Constantly connected, yet isolated and lonely, 22% of Millenials declare having no friends*. We want to fix that, for everyone.
Let's fight the epidemic of loneliness using the power of shared gaming experiences and being present for each other in a purposeful, focused, and welcoming community.
*) According to a Vox article based on YouGov poll (2019)
Newest in our blog: Works on the Web Platform started and move along smoothly!
Games Against Loneliness was started with the mission to fight the epidemic of loneliness using the power of shared gaming experiences. We believe that sharing focused and purposeful time together builds healthy, long-lasting, and valuable bonds between people who otherwise wouldn't have connected.
We want to promote healthy, casual and competitive, creative, and social activities that directly revolve around different kinds of (mostly card, board, roleplaying, and tabletop) games.
We also want to connect people from many life paths, of different ages, cultures, abilities, and beliefs, through the shared experience of playing games. Imagine how interesting would it be to play a historical game with another Member who comes from the depicted region or was part of the depicted history. Truly inspiring!
We will realize the mission of Games Against Loneliness to prove that "games are a great way to connect and make friends" with following goals:
Create and maintain an online Games Against Loneliness community and a web platform, based on the concept of distributed "Community Hubs" connecting the Members in their preferred places like the Members' homes, shared spaces, affiliated cafes, etc.
Create and maintain the physical Games Against Loneliness HQ community space to allow in-person activities and participation in the community events.
Create digital and publicly available framework for fighting loneliness with shared gaming activities. Something people who are not part of Games Against Loneliness yet can download and use to create their local gaming group, reach out, and find support in their fight with loneliness. We call them "Satellite Hubs!"
We know there will be many challenges, issues, and moments when things aren't clear but our goal is also to create a strong, sustainable, and healty community.
Does Games Against Loneliness mission and our vision resonate with you? If yes, consider joining us or getting in touch with your feedback.
Our end-goal is the Games Against Loneliness HQ: Imagine a space where you feel connected to other people but also have space for yourself: we want to create that inspiring and welcoming place that bolsters casual connections and new friendships. Somewhere in Berlin, most likely in the South*, available at convenient time: initially from 16:00 to 20:00 (or midnight)**.
The space would be separated into 4 modular areas: meetup cafe, card and board seating, wargaming tables, and roleplaying booths.
Visualization of what we envision for the modular space separation, people are not shown for the sake of simplicity.
Please note that at this point it's only a concept and one of the goals we will work on, dependent on the raised funds, donations, and secured grants.
The open meetup cafe space is there you can sit, talk, and connect other Members while enjoying the cafe amenities like hot and cold drinks, game-friendly snacks offered to the Members at cost or with minimal additional cost. It's a side-activity of the organization supporting the primary purpose of inspiring new connections between the Members.
The open card and boardgame space, surrounded by shelves stacked with interesting, fun games, is where the majority of the Members will be spending their time. This is where the primary mission of Games Against Loneliness is realized: by facilitating the physical and mental space for shared experience of gaming.
The reserved wargaming tables, connected to the shared repository of terrains and battle mats, is where the tabletop games will be played. Due to the nature of these games, tables need to be reserved ahead of time.
The reserved roleplaying booths with the shared library of rulebooks, consumable materials, tools, pens, mats, landscape pieces, and minis ready to play is where the groups of Members will be able to unleash their creativity and storytelling, adventuring together.
Does Games Against Loneliness mission and our vision resonate with you? If yes, consider joining us or getting in touch with your feedback.
*) It's not clear yet because there are many organizational and economical factors that need to be researched, but no matter where we end up opening the Games Against Loneliness HQ we want to make it easily accessible by multiple public transportation lines.
**) Potentially longer opening hours on the weekends when we can afford staff or can self-manage with the help of the Members.
We want to create a community that is welcoming and safe for everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from. We have collected some of the guiding principles (values) that align us in our efforts:
We come from many background, places, and life experiences. We speak many languages and self-identify in many ways.
You can use the diversity and the experiences to enrich each other and discover new, inspiring ways to look at the world.
If something surprises you, ask. If something is unclear, also ask. Definitely ask when something angers you.
Try to understand other Games Against Loneliness Members through curiosity-driven and mindful communication.
The mission of Games Against Loneliness is battling the epidemic of loneliness, often caused by fakeness and the drive toward a picture-perfect, but ultimately isolated and unsustainable life.
We you the way you are when nobody watches. Maybe a little bit shy and introverted, maybe a little bit quirky, and maybe even a little bit with your head in the clouds. Please have the courage to be yourself.
*) Unless you can be a level 100 barbarian, then obviously be the level 100 barbarian ;-)
Don't be "excellent to each other" looking down from your high horse. Be human.
Instead of keeping the facade of excellence: be kind, present, and attentive, and should hard truths neeed to be told, tell them with care.
When harsh and unkind words are being told quietly. When one Member's words wipe another's smile. When a "joke" makes one feel less worthy than they really are.
Champion those moments with courage: speak up and stand up for others. We will support you with the in-the-moment resolution and regular trainings on mindful communication.
Being part of the majority or not, Games Against Loneliness is a place where everyone has a voice. We are something much larger than the sum of the parts. Even by vote, decisions will be aligned with the greater good and the values of tolerance, respect, and personal freedom.
These values and principles will apply both to the online community and he physical space and while we are open to discuss them, we consider each and every Member to respect them.
To keep the Games Against Loneliness community healthy and safe from harm, we need to establish clearly defined and actionable boundaries based on our values and principles.
These are not negotiable because they stand directly against our core values and principles (and often are outright harmful or illegal).
Games Against Loneliness is not a place for sexual conduct or innuendo, drugs, criminal or illegal activity, violence, and other unlawful activities. Please make sure you behave in a way that would make your grandma proud! #ProudGrandmas
Games Against Loneliness won't tolerate intolerance, discrimination, or hate in any kind of form. We won't police your thoughts but toxicity will be dealt with promptly and decisively.
Games Against Loneliness is not a place for politics, religion, self-promotion, unrelated activism, or polarizing opinion. We maintain neutrality and instead use the energy to ensure everyone has a great time playing games and connecting with each other, feeling less lonely.
Breaking the Code of Conduct will have impactful and often unpleasant consequences, adequate to the offense and ranging from private discussion, suspension from certain activities and amenities, up to the general suspension or even exclusion from the Games Against Loneliness.
In cases of gross misconduct or unlawful activity we will notify the appropriate services and cooperate with them as required with the law.
These are rules that we think will make the space nicer for everyone but keep optional, trusting our Members' common sense.
Games Against Loneliness will be a limited kid-access space. While kids and toddlers must be attended at all times by an adult, they may find themselves in danger or cause harm to the shared property. We won't disallow kids but kindly ask you to consider their safety and comfort of other Members.
Games Against Loneliness will be a pet-free space. We are truly sorry about this and understand how disappointing it must be, but we need to make sure that every member feels safe and can enjoy the space without the risk of allergies, being surprised by an overly friendly pet, etc.
We kindly ask our Members to not bring their own food and drinks and instead use our cafe amenities that will be sold at cost or heavily subsidized. Unless it's a special occassion and we were notified ahead of time, like a birthday cake. We will never say no to a birthday cake as long as it doesn't disturb other Members.
Games Against Loneliness is a vape-free and tobacco-free space. We kindly ask our Members to just leave the space in order to smoke, just remember to keep your member card with you.
The Games Against Loneliness space is shared and belongs to every single member and that means that we will be a little bit strict about the proper etiquette around cleanliness and putting things back. Should it become a recurring problem, offending Members will be directed to a nearby kindergarden for orientation and training*.
*) Not really, but just imagine! ;-)
Games Against Loneliness is a member-exclusive online and physical community, funded by the membership fees and some external funduing like donations and sponsorships, side-activities like the shop and the cafe (food and drinks), and occassional event and entrance fees.
Our goal is to be self-sufficient with the memberships and not rely heavily on external funding as soon as possible.
We want to start with the web platform and Discord server that will help us organize the community and Game Nights before the Games Against Loneliness HQ is opened.
Funds collected with the Online membership will directly support the server costs, promotion, and a very small amount of the required development work. We consider this membership a symbolic gesture of commitment from the Members who share our Vision and want to support the Mission of Games Against Loneliness.
| Membership | Cost | Hours | Access | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | €5 /month or €60 /year | Unlimited | Web platform and Discord | Member only |
We want to be transparent about the end-goal of opening the Games Against Lonelines HQ space, so below is listed the concept of the membership fees for the physical space access (with the Online membership included already). These depend greatly on the space costs (rent and utilities) and amount of Members.
| Membership | Cost | Hours | Access | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | €20 /month or €240 /year | 16:00-20:00 | Cafe and open space | Member only |
| Standard+ | €30 /month or €360 /year | 16:00-20:00 | Cafe and open space | 1 guest or more* |
| Premium | €40 /month or €480 /year | 16:00-24:00 | Open + Reserved spaces | Member only |
| Premium+ | €60 /month or €720 /year | 16:00-24:00 | Open + Reserved spaces | 1 guest or more* |
*) Additional guests can be admitted on a single day at a flat fee of 5€ / guest.
We have considered the membership structure in terms of how much time and space it requires, but also how impactful and aligned it is with our mission to connect the Members and fight loneliness. Here are some collected considerations:
The "Online" membership: The first phase of creating the Games Against Loneliness community will be creation of the web platform facilitating Community Hubs and Game Nights with dedicated tools for scheduling, voting, etc., supported by the official Discord server offering discussion functionalities.
The "Plus" memberships: We want to encourage you to share the gaming experience with friends and "better halves", without forcing them to be Members themselves.
The "Premium" memberships: Reserved spaces require larger, dedicated space and reserved time allocation required by roleplaying and tabletop games, compared to other activities. Card and board games often fit on smaller tables, take shorter to play, while involving more players at the same time.
Additional guests admitance fee: We want to offer simple way to admit the friends of the Members without requiring them to have membership. There is no time limit apart from our regular opening and closing times, and they will have the same access as the Member inviting them. Additional guests can enter Games Against Loneliness only with another registered Member and cannot be left alone in the space.
We are currently collecting first Members who will help us shape and start the online community and the web platform.
To voice your non-binding interest, please submit following form:
We have collected some of the common questions and answers. In case your question wasn't covered here or you want to ask about something specific, please use the contact form located in the footer of the website.
We live in a society that is always connected, yet many of us never have spoken with their neighbours. Since COVID, it has become alarmingly easy to shut oneself at home and not have a chance to talk with another human face to face for days thanks to various delivery services and remote work.
The way we communicate changed with the advent of social media and while it's easier to reach people, it's sometimes impossibly hard to make deep and meaningful connections. A 2019 poll by YouGov shows that 22% of Millenials declare having no friends.
The Founder of Games Against Loneliness, Paweł Komarnicki, is an immigrant living in Berlin since 2012. After years of working in various startups, he realized that apart from making "work friends", who often come and go with the job, there's no practical way to make new meaningful friendships. You can't really go around asking "hey, wanna hang out?". At some point he discovered the board games and the amazing, vibrant, and welcoming community. It helped him re-open to the world, find friendly people who shared something magical: physical and mental presence, and it changed his mental health and life.
The mission of Games Against Loneliness is personal to the Founder because he knows the struggle of being isolated and lonely. It's a way to pay it back and pay it forward to whoever is reading this, sitting at home, feeling stuck unheard, unseen, and unconnected. We are coming to help.
Yes, but also no. Currently the website and promotional materials are in English because it's easier for the us to work with and German website and materials are coming soon. Eventually, more languages sourced by the community will be available to all Members.
Yes, initially. We love Berlin, we live in Berlin, and we can do everything in person in Berlin.
But it doens't have to end there. The online community is open to anyone who wants to be a member. Are you in Madrid or London? Fantastic! We have a concept (and one of the goals) of creating Games Against Loneliness Community Hubs all over Germany and possibly the world.
You can start with our digital materials to start up your unofficial local Community Hub, e.g. a small group of players meeting regularly at your home, and when you're ready: opening an official Satellite Hub with the help our physical organizational and promotional materials (and maybe even some small games to celebrate your community and kickstart it). It's all a rough concept in the making so if you're interested, let us know using the contact form localted in the footer of the website.
Membership fees are the common way to keep organizations like Games Against Loneliness economically sustainable, considering the running costs, staffing, and promotion.
The proposed membership fee structure is work in progress and should you register your interest, it's non-binding. It's just a way to show you the vision of what we want to create, how we want to grow it, and how the amount of contributions affects this progress.
No, it's just 12x the monthly membership fee paid in a convenient single payment.
In a way, it protects you against membership fee changes, but if you feel more comfortable paying it monthly it's perfectly fine. It also gives us more runway to bring the vision to life.
Games Against Loneliness will be an officially registered German corporation (UG or GmbH) and that means that it will have to follow all the laws and bylaws like having an official correspondence address, bank account, accounting process, and regular reporting of activities (like the yearly statement). Your membership will be directly supporting the operation of the Games Against Loneliness community and the platform.
You will have many ways to help and support Games Against Loneliness. In the first days, we will need many outspoken and proactive members to spread the word around in places where people struggling with loneliness might be hidden or overlooked: ask your neighbors, ask your friends and colleagues, ask your fellow university pupils. Loneliness doesn't leave a visible mark but sometimes it's enough to just hear "hey, wanna play a game, or two?"* to change somebody's life entirely.
We will also need to tap into the collective skill and talent poll of the Members as we build and organize various foundations of the organization. If you can and want to do something cool, definitely step up and let us know! Especially any experience in carpentry or design, social contacts, knowledge of the city, and good old elbow grease will be critical in the early days of Games Against Loneliness.
*) We don't know how it really works, but it's perfectly normal to ask strangers if they want to play Wingspan or Ticket to Ride someday. Funny, eh?
In the early days we will be mostly focused on collecting enough funds to get the Games Against Loneliness HQ up and running as quickly as possible, so anything related to finding and paying for a physical space, furniture, equipment, construction materials, and actual games are more than welcome.
We aren't naive and understand that sometimes sponsorship is one of the marketing tools but we can use it for the greater good as a positive-sum outcome.
The good news is that we can give something back: physical assets can be clearly and visibly marked as being donated, sponsorships will be officially blasted in our social media channels and on our blog. If you provide substantial amount of support, you can can end up being our sponsor of the week/month/quarter/year, very clearly and proudly presented to the Members in the space and promotional materials.
If you have an idea that we didn't cover here, contact us anyway using the contact form in the footer of the website.
The current roadmap consists of many moving and unclear pieces, but the first steps are:
Launching (this) website and gathering Members.
Organizing the online community.
Building the web platform, Community Hub management, game scheduling, etc.
Creating the Games Against Loneliness HQ and the big launch!
Please get in touch with us in case you have questions, want to share your feedback, donate, or sponsor Games Against Loneliness' growth and activities.
We promise to get back to you promptly.
Games Against Loneliness was started with the mission to fight the epidemic of loneliness using the power of shared gaming experiences. We believe that sharing focused and purposeful time together builds healthy, long-lasting, and valuable bonds between people who otherwise wouldn't have connected.
This website exists thanks to the Cubitoo Pro Bono Program.
Cubitoo provides creative services, digital solutions, and hosting for free.
© Games Against Loneliness. All rights reserved.