The Rise of the Board Games Cafe

Walking into the world of an independent Board Games Café recently was an uplifting, wholesome experience. Seeing these quietly pop up in towns everywhere over the last few years, shows the human need for real life interaction away from screens and virtual worlds is increasingly sort out.

The premise of a Board Games Café is a simple concept, where you normally book a table beforehand for a set time limit. On arrival you will be shown to your table and given the option to buy café drinks and snacks. Then the real fun begins! There’s usually an area set up full to the brim with different games, that you can choose from and then take back to play at your table. You can play as many games as you would like to in your given table time slot.

The large board games library is a treasure trove of independent quirky games sitting alongside old favourites. There was an incredible depth to this range, with something to appeal to all ages and tastes. They were also categorised into how many players were needed which was a nice touch. It was also great to see how people of different ages interact with the games first hand.

The broad appeal of these Board Game Cafes is key to their success as they open into the evenings which again pull in a new audience. Most also host special events with key licensee’s or themes. They include retail areas too, where you can purchase games and activities. Some even include a games rental area where you get to take the game home for a few days then return it. Membership can also be sort at some, encouraging return customers and a shared group collective.

There were many things I loved about the experience, but perhaps the most interesting was the broad age range of people that joined us. There was a child’s birthday party in a separate area, a father and son one side and a group of teenagers playing the other side. There were of course a few older people who were chatting and enjoying the delicious cakes and coffee, but the overall feel was off different generations all wanting to come together to enjoy games and real-life interaction. For someone who works who in the industry, the idea of these games bringing a community together is certainly a lovely one.

Creative Toes Design can provide design support for all games, packaging, branding and advertising. Contact us at info@creativetoes.co.uk for more info.