SEE HOW BOARD GAMES ARE MADE!
PROTOSPIEL BAY AREA is a multi-day family-friendly tabletop board gaming event of playing unpublished board games. Previously known as Protospiel San Jose, the last Protospiel took place in 2019. During that time, Protospiel San Jose occurred annually, with a peak of over 700 attendees!
PLAYTESTERS: $0 free! Registration on Luma still required.
DESIGNERS: $20 registration. This will come with a 6 hours of scheduled playtesting (2 hours each day). You can also sign up for any open spots each day. Register here!
PROTOSPIEL BAY AREA June 26-28, 2026 at Sports Basement’s Community Space, The Grove, in Redwood City at 202 Walnut Street Redwood City, CA 94063.
EVENT DETAILS
Event hours are Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm. Lookout for evening events at nearby places (hotels, restaurants).
Designers will have games set up on tables. Playtesters can walk around and try out games in progress. Give feedback and help make games better!
Earn raffle tickets for every 1 hour of playtesting. Raffle tickets can be used to win games.
Other activities will include Game Design Basics, Make a Game!, AMA Industry Panel.
VENUE DETAILS
Sports Basement is located in a plaza (lots of parking) with various food options. Food IS ALLOWED inside the venue space.
Downtown RWC and CalTrain ~15 min walk.
Golden Gate Gamemakers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that brings together board game designers and playtesters in the San Francisco Bay Area. Support and donate!