A Monthly Afternoon of Playtesting with Local Game Designers & Unpublished Games

Pittsburgh Playtest is a monthly event bringing Pittsburgh-area game makers working on unpublished games together with local players and families interested in playtesting. Come as a game creator or come as a player, or come as both!

Pittsburgh Playtests are usually on Sunday afternoons, 1pm to 4:30pm, at Carnegie Mellon University. Those coming to play are encouraged to arrive no later than 2:30pm in order to ensure you have a chance to play at least one game. Games are started on a rolling basis based on whoever is present. Game creators bringing games to playtest should arrive by 12:50pm.  Free parking is available.

Pittsburgh Playtest hosts both tabletop board games and digital games. We provide the space, tables, chairs; game makers bring their games and any equipment needed to play. Pre-registration is required for those bringing games and strongly recommended for those coming to play games. This helps us plan for the space setup and other event-related logistics.

All ages welcome! Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian the entire time.

Health & Safety Note: This is a mask-friendly event. As this is a public event where you may be in close quarters with others for long periods of time, we welcome mask wearing. It is not required.

Like games? Come play games by local Pittsburgh game makers.

Make games? Playtest your games and connect with other creators.

Upcoming Dates

We invite you to join us for an upcoming Pittsburgh Playtest! If you’d like to bring a game to playtest, you must RSVP by the Friday before to guarantee a table. If you are coming to play games, RSVPing is not required but  is appreciated as it helps us plan!

Pittsburgh Playtest follows a two-months on, one-month off schedule. We host playtests in January, February, April, May, July, August, October, & November. We are on break during March, June, September, and December.

Our next 2 playtest dates are:

Sunday July 28, 2024, 1-4:30pm
@ Carnegie Mellon University ( in the McKenna | Peter | Wright Rooms in the Jared L. Cohon University Center)

Game Makers - RSVP by Friday July 26th End-of-Day

For August, we're supporting another local event: Local Designer Day, @ Guy on the Couch in Monroeville
Sunday August 11, 2024, Noon-6pm
4049 William Penn Hwy, Monroeville, PA 15146

Game Makers - contact pittsburghplaytest@ludoliminal.com for info on how to join this events as a designer.

Sign up to attend!

Can’t make it this time but want to know about future events?

Join our Invitation List

Frequently Asked Questions

Occassionally Pittsburgh Playtest events are in the McKenna|Peter|Wright Rooms in the Jared L. Cohon University Center.  Enter the University Center and take any stairs or elevator to the 2nd floor. The McKenna|Peter|Wright Rooms are on the right as you are walking away from Forbes Ave.

Most Pittsburgh Playtest events take place at the Simmons Auditorium in the Tepper Quad building.

Getting to the Simmons Auditorium:

There’s a large parking lot, called the Morewood Gardens Parking Lot outside the Carnegie Mellon Tepper Quad building where you can park for free on the weekends. The turn to enter this parking lot is on Morewood Avenue. You’ll drive through the open lot gates. Then you’ll enter the building at the main central entrance whose doors will be unlocked. Once inside, walk past the food court and down the stairs to Simmons Auditorium.

Tepper Quad in Google Maps
-> See it!: A video guide of the walk from the parking lot to the Simmons Auditorium

The Auditorium is typically split into two halves with an A side and a B side. Depending on day, Pittsburgh Playtest will typically be in one or the other. 

Simmons Auditorium A is straight ahead while for Simmons Auditorium B,  you’ll turn right at the front of the Auditorium and walk down the hall a bit before turning left into the Auditorium.

Most Pittsburgh Playtest events take place at Carnegie Mellon University in one of two locations:

The Simmons Auditorium in the Tepper Quad building or The McKenna|Peter|Wright Rooms in the Jared L. Cohon University Center

 

There’s a large parking lot, called the Morewood Gardens Parking Lot outside the Carnegie Mellon Tepper Quad building where you can park for free on the weekends.

The turn to enter this parking lot is on Morewood Avenue. You’ll drive through the open lot gates.

Tepper Quad in Google Maps

 

 This free lot is across the street (Forbes Ave. ) from the Jared L. Cohon University Center building where the McKenna|Peter|Wright rooms are located. 

There is also paid parking in the parking garage adjacent to the Jared L. Cohon University Center.