The bowling lanes at Radio Social are empty and the bar is bare, save a few lingering couples. But in the belly of the dining room, all 15 tables are packed with trivia attendees. Murmurs of gameplay strategies and victory cries bounce off the factory ceiling and fall in a crescendo around the room.
For Jake Cornfield, this is a typical night—if those existed.
“I try to create nights that are always different, always new and unexpected,” says the 25-year-old game master behind Game Night Rochester. “I want to create an environment where people can come out, have a good time, and not take things too seriously. Through trivia, I’m able to do that.”
Cornfield’s interest in games took off in college after he moved to Rochester and was introduced to Millenium Games, a local board game store that now sponsors his trivia nights. While he initially went into college with 15 games from home, Cornfield says he left with close to 100.
“I was spending all my money on board games instead of textbooks,” he jokes.
This interest—and some quiet Wednesday nights at Radio Social, where he worked at the time—led to Cornfield starting Game Night Rochester as an events pop-up in 2021. Since then, he has gone full-time with Game Night Rochester and catalyzed a game night renaissance with his unique ‘Twisted Trivia’ format, which includes mini games between each question (think rock, paper, scissors; giant wooden dice; a jelly bean challenge; origami).
“The bonus rounds, in and of themselves, attract people who may not be into trivia,” he says. “And they create a connection between me and the teams.” That connection is vital, and keeps players coming back week after week. But Ben Parrow, videographer for Game Night Rochester, claims the biggest draw is the game master himself. “It’s his personality and how he hosts the trivia, no one else can do it but Jake,” he says.
Rochesterians can find Game Night Rochester almost everywhere during the week, like clicking through a reel viewer. Daily Refresher, Lucky’s, Petit Poutinerie, Radio Social—even college events. Cornfield prioritizes patronage to local spots. “If every single place could be packed, I would be over the moon,” he says.
Don Alcott, general manager at Radio Social, has been behind Cornfield’s idea since the beginning, watching Game Night Rochester fulfill its promise. “It’s killer,” Alcott says. “It sells out a lot, we have to tiptoe around our dining reservations to accommodate everybody.”
Cornfield is also building his own studio space with over 600 games in Village Gate, which will allow him creative freedom to develop, test out, and offer new events without the limitations of a restaurant’s unique needs. Anyone can hire him to host an event.
Not many trivia nights can claim standing room only or players singing along to a karaoke song category so loudly the street can hear them below. All of this started with Cornfield’s desire to introduce new games to his friends and family. Now, it pays the bills. “It’s fun when your obsession becomes your job,” he says. gamenightroc.com
Just Games: Board Games for Everyone
On miniature nights at Just Games Rochester, the doors whack open as players stream in from the parking lot, balancing black boxes full of their painted figurines and three-dimensional playing mats. The backroom, which is built to comfortably fit 60 or so attendees, transforms into myriad imagined worlds and battles and galaxies. But this is only one type of event for the business.
Matt Vercant, owner of Just Games Rochester, said if he could impart anything to newcomers it would be that there is a game for everybody. Their library has 700 board games (and counting), which customers can rent for a small fee or play right then and there—sometimes all day if they wish. On one shelf alone, you can find a Buffy the Vampire Slayer card game next to a collector’s edition of Pandemic.
“Even if they’re not an experienced gamer, even if they’re not a hobbyist, board games are for everyone now,” says Vercant.
Board games—both the categories/genres and people playing them—have exploded in the last 10 years. More than 3,000 titles come out a year, so Just Games Rochester curates their selection to prioritize interaction between players and tangibility. Staff members also match customers with games that will fit their interests.
“If you have looked at a game store in the past and thought,‘that isn’t for me,’ if it hasn’t been in the last five to 10 years, look again,” he says. “If it’s not our game store, that’s fine. But go and take a look.” justgamesrochester.com
Jess Pavia is a freelance contributor to CITY.