How to Make Friends in Barcelona by Playing Board Games
Moving to a new city, coming out of a long relationship, changing jobs, or simply hitting your thirties and realizing your agenda is full of strangers you haven't seen in years. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone: making friends as an adult is one of the hardest things there is, and almost no one says it out loud.
The good news is there's a shortcut, and it always works: sharing a hobby with other people, regularly and without pressure. And few hobbies connect as quickly as sitting down at a table to play. In this article, we tell you why board games are one of the best ways to meet people in Barcelona, what kind of activities and proposals exist for making friends (including Slow Friending Lúdico), and how to take the first step even if you're shy or coming completely alone.
People playing board games at L' Estació - Espai Gastronòmic
Why It's So Hard to Make Friends as an Adult
As children, we made friends effortlessly because three ingredients that psychologists consider the recipe for any friendship coincided: meeting the same people many times, in a shared context, and with room to show ourselves as we are. School, university, or our first job gave us all of this for free.
As adults, these three ingredients almost suddenly disappear. We meet many people, but almost always in passing: a quick coffee, a “let’s get together sometime” that never happens, a WhatsApp group that becomes inactive or where only memes are sent or birthdays are celebrated. The important thing is missing: a place to return to with some frequency where there is something to do together.
And that's where sharing a hobby comes in.
Sharing a Hobby: The Shortcut to Connecting
Sharing a hobby solves, in one stroke, the most awkward problem of meeting new people: small talk. When there’s something to do together—play, cook, walk, paint—you don’t have to invent conversation or fill silences. The activity gives you a common goal, a rhythm, and a perfect excuse to talk, laugh, and celebrate with people you didn't know half an hour ago.
Board games are probably the hobby that best fulfills this function, and it’s no coincidence that they are experiencing a second youth precisely when leisure has become more digital and solitary. This ABC report on the rise of board game leisure noted it: boards, cards, and tokens are gaining adherents for their ability to return us to face-to-face socialization.
A shared hobby works because:
It levels the playing field for everyone. It doesn't matter your age, language, or job: at the board, everyone starts from scratch.
It creates quick closeness. Cooperating (or competing) generates in a single game the camaraderie that would take weeks in a bar.
It takes the pressure off. If you don't know what to say, it's your turn. The activity sets the pace for you.
It repeats. A good hobby encourages you to come back, and coming back is exactly what turns an acquaintance into a friend.
Activities and Proposals for Making Friends
There isn't just one way to make friends; there are formats. And the formats that work best are those that bring people with similar interests together repeatedly. Here are some suggestions, from the most general to the most specifically playful, so you can find the one that best suits you.
Board games for socializing
Regular Meetups Around a Hobby
The foundation of any new friendship is repetition. Language exchanges, hiking groups, book clubs, creative workshops, amateur sports teams, or weekly board game nights: the important thing is not so much the specific activity as that it repeats. A single meetup breaks the ice; the fourth creates a group. At KLEFF, in fact, the hobby started precisely this way, with Tuesday game nights and Sunday breakfasts in Parc de la Ciutadella, as we tell in our story.
Communities Around a Specific Interest
When a hobby truly fascinates you, the best thing is to find "your people": equally hooked individuals. Within the world of gaming, for example, there are very different communities depending on the style: social deduction and hidden roles like Blood on the Clocktower or the Hidden Roles community, modern classics like Catan, or the competitive atmosphere of tournaments. Joining a specific community greatly accelerates the process because you already start with something in common.
Specific and Themed Events to Break the Ice
Some days you want something different, and special events are perfect for meeting new faces: themed nights, demonstrations of new releases with their creators and publishers, open tournaments, or charity events. At KLEFF, we organize everything from Halloween and Carnival Game Nights to a charity X-Mas Game Night benefiting Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, plus public festivals like those covered by local press. You can see the full calendar in our activities.
Slow Friending Lúdico: Meeting People Without Rush
And if what you're looking for is specifically to meet new people, there's a format designed for that. Slow Friending Lúdico is a proposal, created by KLEFF, for making friends calmly and without pressure, using social games as an excuse to break the ice. It's a concept similar to speed dating, but with an important twist: here, you don't come to flirt against the clock, but to meet people without haste (hence the "slow").
The idea is simple: instead of being dropped into a room full of strangers and wished luck, we seat you at small tables with games designed so conversation flows naturally. You rotate, play short games with different people, and without realizing it, you've talked to half the event. Some of those games turn into friendships; others, into something more. The press has covered it from both the friendship and romance angles, in pieces like Catalunya Ràdio's report on board games "for falling in love", El Periódico's coverage of speed dating and board game plans with KLEFF, or the report that mentions Slow Friending Lúdico among the city's most original plans.
Blood on the Clocktower script
Tips for Making Friends at Events (Even if You're Shy)
Shyness isn't an obstacle to making friends; often, it's just the feeling of not knowing where to start. These tips will help you loosen up without forcing anything:
Go alone. It sounds counterintuitive, but going without a companion opens you up to the rest of the group. Someone who arrives in a closed group tends to stay in their bubble and meet fewer people. Plus, in many spaces (at KLEFF, for example), there's someone whose job is literally to help you integrate; we explain it in how it works.
Let the activity speak for you. If you're an introvert, hobbies with rules and turns are your best ally: you don't need to maintain a brilliant conversation, just follow the game. Camaraderie comes naturally when you share a goal.
Say yes to what's proposed. Even if you don't know the game, even if the table is full of new people. Asking for the rules to be explained is, in fact, the most natural way to start talking to someone.
Arrive early. When there are few people, it's much easier to introduce yourself than when the room is already full and groups are formed. The first ten minutes are the most valuable.
Don't go to "perform." You're not there to win games or please everyone: you're there to have fun. Losing with a laugh connects people as much, if not more, than winning, and removes all pressure.
Stay until the end. The best conversations often happen when the games are packed up and the pace slows down. Don't be in a hurry to leave.
Repeat. This is the most important tip of all. Friendship isn't born from one perfect night, but from meeting the same people multiple times. Choose a place you can return to and go back. On the KLEFF blog, you'll find ideas and stories so you never run out of plans.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Friends and Sharing Hobbies
How can I make friends if I just moved to Barcelona? The most effective way is to get involved in an activity that repeats over time and brings together people with your same interests: a club, a sports group, a language exchange, or a hobby community like KLEFF. The key is not the specific activity, but returning regularly to meet the same people.
What is the best way to meet people with my same hobbies? Look for organized communities around that specific interest. In the gaming world, for example, there are very different communities depending on the style: social deduction, modern classics, competitive tournaments… Joining one that fits you accelerates the process because you already have something in common.
Do board games really help in making true friendships? Yes. Sharing games creates camaraderie very quickly and, most importantly, encourages repetition, which is what turns an acquaintance into a friend. The very mission of KLEFF stems from this: using games as an excuse to connect people.
Does making friends through games also help in meeting a partner? Also. Although the focus is on friendship, it's not uncommon for a game to lead to a date. There are games specifically designed to connect, as the press noted when talking about board games "for falling in love".
Where can I meet people playing board games in Barcelona? You can see upcoming events and book your spot on KLEFF's Meetup, follow the community's daily life on Instagram @kleff.bcn, or write to us from the contact page.
Ready to Sit at the Table?
Making friends as an adult doesn't require magic; it requires a place to return to and something to do together. A shared hobby is that place, and board games are one of the easiest gateways.
👉 Check out upcoming events and come to your first meetup on Meetup, follow us on Instagram @kleff.bcn, or write to us from the contact page. We'll save you a chair.
Game "Just One"