[See & Be Seen] Pop Gaming Community & 5 Years in Shanghai

See & Be Seen is our semi-regular peek into the people, parties and pop-ups that give this city its buzz. From gallery openings and rooftop mixers to low-key scene-y happenings, we swing by, soak it in, and share a slice of what went down.

It’s a light-touch look at where we were, what it was, and who showed up – followed by a gallery at the end most importantly – photo galleries at the end.

Scroll through. You might see someone you know. Or yourself. Probably holding a drink.

2026 is going to be a big year for community in Shanghai, we can feel it already. Kicking things off with our first See & Be Seen for the year, City News Service was invited to the Pops Gaming five-year anniversary celebration. In case you’re not familiar, Pops Gaming is an expat-led community group for fans of… GAMES!

Each month they host events for table top games, role-playing games (think, Dungeons & Dragons), card games and evenings for playing video games together. They just started their second WeChat group because the first one’s at that 500 people capacity already.

About 50 folks turned up to the anniversary taking over a whole section of Abbey Road. Games were played, raffle prizes, and yes… a few tables had Abbey Road’s famous fondue.

We grabbed the group’s founder, Julie Popelka, for a few words!

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: Julie Popelka, founder of Pops Gaming

CNS: So, Julie! Congratulations on your five-year anniversary. Tell us a little bit about this event and the community.

Julie: Sure! So, we’re celebrating five years of coming together around gaming events. It’s been a pretty crazy five years. If you’ve lived in Shanghai during this time, you’ll remember… we started back in January 2021 with, like, 20 people crammed into a sushi restaurant, just playing silly sushi games.

And now it’s turned into this whole multi-event thing… mega game tournaments, quizzes, basically anything you can think of. It’s become a real community.

We’re here to have cake, connect with friends we’ve made over the years, and of course welcome in new people who’ve never been here before. We love gaming, it’s such a great way to meet new people without the “pressure” of having to just wing it. We’re growing, and excited to welcome more people who want to make friends!

CNS: How can folks get connected with Pops Gaming?

Julie: Well, we don’t have a lot of programming between now and Chinese New Year, but after CNY we’ll have a lot of events set-up for the year. In the mean time, if people want to hang out with us, we have regular meet-ups at Abbey Road on Wednesdays where we play games. Anywhere between 5-15 people come on a regular basis, so… come and play!

Caption: Directed by Jacob Aldaco.

Recognize Any of These Games?

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: Everyone knows Settler’s of Catan!

Recognize any of these?

Catan: A classic strategy game where players trade resources and build settlements to dominate the island of Catan. Negotiation and timing are everything. Catan: 5-6 Player Extension – Expands the base game to support larger groups, keeping the same core mechanics with more social chaos. Sheriff of Nottingham: A bluffing and bribery game where players try to sneak contraband past the Sheriff or profit by catching liars. Codenames: A clever word-association party game where teams try to identify their secret agents using one-word clues. Trio: A quick memory and deduction card game where players try to collect sets of three matching numbers. Skull: A minimalist bluffing game about reading opponents and knowing when to push your luck. Insider: A social deduction word game where one player secretly knows the answer and must subtly guide the group without being caught. Spots: A light, push-your-luck dice game where players roll to fill in dog spot cards without busting. Mascarade: A chaotic bluffing game of hidden roles, sudden reversals and dramatic power swings. Citadels: A strategic card game where players draft roles each round to build cities and outmaneuver rivals.

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: David, one of the long time members of the club, is a Dungeon Master for a few familiar table top role-playing games.

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: Every hour from 6pm to 8pm, they had raffles!

Credit: Julie Popelka

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Julie Popelka

Credit: Julie Popelka

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: All the games they gave away that evening, sponsored by Asmodee, a game publisher.

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: A custom cake!

Credit: Julie Popelka

Caption: Demolished

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: Yep… they even play poker!

Credit: Brandon McGhee

Caption: Hues and Cues: Players give verbal clues to describe a color on a grid, with everyone guessing how close they can get.