Submitted by flipper1965 t3_11nqcts in WorcesterMA
I don't like the bars. Kind of a gamer nerd M(33) -isolated,bored and alone - what do single people in Worcester do to meet other introverts?
edit - WOW - so many cool people in the Worcester area - I had no idea - Thank You all so much - need to build up some ambition and confidence and go - but please keep the awesome ideas and support coming - PEACE😎😎
edit2 - I guess I am not as alone as I thought - Be Blessed everyone
It's a bit of a ride, but down 146 in Whitinsville there's a card shop called Great Stories. They do the main TCGs, tabletop stuff including Warhammer-style things and D&D, and there's comics available too.
Magic is the most popular TCG there and they have way more space for it compared to That's E.
The people at Great Stories are awesome. I’m not into a lot of the things in there but my young son is and they spend waaaaaay more time than I’d ever expect anyone to with him and explain things that I can’t answer or get him curious about things other than Pokémon. Love, love love Great Stories.
I will third the above. Great stories has become my favorite shop to visit. So much space for open play of various games. Very willing to help anyone in the store, I am there for myself with bigger games somedays and my young kids for Pokemon cards others. All times they have been happily talking with customers, taking calls and seeing things aside for folks coming in shortly. They really take the extra time for anyone no matter what they may end up getting while there. Thanks to all who work there!
I can’t sing Great Stories praises enough.
I love it there! We discovered it over the holidays and the folks that run the place are great! My kid goes there for MTG and my fam is set up for comics. Ad an aside, Friendly Liquors is in the same park and they are also fantastic.
I know a kid from Whitinsville, he’s one of my seniors and says the town is tiny
Or the Otaku place in Auburn mall
Otaku Sekai. Never been but I'm in a discord server for TCG players in Worcester that I found through That's E and they talk about Otaku Sekai and other LGS's around Worcester county.
Otaku Sekai is wonderful. I hope they stick around.
>Otaku Sekai
Huh. When did that get there?
A few months ago, I think. They used to be a floor kiosk, but they've since moved into the old Hollister space. I do like how a Japanese-themed space occupies a storefront modeled to look like a Southern California beachside bungalow.
I mean, lean into it and get those One Piece cardboard cutouts, am I right?
You haven't frequented the Auburn mall recently, I don't blame you. (it's been there around the same time Aunty Annie's closed)
Not since before Xmas. I am poor right now.
Went there looking to buy manga, don’t know how they stay open when they don’t sell anything
this^ there is no way they are bringing in enough to afford mall rent, too niche
They had some candy and soda for sale but that was it I think? The person working was like uhhh no but there might be some manga laying around you can read here lol.
I actually work there! If you're a tabletop rpg player we have some one-shot nights coming up that still have open spots. Totally free. Just give us a call to sign up. :)
Forever grateful your store exists and survived 2020. Thank you for your service.
It sucks that that's like the only place around here.
They’re not though there’s a card store at Public Market as well. Joes Albums as well for records. I guess they’re the only one locally that sells used gaming systems.
And a new card store on Route 9 in Shrewsbury next to Bean Counter
There's also a retro game store that opened up in Shrewsbury called Lady Mo's Attic Treasures. Looks like they have some consoles and might have better luck getting stuff there than That's E where a lot of times the popular stuff sells real quick.
Retro gaming as a whole is too expensive for me now, but it could be a decent option.
What if you're not into gaming though and you're just an introvert in general?
I agree, go to the store , that’s entertainment!! Great retro, collectible store.
Best thing about Worcester to be honest.
Come watch some wrestling at the White Eagle Thursdays at 8. Wrestling Open is 10 bucks, food is amazing, and we're a good bunch of people.
Bars suck, but barcades like Free Play are pretty awesome.
materia on june street just opened and looks cool
Second this. Owner is cool and anywhere that has arcade games for public play nowadays should be supported!
Well now you have my attention. This sounds (looks?) rad as hell.
Woah, thank you for this! I had no idea.
Bro lets hit the gym 💪 wanna try boxing?
I just started playing DND with a bunch of other nerds I met right here.
All Systems Go.
Free Play in Worcester may be up your alley.
Boardgame meetups.
where?
Redemption Rock now has boardgame meet ups on the 3rd Thursday of each month, I think? No pressure to drink, just show up and play games in their awesome space. The people who run it posted in Worcester the last two times, search for those posts and you should find links to their Discord for more updates
Thanks
Unfortunately when we lived in Worcester it was hardcore lockdown and we moved to Rhode Island a little over a year ago (the whole building got priced out). Here there are some great game nights and my wife goes to a queer game night.
As for Worcester I know a bunch of places where opening as I was leaving like beercades and gaming stores.
Apparently Medway has a monthly getogether that I have not attended.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/882365962380129/?ref=share
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That's Entertainment does demos. I love game demos, it is my favorite part of PAX (play a guided learn how session with some strangers).
https://www.yelp.com/biz/thats-entertainment-worcester
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Also there is a southern mass game designer group where people play each others prototypes.
You could look into joining a gaming/film/anime club at any of the local universities, as far as I know you don’t have to be a student to join (at least true for the WPI film nights, but this was long ago before COVID so YMMV, also WPI is your best bet in general because engineering schools by nature tend to have nerds, and they have a respectable game design program). Keep in mind you’ll be older than most of the group but at least you’ll be with likeminded people
If you play pokemon go, shoot me a dm and I can hook you up with a huge community.
PM me if you have any interest in boffer LARP combat. I promise it's more fun than it is lame. It's good exercise and a wonderful community. We have tons of loaner gear for newbies, too!
while you said you don't like bars, there is All Systems Go which is an e-sports bar that has gaming and other fun themed pop up events fairly regularly.
I know it sounds scary as an introvert to do this but I forced myself to go to one of the board game/TTRPG nights at redemption rock brewery and now I'm playing two games with two separate groups of people. First time I've had extracurriculars since college, highly recommend you try it out! I think the next one might be next week?
When is this?
It is typically the third thursday of every month, so I think it should be this upcoming thursday? they advertise it on their facebook page, if you keep a look out this week when they post their events it should give a concrete date/time!
Same. Except I'm not really into gaming. I'm just into games like GTA and I liked Hogwarts Legacy but there's not a lot of open world games out there that I like where I can play with different people. I tried WoW but I didn't like it and FPS's just make my brain hurt. Not to mention some communities are really toxic towards women, I've seen it.
Elders Scrolls online is pretty fun! I play with my wife together its got good story quests.
Second this. I've been going through different MMOs and I've put thousands of hours into ESO. The only time I've really seen "excessive" toxicity has been during the free play periods.
Eh. I'm not really into the medieval time period. I just miss games like GTA or urban/city type games.
Swtor?
I can't stand Star Wars either. Anything Space, Western or medieval times, I feel like has just been played out.
You talk about being against hostility towards women, yet you mention having played and liked hogwarts legacy. You realize that is fairly oximoronic right?
People are so fucking weird about that game.
But how are we supposed to show that we respect people's right to choose how to live if we don't attack total strangers on the internet for choosing to play a game?
Edit: meant to reply to OP.
I know. I was waiting for someone to go off on me just for talking about it but I don't really care, it's still the number one game of the year and tons of people are playing it/buying it regardless. JK Rowling already got her bag. Trans people even worked on the game ffs.
It's weird to stand up for trans people? To not give money to a bigoted TERF who uses it to hurt people?
Not in and of itself, but if the way you go about that is haranguing strangers on the internet because they enjoyed a video game, yeah, that is a bit weird.
You can be trans in Hogwarts legacy
The badass town inkeeper is trans
The game has an extremely diverse ethnic cast
There are several gay relationships in the game
The game represents and puts lgbtq people in a far greater light than any negativity from Rowling
Except it funnels money towards her which she directly stated that she conciders proof that her TERF-ness is right and doubles down on the antisemitic issues with the goblins.....
Except it also funnels money towards all the employees working on the game and all their families. Making money off of a game that has plenty of lgbt and poc representation.
Tell me how Goblins are antisemitic?
Goblins are bankers, merchants, artists, tradesmans in the Wizard world. Exactly the same as goblins or dwarves in other fantasy settings such as world of warcraft.
So why are goblins a jewish stereotype? Because some have hooked noses? That's the only difference between a dwarf. Pretty sure it makes you anti-semetic if you compare goblins to jews but not dwarves just because some goblins have hooked noses.
You are welcome to explain yourself better though.
I'm not Jewish, but I do understand history, and the use of a shofar like horn in relation to the 1612 uprising of goblins has been called out by many Jewish people and organizations as reflective of the pogroms against the Jewish uprising in Germany in 1612-1614. https://www.thegamer.com/hogwarts-legacy-draws-further-complaints-of-antisemitism/
It's not just about hooked noses and them being bankers, but those are extremely visual representations of stereotypes, and not the only negative ones JK seems to think it's fine to use and proliferate (there's also Asian and Irish ones).
Also, the "people who worked on the game" have already been paid, I worked in the game industry, unless you're a bigwig/ceo type person, you don't even have a chance at bargaining for royalties. I don't understand why people get that for movies but not games....
Lol the goblin horn looks nothing like a shofar. Do you even know what one looks like or what the horn in game looks like? It looks way closer to a viking horn than a shofar so you are totally wrong there. Very rarely bejewl or put metal on a shofar. Its also made of animal horn not wood like the goblin horn its very obliviously viking style.
How do you feel the representation of Goblins in the wizarding world is negative? Like I said they are artists and artisans. We met many in the game. Like a merchant and painter or a sweet guy with a mooncalve pet. We even get help from the badguy's brother that is working against the bad goblin because he doesn't agree with his ideals. Goblins aren't presented as a homogeneous group at all or in a negative way.
> Also, the "people who worked on the game" have already been paid,
Do you think all work ends when a game releases? Do you think they get paid a lump sum for the whole development? What do you think happens to a studio and its employees if a game doesn't sell? It shutsdown and everyone is fired.
They aren't paid once for the game dude. They are still working every day for a paycheck, to provide patches, finish the other platform ports. And if the game does well, they keep their jobs and work on the next game or dlc.
> I'm not Jewish
Then I don't you need getting offended on my behalf. I grew up in a town of 16,000 jews and none of us ever compared the golbins to jews. Its only after JK got terfy and people wanted to find reasons to get upset. Way more jews see no issue then those that do. Or non jews that want to get offended on others behalf.
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lmao
Everything you own has probably been invented by, made by, or sold to you by someone somewhere that had shitty opinions or done way worse shit than JK Rowling has. The performative bull crap is stupid.
"I only boycott what has no negative impact on my life"
That's E is the go-to geek shop in town. Beyond that, I stay home and camp my xbox or my computer. I don't like people much lol...
Same. And I've lived here my whole life.
Just to be clear is this post for looking for likeminded friends or romance?
No romance, no names, no eye contact. No kissing on the mouth. No law enforcement.
Bring a board game.
Yes
Cooking classes. Volleyball classes. You get the idea.
Meetup app is a good place to look. Not as active as other cities, but it does have good offerings.
If you have a car or are willing to ask for rides, start LARPing. Seriously, New England is probably the best place for it in the country, and the Worcester area is probably the best place in New England to have easy access to the various sites local LARPs use.
Ye Olde Commons is a fairly short drive, just down Rt 20/I-90 in Charlton.
I second this. The LARP scene is prolific, and pretty easy to get into! Looking forward to next season.
For everything in Geek/Nerd culture, I would have to point right at That's Entertainment. I've been going to their store for 35 years now, back when they were on Chandler Street. My son goes there too, primarily for vinyl. I go there for RPG material.
I can also point out decent taprooms in the area (Greater Good being the best).
Meet up go onto the app
Go online. People in the IRL usually don't wanna get hit on.
You should join the gym to get your self confidence back plus it will give you something to do.And you can meet people there.
What are you into (other than video games)? Can totally relate as it’s tough these days to meet new peeps for actually hanging out
Outside of That’s E, there’s a board game group that meets at Whole Foods cafe but I’m not sure where they are online
Check out All Systems Go?
As a fellow mid-30's introvert gamer nerd in Central Mass...all my friends are online lol.
lots of cool comedy show around! Try beths on Grafton! all those comic guys love having new people around.
Not trying to be sappy, but it was really nice seeing the nerds come out of the woodwork for this post. Nerds and Nerd Culture have been the butt of the joke for so long, when are people going to realize we run the world?, Some of the richest people in the world are nerds, Elon is a huge nerd, regardless of whether you like him or not.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, to OP, you are not alone.
nerds is cool now
If you're on Discord, we've got a server that's approaching 500 members. https://discord.gg/szXCDVpWKA
I (38m) play PZ online if you want to jump on and survive the zombie apocalypse. You can DM me if your interested. Not exactly getting out to meet people but it is meeting one person in town
All systems go, play it forward.
Meet up has a lot of activities happening
ur in the dirty woo bro.. smoke some weed like the rest of us
Redemption Rock. Bean Counter. NuCafe.
They leave 😂
Pvt_Wierzbowski t1_jbodz4n wrote
That’s Entertainment