When "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Wednesday night ran with its "Allentown, PA Community Calendar" sketch with actress Amanda Seyfried representing her hometown of Allentown, PA, one throwaway joke landed squarely in familiar territory for North Penn board gamers.
Among the mock calendar listings was a very real event: a board game night hosted Friday night at Naugle Funeral & Cremation Service in Quakertown.
Colbert delivered the line like a punch card from a well-worn deck, joking it was perfect for anyone who has ever thought, “Settlers of Catan? I would rather be dead.” Cue laughter. Cue applause. Cue the quiet realization that a local game night had just rolled a natural 20 on national television.
A win for the whole party
Behind that TV mention is the Lansdale PA Board Game Group, a 823-member public Facebook group that has been steadily building community one pawn at a time across Lansdale, Montgomeryville, North Wales, Hatfield, and beyond. The group focuses on modern tabletop gaming, think Euro-style favorites like "Settlers of Catan" and "Castles of Burgundy," with room at the table for Ameritrash titles and train games too.
If that sounds intimidating, the group’s philosophy is the opposite. New players are welcome, rules are taught, and no one is expected to show up knowing the difference between a worker placement and a deck builder. The only real requirement is a willingness to play.
The Quakertown event that made Colbert’s radar was organized by Benjamin Alvarez, Nick Andreas, and fellow group members, and hosted Friday at 7 p.m. in the gathering room at Naugle Funeral & Cremation Service at 157 W. Pumping Station Road.
Yes, a funeral home. Yes, the funeral director is an avid gamer. And yes, this has become part of the group’s charm. Where else can strategy, laughter, and dice coexist so peacefully?
Rolling forward in Lansdale
Closer to home, the group’s momentum keeps growing. This Thursday night, the St. John’s UCC Board of Educators is hosting a winter-themed community game night at its Lansdale church, complete with a shared game library, snacks, and seasonal flair. It is planned as a recurring, family-friendly event on the third Thursday of each month, proof that tabletop gaming continues to find new spaces and new players across the borough.
For longtime members, the Late Show shoutout was a fun surprise. For newcomers, it is a reminder that what feels like a small local gathering can still land on a national stage. One joke, one venue, one board game night, suddenly part of late-night TV canon.
As any seasoned gamer will tell you, sometimes the biggest wins come from the most unexpected cards in the deck.
And in this case, North Penn drew a very good hand.
