Which of these you choose for a given game day depends largely on the company you keep. You won’t go wrong with the original, especially with new players. Can the group tolerate lots of negative interaction? By all means, deal out the new version. Both are best with four or more players.

Fountains (The Op Games)

I was a bit late to the table with this attractive 2025 release, an elegant take-and-make game with multiple paths to victory — although it can be difficult to catch up once you fall behind.

Players are tasked with expanding a fountain. Tales can either broaden it or make it taller but care must be taken to make sure water continues to flow into all its individual pools. The concept is terrific and the design strong. What earns it a spot on my A list shelves is the game play.

On a turn, players choose which of three differently colored pawns to move on a small circular track. In most cases, the landing spot simply provides a tile to expand your fountain. But match a colored pawn on its matching spot and it’s time to score, which happens one of three ways: most pools, number of specifically colored fish, or quantity of adjacent lily pads. Strategy involves not only making those connections to benefit yourself, but also blocking possible connections to frustrate the plans of your opponents.

Note: Some games were provided by the publishers for possible review. No guarantee of coverage was given.