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Welcome to Saturdice!
Saturdice is a monthly board and card game event, organized by a small group of volunteers. We host this event every second Saturday of the month, from 12:00 until 19:00. The event is located in a clubhouse close to the Haarlem train station.
We welcome people of all ages! While the majority of our visitors are Dutch, people are generally happy to switch to English when someone at the table does not speak Dutch.
What can be expected?
We play a wide variety of board and card games. You'll notice a lot of modern games hitting the tables, but also the occasional classic. These range from large, complex games that can last several hours, to small games that are over and done within twenty minutes.
Not very experienced with board games? No problem! Plenty of games are easy to pick up. Games are often explained at the start, because there are usually a couple of players new to the game.
We own a growing collection of games which are available for all to play. In addition, you can bring your own games, though this is not required. The combination of our own collection and the games brought by visitors provides a wide selection of games available for play.
What games you play, and whom you play them with is entirely up to you. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to take a short break to talk to other visitors, or head outside for a quick smoke.
How do I join?
For starters, we ask you to sign up (for free) on Meetup. This is mandatory, because we can only welcome so many people to our event. If by chance you signed up but are unable to attend, please sign off as soon as possible to create room for another visitor.
When you arrive, you're expected to sign in at the bar. This is where you'll pay the € 5,- entrance fee. Please note: The entrance fee can only be paid in cash. (There are several ATMs at the station.)
You'll also receive 4 consumption tokens which you can spend on food and drinks. From there on, you are free to enjoy the event!
About us
Saturdice is run by a small team of volunteers who enjoy playing a variety of tabletop games. Once a month, we come together in Haarlem for an afternoon filled with cards, dice and tokens.
In order to keep this running, we ask a small entry fee, which we use to cover financial expenses, such as rent and website costs. Any surplus will go towards expanding the selection of games that Saturdice has available for these events.
Meet the team:
Jasper
'Together with some others, I've been one of the longest standing veterans to this version of the event along with earlier iterations. Personally, I've always joined not just for the boardgame aspects, but also the social aspect of the whole thing. For me, it has always been such an enjoyable experience that I try to make it a point to not miss any events.'
Marcus
'Through friends I was invited to Saturdice (Formerly known as the SpellenVereninging, and afterwards known as the Board game group SV on Meetup).
To me it was a great way to meet likeminded people, and to get out of the house at least once a month. Nowadays you'll be able to find me behind the bar, and If you have any questions ever, feel free to contact me!'
Rik
'I have been regularly visiting Saturdice for the past five years, and recenty became the newest member of the organising team. My taste in games is quite broad: from the lighter games with a considerable amount of randomness (who doesn't enjoy a bit of chaos?), to the heavier games with more tactical depth, I'll gladly play them with you. I hope to see you at one of our Saturdice events!'
Thels
'A fervent fan of board and card games, I enjoy the combination of game activities with the social aspect of being with friends and like-minded people. Owning a reasonably sized game collection, I prefer the longer strategy games that last several hours, but also enjoys smaller games, especially to break the ice. The Saturdice meets are a fixed appointment in my agenda, with very little causing me to miss an event.
I also occasionally organize other events at the Meetup group, as well as attend most of the events hosted by others. Other than board and card games, I also enjoy tabletop RPGs, game mastering a weekly Pathfinder campaign, and playing in a monthly Dungeons and Dragons 3.5e campaign.'
History
The event's earliest incarnation was around 2006. Back then, it was hosted in the clubhouse of the Haarlem Allotment Association WZZO. Around 2009, the venue was no longer available to us, and we were forced to seek another location. For a while, we met up in small groups at people's homes, but it just wasn't the same.
Late 2009, we found a new venue, the Haarlem NS clubhouse, which has been home to our events up to the current day. While the new location initially caused for a healthy amount of members, this dwindled over the years, and eventually became a small but devoted group of friends.
Early 2015, we tried searching for new members, and announced our events over Meetup. This has resulted in a large and active group of visitors.
Houserules
The goal of Saturdice is to provide a fun, friendly, approachable, and safe experience for both ourselves and our visitors. To ensure this, we've established some house rules, which we expect our visitors to follow. Visitors who do not comply with these rules may be asked to leave the event. We reserve the right to adjust the house rules when necessary. Thank you for your cooperation!
Entrance
- When arriving at the event, visitors are required to register at the bar, and pay a € 5,- entrance fee. Please note: The entrance fee can only be paid in cash. (There are several ATMs at the station.)
- After paying the entrance fee, visitors receive 4 consumption tokens, which they can spend on snacks and drinks. Visitors may purchase additional tokens, or purchase additional snacks and drinks directly.
Prices
Coffee, tea, hot water | 1 token or € 0,75 |
Juices, soft drinks | 2 tokens or € 1,50 |
Beer, wine | 2 tokens or € 1,50 |
Craftbeer | 3 tokens or € 2,25 |
Chips, Candybar | 1 token or € 0,75 |
Tosti (ham and/or cheese) | 1 token or € 0,75 |
Boardgames
- A lot of the games available at the event are owned by visitors. Therefore we ask visitors to treat these games with the utmost care and respect. Please be mindful of food and drink stains. The community-sharing aspect is near and dear to us, and we will do our best to safeguard this practice.
- Do not take games outside, without the approval of the game's owner. For games that belong to Saturdice itself, ask an organizer for approval.
- We cannot guarantee the safety of your games. Placing your games on the community table is at your own risk. We will not hold it against you if you prefer not to place your games on the table.
Food and drinks
- We prefer it when visitors do not bring their own food. We're pretty lenient, and don't mind making exceptions, but please do consult with us.
- Visitors are not allowed to bring their own drinks. This also applies to alcoholic beverages. Selling beverages is part of our agreement with the establishment.
- We don't mind other snacks, such as cookies, candy and potato chips.
- We ask visitors to keep in mind that snacks or drinks may leave stains on tables, cards and other components. When in doubt, ask the owner of the game.
Bar
- The area behind the bar is restricted to staff members only. If the bar is unstaffed, feel free to tap an organizer on the shoulder, and we'll gladly help you out! You can recognize them by their orange Saturdice keycords.
- In accordance with the law, we cannot and will not supply alcohol to minors. When in doubt, we will ask for identification.
- Sharing alcohol with underage visitors will result in you being asked to leave and not return.
Smoking
- Smoking inside the building is not allowed. There is a designated smoking area outside, in the bicycle storage.
- Please don't throw your cigarette butts on the floor! There is an ashtray. If it is missing, please ask an organizer.
The venue
- Please keep the venue clean. When you're done with a game, please return any empty bottles and glasses to the bar, and deposit any trash in the bin next to the bar.
- Drinks may be taken outside, but please return bottles, glasses and trash back inside.
- Chairs may only be taken outside with permission from an organizer. Please return the chairs inside again after use.
- While not an official rule, please use your common sense when outside. We haven't received any noise complaints yet, and we would like to keep it that way.
Security
- We aim to provide a fun, friendly, approachable, and safe experience. However, we're only human and cannot see or notice everything. If the event did not go as it should have, please do not hesitate to contact us and let us know.
- If the behavior of a visitor becomes disorderly, destructive, or unsafe, he or she will be asked to leave.
- Theft will not be tolerated. We will contact law enforcement should the need arise.
Directions
The location does not have a proper address, but it is relatively easy to find. It is a 5 minute walk from the Haarlem NS train station. To find the location, follow these directions (or check the images listed further below):
- Start at the Haarlem NS train station.
- Leave the station from either passenger tunnel in the north direction (platform 8 side).
- Don't cross the road, but stay on the sidewalk and head left, keeping the station on your left hand side.
- Cross the road that heads into the tunnel, and continue heading in the same direction.
- About 30 meter (100 feet) after crossing the road, there should be an alley to your left. During our events, a Saturdice sign will be present here. Enter this alley.
- After passing through the gate, immediately head to your right.
- You'll see a white building, as well as a bicycle storage on your right. Our entrance door is on the right side. Welcome!
The following images depict the route, so you can confirm that you are on the right track (click to enlarge them):
By bus?
The bus stops are on the south side of the NS station. After exiting the bus, walk around the NS station, and follow the directions above.
By bicycle?
Not a problem. We have a lot of bicycle stands at the clubhouse itself. Parking here is free, but at your own risk. Alternatively, there's a guarded bicycle storage at the NS station.
By car?
Unfortunately, there's no on-site parking. You may be able to park your car across the street, but there's a decent chance that most spots have already been taken.
We recommend you park your car at Parkeergarage Stationsplein instead. The car park is on the south side of the NS station. When you leave the parking garage, walk around the NS station, and follow the directions above.
Contact us
If you have any questions, complaints, or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us using the following form. Since all team members understand both English and Dutch, feel free to contact us in either language.
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Frequently asked questions (F.A.Q.)
Is it required to sign up beforehand?
Yes. The building only has room for 45 people. Reserving a spot is therefor mandatory. If by chance you signed up but are unable to attend, please sign off as soon as possible to create room for another visitor. If this happens the day before the event, we would appreciate a personal message.
Where are the entrance fees being directed?
The entrance fees primarily cover expenses, such as rent and website fees. Our goal is to keep the event affordable for everyone. We keep a small margin to ensure we can cover our expenses. Any incidental excess is spent on additional games to be played at the event.
Do I have to be present from start to finish?
Not at all. Our doors are open from 12:00 until 19:00, during which you are free to come and go. Quite a few visitors start their first game at the beginning of the event, but new games are started throughout the day.
Should I bring my own boardgames?
Not necessarily, but we do encourage people to do so. Saturdice owns a collection of games that are available to be played. You can see a list of these games at BoardGameGeek. However, when visitors also bring their own games, there are plenty of options for everyone throughout the day.
What about people that don't own games?
Bringing (and sharing) games is not at all mandatory. Usually, the people that bring games tend to bring more than one. This means that under regular circumstances, there are plenty of options to choose from..
Do you also play collectible card or miniature games?
Games like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, and Warhammer are not forbidden at our events, but are rarely played, if at all. Don't count on other people bringing their own deck or army. Of course, you're welcome to arrange to play such games with other visitors.
Do you also play roleplaying games or legacy games?
Our events are not particularly suited for campaign games such as D&D and Gloomhaven, or legacy games such as Pandemic Legacy. While some visitors found people through Saturdice to play such games with, we ask visitors to not play campaign or legacy games at the Saturdice events.
Are you open to people of certain ages?
We welcome people of all ages. Children under twelve years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Is the venue wheelchair friendly?
The venue has no facilities that support disabilities (so no parking spots or special toilets). There is a bit of a step at the entrance, followed by a narrow hallway that is 70cm wide. We are happy to assist, but unfortunately the venue is not designed to be wheelchair accessible.
The venue has basically no facilities to support disabilities (so no parking spaces or special toilets). There is a bit of a step at the entrance, but it should not be too hard to get over the threshold, with or without help. The rest of the venue is on an even floor, with enough space in between the tables to maneuver a wheelchair around. Unfortunately, there is no specific disabled toilet, only the regular ones. Please also note that because we don't have parking space, we cannot offer any disabled parking spots.
Are dogs allowed to visit Saturdice?
Unfortunately, dogs (and other pets) are not allowed.
Is there an option to chat with fellow visitors online?
Yes. You can find us on Discord, which includes both text-chat and voice-chat.
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Covid rules (updated September 13th, 2021)
Starting with the October edition we'll be using the CoronaCheckApp Scanner. It is therefore required to bring valid ID and your QR-code.
For now, there will be a limited number of attendees. Therefore, reservations are mandatory (on Meetup)! If you did not make a reservation, or cannot show a valid QR code with ID, you will not be permitted access to the event!
Also, please be considerate of fellow potential visitors. If you made a reservation, but are unable to attend, please sign off to make room for another visitor.
Due to the Covid virus, there are a couple of additional rules and regulations. These rules are not optional!
Please be considerate to your fellow visitors by adhering to these rules. Willfully ignoring the rules will result in being asked to leave.
- You must bring your CoronaCheckApp QR-code and valid identification (passport, ID-card or driver's license).
- Please take the general recommendations of the RIVM to heart: minimizing physical contact, staying home if you have any of the corona symptoms, sneezing in paper towels and elbows, etc…
- We will be open from 14:00 to 19:00.
- Upon arrival, you are required to disinfect your hands, and then head to the bar for registration. Disinfectants will be supplied.
- We will not be serving any food at the bar.
- Drinks are available as usual. Please return the empty bottles and dirty glasses to the supplied crates; do not put them back on the bar please! Like usual, we expect our visitors to throw out their used teabags and other trash in the bin.
The following rules have been relaxed:
- 1,5 meter distancing is no longer mandatory, but still recommended.
- There is no limit on the number of players per table.
- Games are no longer restricted to being played once.
- Visitors may now bring their own games.
- Snacks may now be shared with other visitors.
Despite these rules and protocols, please understand that it is impossible to provide a 100% corona-risk free experience. Participation is therefore at your own risk!
Please keep in mind that these are based on the current recommendations of the RIVM and the landlords of the clubhouse in which we host our events. This might mean that we have to change these rules on short notice based on their rules, regulations and advice.
Hopefully we'll see you all soon!
Team Saturdice.
Welcome to Saturdice
We are a small group of people who enjoy playing a variety of boardgames. Once a month, we get together in Haarlem for an afternoon filled with cards, dice, and tokens.
About us >>
Curious about the games that we play? Check our list of games at BoardGameGeek.
Upcoming events:
- Saturday, 12th of October 2024
- Saturday, 9th of November 2024
- Saturday, 14th of December 2024
- Dates for 2025 announced soon