Events

Jockey for the top spot on the speed puzzling leader board in this month-long jigsaw competition at Diversions! Throughout the month, teams of two or four can attempt their fastest time at assembling either a 300 or 500 piece puzzle anytime during Diversions’ open hours. Simply check-in, pick your puzzle, and let those fingers fly!

The leaderboard will be updated throughout the month, so if another team outpaces your puzzling, fear not – your team can make multiple attempts during the month to stay in the lead! But don’t wait too long – the fastest 2-person and 4-person teams will be selected on the month’s LAST BUSINESS DAY and receive a free puzzle, free drink vouchers, and bragging rights as Diversions’ Lead Marathoning Jigsaw Jockeys!

Entry is $10/team, with each subsequent attempt free with a purchase.

May/June Marathon Leaderboard

Island Spirits join forces using elemental powers to defend their home from invaders.

Looking for your next favorite game or to learn a game with others? Join local game guru Scott to enjoy a new gaming experience. With the benefit of having a knowledgeable guide to help you enjoy the game to the fullest, it’s sure to be a good time! No ticket needed, and players are encouraged to claim a seat for the game on Aftergame!

Game: Spirit Island
Spirit Island is a complex and thematic co-operative game about defending your island home from colonizing Invaders. Players are different spirits of the land, each with its own unique elemental powers. Every turn, players simultaneously choose which of their power cards to play, paying energy to do so. Using combinations of power cards that match a spirit's elemental affinities can grant free bonus effects. Faster powers take effect immediately, before the Invaders spread and ravage, but other magics are slower, requiring forethought and planning to use effectively. In the Spirit phase, spirits gain energy, and choose how / whether to Grow: to reclaim used power cards, to seek new power, or to spread their presence into new areas of the island.

The Invaders expand across the island map in a semi-predictable fashion. Each turn they explore into some lands (portions of the island); the next turn, they build in those lands, forming towns and cities. The turn after that, they ravage there, bringing blight to the land and attacking any native islanders present. The islanders fight back against the Invaders when attacked, and lend the spirits some other aid, but may not always do so exactly as you'd hoped. Some Powers work through the islanders, helping them, for example, to drive out the Invaders or clean the land of blight.

Whether you're looking to just get an overview, have a rundown of the rules, play a few rounds, or experience a full game, Scott will provide guidance and encouragement (and maybe a little friendly competition) as players try out this new game together.

RESCHEDULED TO THE SECOND SATURDAY FOR JUNE!

Enjoy an afternoon of gaming and conversation with other LGBTQ+ gaymers, hosted by Press Coffee & Diversions! Choose from 40+ games or join our 'hosted table’ — a featured game for folks who might arrive solo, gaymers who want to try a new game, or people looking for new social connections. Grab a name tag, pick out your (first) game, and enjoy — it's as easy as that! 

Press Coffee is an accessible gathering space for all who want to join, and they'll be serving up irresistible drinks and snacks. Build community with new and familiar faces at these monthly Gaymers Gatherings, every third Saturday of the month from 2-5PM or monthly at Diversions.

About Gaymers Gathering:
Diversions hosts Gaymers Gatherings with the goal of building community and creating a safer, inclusive, and intentional space for the LGBTQ and gaming communities. We encourage you to stop by and roll some dice, puzzle over some pieces, embark on a quest, or just come to chat! As a Queer-owned business, Diversions is proud to offer these events for our community to enjoy. All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend, whether you are looking to game or not. You can bring your own game or choose as many as you'd like from Diversions' game library! Gaymers Gathering also happens monthly at Diversion -- please confirm dates and times here. 

YOU: A ttrpg lover or novice seeking tabletop connections. THEM: Your future ttrpg crew!

Are you new to ttrpgs? Or are you looking for a group to play with or GM for regularly? Whether your thing is D&D, Call of Cthulhu, Daggerheart, Blades in The Dark, or the wide variety of rpgs out there, this Tavern Night IS FOR YOU!

By the end of the night, our goal is for you to depart with new friends and contacts in the ttrpg community at Diversions, with bright prospects for regularly scheduled or campaign play!

The Night will include:

• TTRPG town hall: together we will discuss different systems, styles of play, and best practices in the hobby.

• Matchmaking based on preference for being a GM or Player, as well as game or system.

• Mingling with other attendees to make contacts, discuss or play games, and complete Side Quests!

Whether you’re looking to find a group to GM for, play with, or both, come ready to mingle and connect with your future ttrpg crew! Not currently looking for a group? Your experience and passion would bring joy to the space and provide help to new players!

Bring any RPGs you’re looking to discuss or even play, in order to help introduce folks to where your interests fall. We’ll even have the space for groups to run short-form session games to end the night!

Attendance is Free -- no ticket or Gaming Pass required. RSVP is appreciated on Aftergame.

Knick-knacks, baubles, and tchotchkes, oh my! Bitchin’ Market returns to Diversions for a bigger and better SUMMER edition! We will have more details soon, so check back in to see which vendors you will be able to enjoy and what kind of exciting deals we will have available.  

LET’S PLAY! Game, socialize, and build a sense of community and joy together at Diversions for our FREE Second Sunday Social! Whether you bring your friends or show up solo, you'll have a fun time gathering around a game with friendly faces.

We’ll have nametags available and ‘Open Table’ signs on most tables to make it easy to meet, greet, and play! Join our greeting game as you arrive — featuring one of our party-style games — to easily jump in and meet others. When you’re ready to try another game, our staff will be available for game recommendations, assistance with setup, or learning new games.

The main social is from 2-5PM, but gaming is free ALL DAY. Making new friends can be hard, but make it a little easier by sharing a game together! Head to Aftergame to let us know you’ll be attending and see who else might be joining!

Join Diversions for a thrilling round of Blood on the Clocktower every week! This Level Up session aims to build on prior experience while also introducing players to more complex elements of the game, such as Madness or changing alignment. Players are expected to understand the basics of the game and be ready to level up their skills!

Click here to see all scheduled Clocktower events and details.

• $6 for a Player Pass, which is required to participate — grab yours here!
• Spots are limited to 15 players for each session.
• Doors open at 5:00PM and participants are encouraged to mingle prior to the game. Each game starts at 5:30 SHARP. 

STORYTELLER: Jack G.

OPENING SCRIPT: Onion Pies

Will your corporation lead the way into humanity’s new era?

Looking for your next favorite game or to learn a game with others? Join Michele to get a step-by-step explanation of the gameplay (little to no reading required!) followed by one or more plays of the game. With a knowledgeable guide to answer your questions along the way, this is the best way to get to know a new game.

Game: Terraforming Mars
Corporations are competing to transform Mars into a habitable planet by spending vast resources, and using innovative technology to raise temperature, create a breathable atmosphere, and make oceans of water. As terraforming progresses, more and more people will immigrate from Earth to live on the Red Planet.

In Terraforming Mars, you control a corporation with a certain profile. Play project cards, to build up production and your tableau, place your cities and greeneries on the map, and race for milestones and awards!

Whether you're looking to just get an overview, have a rundown of the rules, play a few rounds, or experience a full game, Michele will provide guidance and encouragement (and maybe a little friendly competition) as players try out this new game together.

No ticket required, but let us know you’re interested by claiming a seat on Aftergame!

This Advanced session is open to any scripts the Storytellers deem worthy – the possibilities are endless! Players will be expected to have a strong understanding of the game, characters, and rules and be ready for a challenge.

Click here to see all scheduled Clocktower events and details.

• Player Pass cost is $12, which is required to participate - grab yours here!
• Spots are limited to 15 players for each session
• Doors open at 5:30PM and participants are encouraged to mingle prior to the game. Each game starts at 6:00 SHARP. 

STORYTELLER: Andy M.
OPENING SCRIPT: TBD

GAYME with PRIDE during Pride Week, sponsored by Iowa City Pride!

Just mention ‘Iowa City Pride’ when you stop in between 6-11PM for a FREE Gaming Pass to kick off your Pride weekend – we’ve got plenty of room for all the queer, masc, gay, femme, butch, top, sub, genderqueer, side, or chaotic bisexual energy you want to bring! Whether you are sitting solo or the besties join you, come enjoy our:

• Library of 450+ games and puzzles
• Selection of classic snacks and unique drinks
• Spacious gaming tables

Find out more about Iowa City Pride’s official lineup of Pride Week activities at iowacitypride.org. 

Diversions will have a booth at Iowa City Pride in Downtown Iowa City — come by and say hello! Parade begins at Noon with entertainment, vendors booths, and more continuing into the evening! Learn more about the festivities here.

Diversions will be open during our regular business hours.

With the current revival mahjong is experiencing in mainstream culture, we are excited to be welcoming a new monthly mahjong gathering at Diversions to introduce folks to the game, improve player skills and comfort, or help players find other folks to join a table!

New players are welcome, as are seasoned Chii callers, and everything in between. Tables will be available, some sets will be provided, and the free popcorn will be plentiful! No ticket needed, and players are encouraged to claim a seat for the game on Aftergame.

NOTE: The primary variant played so far has been Japanese/Richii, but other variants are welcome.

Join Diversions to learn the thrilling hit game Blood on the Clocktower! This cryptic social deduction game might remind players of similar games (such as Mafia, Werewolf, or Traitors), but this game has become known for its unique roles and twists. With sessions every week, we're excited to welcome more players to the game through these introductory, learn-to-play sessions.

Click here to see all scheduled Clocktower events and details.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. This session is geared towards folks who haven’t played before; the Storyteller (the game host) will go over the rules in depth before diving in to at least one full play-through, and will pause throughout the game to provide context and explanation to assist player understanding.

Doors open at 5:00pm and participants are encouraged to mingle prior to the game. The game starts at 5:30 sharp! This event is FREE, but a Player Pass is required to participate!

Storyteller: Jessi H.

Read more about Blood on the Clocktower here!

Dive into the world of Golarion as an agent of the Pathfinder Society, or perhaps give aid to the people of the Pact Worlds as part of Starfinder Society during Paizo Organized Play sessions at Diversions! These open role-playing sessions welcome players of all experience levels; with the option to join as your schedule allows, this format of RPG play is great for players with busy or unpredictable schedules.

Pathfinder & Starfinder Society meets at Diversions on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, starting at 5:30 PM. Session playtime varies and usually takes no less than three hours. Details of upcoming sessions can be found here!

Learn more about Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society, or find out where our local Shifting Corridors Lodge hosts games elsewhere across the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area! 

Is there an idea for a game you’ve been pondering over for years? Maybe you even have a few rules written down or have a full set of cards already made! Or perhaps you’re a gamer who loves the idea of playtesting games in development and working with designers to refine their concept.

Join us for this monthly game designer meetup, which aims to support and network game designers, artists, playtesters, and the wider community with an appreciation for the game design process. We encourage any aspiring designers to bring in a game or game concept they have been working on to give a brief pitch about it – a bit of a show-and-tell so we can see all the interesting projects our community is working on.

Join us the last Friday of every month (7-10PM) for this game designer meetup, and join our Discord channel to connect with other designers!

Join us anytime during our regular hours on 6/27 to check out the games, freebies, and a bunch of cool, new RPG materials from big name and indie publishers alike. Get a preview of the games and materials at the link above and get hyped to have a chance to take some of it home!

FREE TTRPG GAMING ALL DAY! Anyone who visits our gaming space to play a TTRPG — either with a group or in search of one — won’t be required to have a gaming pass!

CHANCE TO WIN FREE RPG MATERIALS! All TTRPG players who stop in can enter our free raffle for some free merch, games, and more, while supplies last. No purchase required.

Volunteer to run a game from the list below and get a guaranteed copy of the game you run! To volunteer, create a game within the Free RPG Day event on Aftergame – please reach out to hello@diversionsic.com for any technical assistance. Guaranteed prize materials for those who volunteer are first come first served; only one GM per game from the list below.

• Quickstart Adventure Bundle from Magpie Games

• The Secret Wars Expansion Preview from Marvel: The Secret Wars Expansion

• KAGUYA PROTOCOL from Mythworks

• Pathfinder Free RPG Day Adventure: Things Go to Hell from Paizo

• Starfinder Free RPG Day Adventure: Rescue on Raxil from Paizo

• Fossilized Violence from R Talsorian Games.

• Tradition of Destruction from Renegade Game Studio

• Legend in the Mist from Son of Oak:

• Vaesen: Nordic Horror Roleplaying Quickstart from Free League

• Pretenders to the Rat King's Throne from Goodman Games

• Creed Shadow Stalker from Knight Vision Creative

• Runes of the World Tree Quickstart from Kobold Press

• Pirate Borg: Terror in Tortuga from Limithron

• Dungeon Beneath the Brightspire from Loke Battle Mats

• Daggerheart: The Dying Spire from Darrington Press

• Zombicide: Plaguebearer RPG from Edge Studio

• Dungeons & Kittens: An Afternoon Outing from Edge Studio

• Arkham Horror RPG

• Everyday Heroes: All Bets Are Off! From Evil Genius Games

• Dolmenwood Quick-Start from Exalted Funeral

• Obojima: 5e Setting

• Level 1 Free RPG Day indie RPG Anthology from 9th Level Games

• The Cosmere RPG: Law and Obligation from Brotherwise Games

• Wizard Riders from Catalyst Games

• The Age of Vikings Quickstart from Chaosium

• Creature Curation Presents #1 from Creature Curation

It’s back for its 9th year — Iowa City Downtown Block Party is a perfect way to celebrate summer. Diversions will be there running speed puzzling for prizes! We’ll also have casual puzzles and games. The event runs from 3-10pm.

Diversions will be open during our regular business hours.

Time for a summer puzzle swap!

Freshen up your puzzle selection by meeting up with other local puzzlers and trading your gently used puzzles. And we're making swapping easy, too!

• Drop off your gently used puzzles any day before June 27th during Diversions' regular hours.

• For every puzzle you drop off, you’ll receive a ticket that you can use to pick out another puzzle during the swap!

• We will have some puzzle tables open throughout the swap, so feel free to linger, mingle, and put a few pieces together!

• Have puzzles with missing pieces and/or damaged boxes that you’d like to rehome? Feel free to bring those, too! We will add them to our free puzzle pile for anyone to take if they wish. (While you won't get a ticket for these puzzles, their departure from your storage may give you room for a few more new puzzles!)

Jockey for the top spot on Race Day at Diversions!

Can your team of (up to) four assemble a 500 piece puzzle faster than the rest? On Sunday, June 28th from 3-5PM, gather your best puzzle pals to race against the clock (and a few other teams) to be the first to complete your puzzle!

Let your nimble fingers fly as you puzzle to completion. Whether you are competitive or simply looking for a fun group activity, this speed puzzling competition will be sure to grab your attention and challenge your skills.

Team registration is $50 and teams get to keep the puzzle after they've crossed the finish line!

Face off against your friends and foes in a hand-to-hand combat… of speed puzzling!

This 1v1 style of speed puzzling offers a quick challenge, utilizing 100 piece puzzles in a face-off over two rounds. After completing the border together, jockeys take turns placing pieces while timing how quickly they select and place each piece. Whichever jockey has the fastest cumulative time at the end of the two rounds is the winner of the bout!

This is our first time running this style of speed puzzling at Diversions, so entry will be free for now. We hope to get some feedback during these events to help us make any tweaks necessary to turn this into one of our core puzzle events in the future!

This Advanced session is open to any scripts the Storytellers deem worthy – the possibilities are endless! Players will be expected to have a strong understanding of the game, characters, and rules and be ready for a challenge.

Click here to see all scheduled Clocktower events and details.

• Player Pass cost is $12, which is required to participate - grab yours here!
• Spots are limited to 15 players for each session.
• Doors open at 5:00PM and participants are encouraged to mingle prior to the game. Each game starts at 5:30 SHARP. 

STORYTELLER: Jessica I.

OPENING SCRIPT: Blind Man's Bluff

Join in for a weekend of gaming fun at eastern Iowa’s longest running gaming convention: Gamicon! Since 1991, Gamicon has celebrated board games, card games, roleplaying games, social games – and even video games and computer games – with a weekend of game demos, tournaments, play-to-wins, auctions, and more! It’s a gathering of community you won’t want to miss.

Learn more about Gamicon on their website.