Today we’d like to introduce you to JR. Forasteros.
JR., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The story of Game Nights with JR. is fundamentally an ethical one, rooted in a heartfelt critique of modern fragmentation. When I founded this community a year ago, I recognized that in a sprawling metroplex defined by digital screens, there was a profound, unmet need for physical, intentional community. Board games, in their capacity as powerful, almost sacred tools for shared vulnerability and strategy, were tragically locked behind a barrier: the complex rulebook. My mission was to tear down that friction. My core promise—”You don’t have to set ’em up or read the rulebook”—was and remains an ethical invitation to bypass the complexity and go straight to the human connection.
The fact that we are now fast approaching our 1-Year Anniversary is a beautiful witness to how desperately people crave this intentional space. This growth—from a single local event to an expanding presence across the metroplex—is proof that these “islands of connection” work. Every table we set and every game we teach affirms that this work is vital. Our upcoming 48 Hours of Board Games marathon is the capstone of this first year, a sustained, joyous experience that actively resists the transactional nature of modern life. We got to where we are today because the community chose to show up and transform the original idea into a vibrant, living reality.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The Precarity of Partnership in a Post-Pandemic Economy
The road has certainly not been smooth; in fact, the greatest struggle has been the essential tension between our mission—building a stable community—and the instability of the commercial landscape we rely on. We consciously chose to partner with local bars and restaurants to activate spaces that were, themselves, struggling in the wake of systemic shocks like the pandemic. However, the hospitality industry remains cutthroat, defined by financial precarity and high turnover.
Our challenge has been the profound grief of losing successful, thriving partnerships. It’s a sobering reminder of larger economic forces at play: four partner venues have been forced to close their doors since we started. Each closure felt like a genuine loss of a community sanctuary we worked hard to establish. This repeated loss forces us to constantly search for new ground, making the pursuit of stability an ongoing, necessary struggle. It’s like trying to build a new house out of cardboard and dice while the ground constantly shifts beneath you.
Resisting the Transience of the Metroplex
The second significant challenge is the transitional nature of DFW itself. The metroplex is a hub for ambitious professionals, meaning that while we excel at creating deep, immediate connections, we must also contend with inevitable goodbyes. We have watched many incredible, foundational members of our community move away, taking with them a piece of the social fabric we wove together.
This transience could easily lead to a sense of futility, but instead, we choose to treat it as an opportunity for celebration and affirmation. Our farewell gatherings—often raucous and deeply heartfelt—are an essential part of our practice. They serve as a communal acknowledgment that what we build is real and portable. Though the departure of friends is a necessary struggle, it ultimately validates the quality of the connections we forge, proving that the friendships made over a board game are profound enough to last, regardless of zip code.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Specialization: Rulebook Liberation and Intentional Inclusion
Game Nights with JR. specializes in one thing: frictionless social integration. We are not a mere retail event; we are a dedicated service designed to maximize genuine, intentional human connection.
What sets us apart is our commitment to Rulebook Liberation. The modern board game, in its complexity, can be a gatekeeper. I eliminate this barrier entirely, personally handling all the setup, rules mastery, and teaching. This frees our patrons to use their valuable time for the core purpose: shared strategy and the profound act of relating. Furthermore, our definition of accessibility is ethical, not just mechanical: we intentionally cultivate a space of radical inclusion. This means we are a visible, safe, and affirming space for the LGBTQ+ community and actively foster racial diversity at our tables. Crucially, we keep costs low—our model is predicated on equitable access. We utilize a Patreon funding model to keep participation affordable, and our Patrons often step up to sponsor free tickets for new guests, ensuring that the transformative power of our community is available to everyone, regardless of economic status.
Brand Pride: Building a Portable, Equitable Community
What I am most proud of—and what I want your readers to know—is that our brand is built on intentional inclusion and portable, sustainable community. In a cultural landscape that often defaults to homogeneity and exclusion, our thriving diversity and commitment to low-cost entry are the truest validations of our mission. We are actively engineering an ecosystem where everyone can sit down, feel safe from judgment, and focus solely on the joy of the game. Our offerings are designed to build a collective identity that transcends individual differences. We are using the shared language of cards and meeples to cultivate a beloved community that actively resists the isolation and systemic fragmentation of the hyper-urban world. We are building a place where gaming legends are born, but equitable, genuine friendships are the true, lasting victory.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love most about this city is its explosive, undeniable diversity. DFW is a crucible of cultures, a genuine intersection where global narratives collide and mix. For someone committed to social justice and the ethical mandates of community, this diversity is not merely a demographic statistic; it is the city’s highest spiritual offering. It is the living, breathing antidote to insularity and homogeneity. Every single game night is a testament to this, bringing together people of different backgrounds, races, and orientations—the very definition of a vibrant, beloved community. This richness is the city’s strength, and it provides the indispensable social fabric that makes our project of inclusion both necessary and profoundly rewarding.
Conversely, what I find most challenging is the city’s sheer size and its transient nature. The relentless sprawl of the metroplex and the constant flow of people moving in and out creates a systemic challenge to stability. It’s a vast, decentralized space that seems designed to promote individual gain over communal rootedness, leaving people digitally linked but physically and relationally isolated. We are constantly fighting the gravitational pull of transience, watching dedicated friends leave and having to rebuild connections again and again. This forces us to work harder to maintain our “islands of connection” and is a continuous, sharp reminder that the intentional creation of community is an act of resistance against the systemic pressures of modern, hyper-mobile urban life.
Pricing:
- Single event ticket: $5
- Patreon – $5/mo gets 2 tickets/month
- Patreon – $20/mo gets admission to every game night + quarterly BBQ
- Patreon – $50/mo gets 2 admissions to every game event and custom nametag
- 48 Hours of Board Games event: $100 all access pass
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gamenightsjr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gamenightsjr
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/gamenightsjr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gamenightsjr
Image Credits
Wildart Creative Studio
Ann Park
