Gauntlet FAQs

Gauntlet FAQs

So, what is The Gauntlet?

The Gauntlet is an annual day of games and giving hosted by Gamers Engaged.  Teams of 4 from around the games industry and community come together to compete in a gauntlet of tabletop games while raising money for a non-profit that directly impacts our community. This invite-only event is held at Mox Boarding House (Bellevue, WA. location), and has a new theme each year. 

Teams don’t have to officially represent a game company, although many teams have been given official corporate or studio support to participate in the event. Many community teams have won the event, even without corporate support- they relied on their generous network of friends and family for the fundraising portion, and gaming prowess to beat out other studio supported teams.  That’s what makes this event exciting! If you are a passionate member of the tabletop gaming community, and you’d like to fundraise for the selected beneficiary, please fill out the Gauntlet Interest Form on our website (Gauntlet Interest Form)- we’d love to have you! 

Who are we supporting this year?

This year’s beneficiary is - drum roll - Gamers Engaged! Funds raised through the tournament will help us to create a new grant funding program that will provide grants to our nonprofit partners working to increase social impact across several areas of focus:- Health/Mental Health, Education, and Community Programming.  We choose to work with nonprofits that are also committed to providing services and resources through an accessible, equitable, and empowering lens.  Additionally, these funds will help us start the work on our vision to Revolutionize How the Games Industry Engages with Philanthropy by building out programs to support Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement  Administrators across our gaming landscape.  We hope to create a space where like-minded individuals within the gaming industry can connect, share best practices, and collaborate  through volunteer opportunities, corporate matching, fundraising campaigns, and more!

What can a player expect on the day of The Gauntlet? 

The registration will start at 10:00am, and event kick-off/live stream at 11:00am on Sunday, May 19th, 2024. The event will run all day, and concludes with an awards ceremony, usually wrapping up around 7:00 pm. Most first-time participants report they were surprised by how long the day went, but that it was a blast, and went by quickly. So be prepared and pace yourself! It’s an extremely fun and rewarding experience, but the event lives up to its Gauntlet moniker.

The tournament itself consists of 2 rounds of tabletop games, a trivia round, and a finale event that is not revealed until the day of the event.

The stellar in-house restaurant at Mox Boarding House will provide catered lunch and refreshments for players and volunteers throughout the day.  

What commitments are expected of me and my team to participate?

• Teams must consist of 4 participants and one alternate/coach ready to step in should a member of the team be unavailable on the day of the Gauntlet. 

• The alternate/coach may also fundraise leading up to the event

• Willingness to fundraise for the selected beneficiary through social media in the 4 weeks leading up to the event (April 22nd – May 19th)

• Attend at least one of the three game training nights to learn the tournament games and meet some of the folks you’ll be playing with on the big day. 

What commitments will Gamers Engaged make to my team? 

With the Gauntlet, we aim to provide you and your team a day of fun and friendly competition as well as the opportunity to raise important funds through the collective generosity of our gaming community. We at Gamers Engaged are committed to:

• Offering a supportive and inclusive environment for all players who have agreed to participate. 

• Providing logistical assistance and social media copy to support all teams in the fundraising process. 

• Hosting three game training nights for teams to learn the tournament games. 2 game training nights will be offered at Mox Bellevue, and one at Mox Seattle in the restaurant private rooms.

How does the fundraising part work?

• Gamers Engaged uses DonorDrive to fundraise for our events. It is the same platform that is used in the Extra-Life, 24 hr. game-a-thons.

• Each team of 4 (plus 1 alternate) will be reaching out to their communities to raise funds that will be attributed to their team. 

• The more money your team raises in the four weeks leading up to the event, the more advantages you’ll earn on the day of the tournament. We call these “Power Ups.”

• Your team captain will set up the team DonorDrive page, and will either ask you to sign up and join your team, or can create your account for you.

• You will be given instructions for registration and participation throughout the fundraising campaign.

• The most successful teams create their fundraising strategize early (ie. determine how they will create incentives to procure donations as well as thank their donors). There is a great advantage to being ready to launch your team page by the first week of fundraising.   

• The Gamers Engaged team is happy to work with you and your team to come up with ideas for engaging your donor community. There are a lot of creative ways folks can thank their donors without needing a lot of follow up after the event.

How long has this event been going on?

The inaugural event “The Gauntlet: A Call to Engage” was established in 2014. The folks within Gamers Engaged wanted to create a fundraising event that inspired gamers to give back through a fun, challenging, and engaging tournament to play games with their peers. 

The inaugural event consisted of 10 teams of 4 from the games industry and community. It was held at Mox Boarding House Seattle, and has continued to grow year over year. Since the first event in 2014, the Gauntlet has raised more than $700,000 for charities including Game to Grow, Zeno, Young Women Empowered, El Centro de la Raza, Wellspring Family Services, YouthCare, Hopelink, Treehouse and Child’s Play. 

I’m interested! How should I proceed? 

That’s great! Use the steps below to get ready to face the Gauntlet! 

1. Gather a team of 4 players plus 1 alternate to participate in the event! Your alternate may also be someone who acts as your team coach or captain and would be the point of contact for event logistics and communication with Gamers Engaged.

2. Fill out the Gauntlet Interest Form on our website.  Someone from our team will contact you to discuss next steps to register for the event. Gamers Engaged staff will only let you register your team through DonorDrive when you have full commitment from 5 people.

3. Helpful Info: You may be put on a wait list if we have more teams interested than spots. If we end up with an open spot, someone from Gamers Engaged will follow up with your team to get registered, receive your Welcome Packet, an invitation to the Discord Server, and get you ready to launch your fundraising page!

Hope to see you this year!

-The Gamers Engaged Team