After meeting Amanda “Panda” Wong last year via social media, I learned that we were fellow foodies and I soon learned of Amanda’s amazing baking skills. Her cookies were a lifesaver during the long hours of convention gaming at Strategicon. We’ve played several games and shared several meals since then.

Amanda Wong grew up with board games in her home, but as an only child whose family moved often, she didn’t always have a playing partner. Although an extrovert, Amanda sometimes didn’t make friends easily, either.

“I feel it’s even harder as an adult. I don’t drink a lot of alcohol or go on causal dates so meeting new people has been tough,” she said. “But gaming has been a great way to meet new friends and keep in touch with old ones. It also keeps my mind sharp. I love trying to solve the puzzles and hone my strategist skills.”

After watching Wil Wheaton on Tabletop nine years ago, Amanda binged on YouTube board game videos, devouring episodes of Watch It Played and Rahdo Runs Through before buying her first modern board game: Caverna. 

When she heard about Game Haus Cafe’s Kickstarter and subsequent grand opening, Amanda brought her friend Ruby to the Los Angeles area’s first board game cafe and connected with the community of gamers there.

“I didn’t own a lot of games and this was a great way to try new-to-me games,” she said. “I found some great geeky girls to play board games with and never looked back. Ruby and I went every Saturday. [Game Haus owners] Robert and Terry were both so welcoming.”

During the gaming cafe’s early days, Amanda, Ruby, and friends were one of the few groups comprised of all women gamers, which led them to being interviewed by podcasts and blogs.

“I guess it was a novelty,” she said. “I didn’t realize how unconventional it was for women to play board games until I started looking into board game conventions.”

Ruby eventually moved away and Amanda stopped going every Saturday, but still visits regularly. “Everyone I’ve met has been really nice. There are other places to play games in the area but they didn’t feel as welcome and comfortable.”

Game Haus has not only been a place to play games both old and new, but to foster relationships in a safe space. 

“I love seeing families inside playing games,” she said. “Game Haus has a great, warm atmosphere. And there’s such a variety of games and players that I don’t think there’s really any judgement on what type of game you like to play.”

Nowadays, Amanda plays a wide variety of tabletop games, from classics like gin rummy and mah jong to modern favorites like Lords of Waterdeep and Star Realms. She always enjoys a game of Takenoko (“If you have a panda in a games, I will definitely be interested”) and worker placement games such as Asking for Trobils are also beloved (“It’s really easy to learn and not as ‘mean’ because you are not blocked from any placement spots”).

When she’s not gaming, Amanda enjoys crafting items by hand and her Instagram is filled with photos of her latest creations. “I know how to knit, crochet, jewelry designing, 3D beading, cross stitching, origami, and right now I am mainly card-making.”

Her love of pandas is also well known; at the gaming table or on social media she’s often referred to as Amanda Panda.

“As I get older, the more panda-like I get,” she laughed. “You know, someone that just wants to eat, play, and sleep.”

Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, Humans of the Tabletop is an ongoing series about the people I’ve played games with. Click here for past Humans of the Tabletop.

You know how you just get along immediately with certain people? That’s how it is with me and John Gonzalez. I’ve known John (aka Book Of Nerds on Twitter and Instagram) since August of last year, but it feels like we’ve been friends for much longer, thanks to random conversations on social media.

A former teacher, John is also a writer, miniatures painter, and podcaster. While I’ve gotten to know him through the many hours we’ve spent playing Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition, I asked John to talk about his journey into the board game hobby for this re-launch of Humans of the Tabletop.

Fifteen years ago, John Gonzalez, his wife Lorena, and his sisters would gather at his mother’s home for family game nights. Well-worn classics like Monopoly, Clue, or The Game of Life usually hit the tabletop during their regular gatherings.

“Eventually, I bought Betrayal At House on the Hill,” John recalled. “It was an illuminating experience as far as teaching goes. I had a really hard time teaching the game, mostly due to inexperience.”

When work and school began to take up everyone’s time, the game nights ended. It wasn’t until a train ride in 2009 that John re-discovered modern board games, learning Dominion during the trip to Seattle for PAX. Although he loved the deck-building classic, he had doubts about his family’s response to game.

“At the convention, I learned how to play Munchkin,” he said. “Knowing that it would be a hit with my family, I bought a copy and we started having family game nights again.”

Fast forward a few years and John found himself at the newly opened Game Haus board game cafe in Glendale, California, thanks to an invitation from Oscar, a friend of Lorena’s sister. After playing Indigo, Chinatown, and Bohnanza, John and Oscar began meeting up for more games together.

“Lorena and I started playing more games at home as well,” he said. “Our collections have grown these past few years and it’s been our main hobby since then.”

As his passion for the hobby grew, John began honing his skills as a board game teacher. Drawing on his years of experience as a substitute teacher, John utilizes techniques from the classroom when he’s teaching games.

“When I learn a new game, I start thinking about how to teach it, breaking it down into digestible chunks,” he said. “I make an outline in my head and identify the tricky bits. I think about the student, their familiarity with modern board games, and how convey the rules in a way that is approachable.”

Even when he’s not teaching a game, John is constantly analyzing how people teach a game to him, watching the methods they use. He loves learning games for two reasons: “I’m learning a new game (yay!) and I can pick up new teaching techniques.”

His enthusiasm for learning new things helped him make the leap into podcasting, as he recently joined The Five By board game podcast. “I’m a huge fan of the podcast, so I’m very excited about being one of the hosts,” he said. “Writing a five-minute review is decidedly different than writing one for a blog. I found myself having to be more succinct and to the point. It’s a different beast and I’m still learning, but I’m really energized and I love learning and developing new skills.”

Outside of board games, John and Lorena are regular participants in Extra Life, a 24-hour gaming marathon where gamers raise money to support local children’s hospitals.

“Gaming means gathering around a table with friends and having a good time, sharing some laughs, and having a bit of friendly competition.It’s an opportunity to be social and meet new people.”

Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, Humans of the Tabletop is an ongoing series about the people I’ve played games with. Click here for past Humans of the Tabletop.