Richard Ye is slowly running out of room in his apartment. The issue isn’t an overflow of clothes or a growing shoe collection. Rather, his home is filled with multiples of card games such as Exploding Kittens and Flip 7, and stacks upon stacks of Hues & Cues and Catan board games. The current count? Ye estimates around 2,200, though he’s in the process of giving away 500 to 1,000 for his next game night. Such is the life of a man who has founded a community around board games.
Ye is the founder behind The New York Games, a free, pop-up event built around the joys of board games. Billing itself as “America’s largest board game night,” the community has hosted over 60,000 people in the past three years, including New Yorkers and international friends. But for Ye, it all started with one game and a hope to make a connection in a new city.
Moving to New York in 2022, Ye was looking to make friends but struggled to meet people in a nightlife setting. “I found that New York City was really lonely at times; it was really tough to make new friends,” said Ye. “Going out and meeting people was expensive because you had to go to bars and clubs. I was very introverted, so getting outside of my shell was really, really tough.”
For Ye, it was board games that helped bridge the gap. “I remember there was a sale for board games. I was like, ‘let’s pick up like 10 of these games, and see if I can invite my acquaintances to come and play.’” On the first night, he invited five people to a Catan board game night. Following the good turnout, he decided to host another, then another, as the group steadily grew by word of mouth. Ye soon outgrew his apartment, eventually moving the event to the lounge inside his friend’s apartment complex. But soon, the hundred-strong guest list overwhelmed that space too. Ye attributes the organic growth to the simple fact that everyone is looking for connection, specifically one that is organic and outside the use of social media.
Maggie Li was also looking for a connection. A gamer in her own right, Li organized one of San Francisco’s largest board game meet-ups in tandem with her tech company, Salesforce, inviting the whole city to play. However, when the pandemic shut down the city, game night also came to a halt, and eventually Li moved back to her home in New York. Looking to find her own game-friendly community in the city, she attended one of Ye’s meet-ups at a friend’s urging. Bonding over their shared love of gaming culture, the duo now run The New York Games, Ye as chief of fun and content and Li as chief of fun and events.
Since 2022, the two have organized weekly tournaments and free-giveaway game nights from the basements of food halls to Central Park. Last year, the two hosted one of their largest nights yet, inviting 1,200 souls to Grand Central Station for an evening of board games and Bananagrams.
This month, the duo is going even bigger.
In celebration of the Lunar New Year, The New York Games is attempting to break the record for the largest mahjong game night. And it is all going down at Time Out Market New York, Union Square.
According to Ye, the number of tables at a formal mahjong event in America is around 40. Ye plans to bring 48 modern sets, hoping to attract 500-1000 people. Tickets will be available for two separate seatings, one from 5-6:30pm and the second from 7-8:30pm. Guests can come with a group or fly solo to join up and meet new people. New to the game? Volunteer hosts will be floating around to teach the rules and guide people through the game. And when you get hungry, tickets include a $5 gift certificate for the Market’s food and drink.
But beyond the potential to break a record, the goal of the night for Ye and Li remains the same: to meet and connect with others over the simple love of the game.
“I hope to invite people who are just looking to celebrate the holidays and have good connection. [We want people from all walks of life, whether it’s seasoned veterans or beginners who walk into Time Out Market because they saw something cool,” says Ye.
Lunar New Year Mahjong Celebration will be held at Time Out Market New York, Union Square, on February 24 from 5-9pm. Tickets are $15 and include a $5 gift card redeemable at the Market. Reserve your ticket here.