At SVB meetings, we play hobby games. We play mostly German-style strategy boardgames such as The Settlers of Catan, Puerto Rico, or Carcassonne. We also play multiplayer Avalon Hill-style games such as Titan, historical wargames such as GMT's Paths of Glory, and a few collectible cardgames. What we play depends solely on what meeting attendees want to play, so we could certainly branch out to include other kinds of games such as miniatures.
SVB meets most Tuesdays starting around 6:00 PM at Game Kastle in Mountain View at 550 Showers Dr. (Google Maps link).
SVB meetings "officially" start around 6:00 PM, with some people showing up 15-30 minutes before then and playing some quick filler games. Most of the games we play are fairly short (1-2 hours), so if you don't show up until 8 or so you can still get in on a game. The store closes at 10:00 PM, so all games must be done by then.
SVB is very informal, and SVB meetings are completely open to newcomers. If you want to attend, just show up at the store on a day we're meeting, and maybe bring with you some of the games you want to play. The store has a large library of games available to play.
There is a Yahoo Groups mailing list for both SVB and Games Day that carries announcements, gaming session reports, and discussions of what to play at future SVB meetings. If you become a regular attendee of SVB, it's a good idea to join this list.
You can contact Dave Kohr, the creator of this Web page and Chief Instigator of SVB, at gamesday-owner@yahoogroupsSPAMFOILER.com . Note that you have to remove the SPAMFOILER or else the address won't work!
SVB can only be a success if it consistently attracts a large-enough group of enthusiastic players. If you know gamers who might like to attend, please tell them about SVB!
Some of the people involved in SVB also organize a series of quarterly Bay Area Games Day events. These are day-long open gaming sessions with an attendance of around 50 people. They are held in the Community Room of the Los Altos Public Library. See the Games Day Web Page for more details.