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It is incredible to see more and more board gaming cafes popping up all over the land. The huge success of modern board games and the growth of the industry has driven this rise. No longer a niche hobby tucked away in the shadows and basements, oh no! These cafes are popping up in our town and city centres, on our high streets with great looking shop fronts enticing us into very warm and welcoming establishments with friendly staff and wonderful people. These establishments are bringing, showcasing even, this wonderful hobby and creating amazing spaces for players to connect with people, building new friendships and allowing the customers to have a fun time.
The blogging team here at Zatu want to celebrate this and share some of our favourite cafes that we are frequenting.
Outrider Games, Lichfield - David Ireland
This wonderful establishment was set up only last year in 2024 and has only been open for a few months now. It has been very well received in the city of Lichfield and is increasing in popularity all the time.
They have a big focus here on tabletop wargames, particularly Warhammer, with some stunning pre-made tabletops to take your armies to and battle over. They look amazing and a great space for wargamers to compete across.
You cast your eye around the store and there is some cool picture art up on the walls, a few cabinets set up with some beautifully painted miniatures from different gaming disciplines, then the retail section with a small café as well as games and miniatures available for purchase. I have been very happy with my coffee from here.
Then there is my main area of interest which is the board game corner where there are half a dozen tables for hire and a huge shelving unit stuffed full of assorted board games that customers can borrow for their session (if they haven’t brought their own). It’s a great collection with something available for everyone. From your heavy gamers right through to your new gamers and young children. My children have repeatedly asked me to go again because they’ve had a lot of fun each time. Last time we played Super Mario Jenga, Connect 4, Looping Chewie and Quirkle. Great fun!
The team has done an amazing job with this space and I am looking forward to many more visits and gaming events in the future. Check out their website, check them out on social media or better yet, get yourself along for a game and cuppa.
Settlers Shawlands, Glasgow - Sam de Smith
Today I'm giving a massive shout-out to my amazing flgs Settlers Shawlands. I'm so lucky to have such a warm, friendly store literally walking distance from my house. Settlers has been open about a year now, having relocated to our area of Glasgow - and it's genuinely like a second family to a whole section of gaming crowd hereabouts.
You can get a great coffee, a tasty lunch (ask for the off-menu Vali Special - trust me) and a friendly game of cards. Trading and playing is chill despite competitive-level players - everyone's welcome at Settlers. Good vibes all round. Dog friendly, with Queen Bea the pug regularly holding court, you can happily sit back and play from the huge basement boardgame library for a wee while for a very reasonable Fiver deposit that is redeemable against anything, be it gaming product, caffeine or munchies.
Owner Shazz describes it as My First Game Store, where the completely clueless can get something for geeky gifting, the young can start a new a game and the casual fan can always find something. But that's actually a bit of a disservice: for what appears to be a wee shopfront, it has a deceptively huge range of stock from manga, art books, Funkos and plushies to boosters, singles, RPGs, GW miniatures, boardgames old and new, and even my favourite brand of paints, Vallejo Colors.
Shazz and Vali between them have an encyclopaedic range of gaming expertise, each specialising in different card, board, mini and rpgs, and will quite happily chat for ages - or for the tired grown-up accompanying their spawn, you can freely just sit and chill.
We should all be so lucky to have such a great place!
D20 Watford Board Game Cafe By Dan Street-Phillips
I moved to Hertfordshire about four years ago just after I had come back to board games as a hobby and I am so glad I very quickly found the amazing D20 in Watford. Board game cafes have been popping up everywhere over the last 10 years and are not only a place to go and play a game you don’t have, but are so much more important. D20 opened in 2017 just down the road from Watford Junction station and after a covid closure, reopened again in 2021 in a big bad way. Their collection is huge and they boast over 800 games to choose from and works on a £2 per hour (concessions available at half price) per person charge. Not only are there hundreds of games to choose from, the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful and will guide you if you just want to wander in with little to no preparation or game knowledge. This is all great but what gets my husband there more than the games are their killer milkshakes! Their choice of food and drink is great but you cannot go wrong with one of their milkshakes! Finally, all good games cafes rely heavily on their events and D20 hosts an eclectic mix of fantastic events from TCG tournaments to quiz nights and Blood on the Clocktower evenings but the one that stands out that is sadly not a given in every cafe is their monthly Quingle (queer mingle). This has become a welcoming safe space for queer gamers to meet and play games together and I have made some great friends from these nights. So if you are near Watford (or their newer cafe in Uxbridge) go and support the amazing D20.
Dice Tower, Basingstoke – Stefano Paravisi
Board Game cafes have always caught my interest. They are a great way to try out games you may not have, to meet new like-minded players and, in general, to spend time playing with friends and family while enjoying a drink and a good meal. Part of the fun is also taking the opportunity of travels and holidays to discover new places and new communities.
It was actually during one such small trip that my family and I found a really cozy board game cafe in Basingstoke that will lately become our main local destination. The Dice Tower sits right in the heart of the town centre a few minutes away by foot from a large shopping centre and a few very handy parking areas. The cafe has a strong pop culture theme and it offers a good selection of board games, many TTRPG’s, plenty of Graphic Novels and comics, and hosts a lot of events and routine meet-up. The team is super welcoming and they make every possible effort to be very inclusive and to make you feel part of a larger community.
I remember my family and I played Disney Villainous during our first visit although I lost the entry in my BG stat app so I am not really sure who won that time. As funny as it can be, a few months later my son and I travelled there again to join the weekly Disney Lorcana league at The Dice Tower and we have been playing there since then. The weekly appointment on Sunday morning for us has not only been an opportunity to play the game but, most important, to meet new friends and to become part of a great group. We also travelled all together to the Lorcana Challenge in Birmingham wearing a shirt with the logo of the Dice Tower! And when we are tired of playing Lorcana or we want to stay longer, the Dice Tower offers plenty of other activities to enjoy without the need to pay additional fees!
Thirsty Meeples, Oxford - Roger BW
I go to Thirsty Meeples once a month or so to try out games that are new to me. It’s in the centre of Oxford, on Gloucester Green; pay a cover charge (as I write, £7 a person if you’re going to order food and drink, £9 otherwise) and you have your table for three hours. The menu offers snacks rather than meals: sandwiches and bar nibbles, along with a wide selection of drinks, alcoholic and otherwise.
There are regular weekly events (Mondays are for Arkham Horror and Netrunner, Wednesdays for X-Wing Miniatures) where you can find an opponent for the game of the evening, or you can always just book a table as a group and play whatever you fancy. (They tend to be pretty busy most evenings, especially during Oxford term time, so it’s probably worth booking anyway.)
The extensive games library is catalogued on the web site. The owner has always had a policy of seeking out obscure games as well as what’s most popular, so you’ll find some interesting oldies (some of them stored off-site, so if there’s a particular game you want you can ask for it when you book) as well as some very prompt new releases—I played Rock Hard 1977 here the month before its official launch at Essen 2024. Some of the older games aren’t in the best condition, but they’re always playable, and it’s interesting to see how well components survive when a game is being played rather more intensively than my own copy will be.
Of course you don’t need to plan: pick something off the shelves, or the staff will make suggestions. If you want to be taught a game, they’ll do that too. Most of the shop is gaming space, but there’s a fair selection of new releases for sale as well as a constant turnover of party games.
Distinct Gaming, Belpar - Luke Griffiths
Distinct Gaming in Belper holds a special place in my heart! An expired gamer for about 20 years, a university friend who I had not seen for a long time mentioned that he was gaming in my hometown. I went along to Distinct Gaming and was made to feel so welcome by the community there I have been a regular player ever since.
Community Led
Distinct gaming has had some changes to its ownership over the years, it is currently run by a team of five that have been part of the store community since it opened. This community feel is at the core of what Distinct Gaming is about.
Games
With a huge library of games to choose from, there are plenty of options for a group to just turn up and play. Additionally, there are regular “learn to play” events for a variety of games (Kill Team, Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, Star Wars Legion etc). Also, the hugely popular Blood on the Clocktower after hours events that always sell out. Add in a monthly quiz featuring extended opening and the chance to stay and play for 13 solid hours, Distinct Gaming has a lot of positives. However, there are some games that are incredibly popular and deserve special mention.
Magic the Gathering
By some measure the most popular game. They run Magic the Gathering events every Friday and often hold other events during the week, including “pauper” events for the more casual player.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Running on a Sunday afternoon from 3-5pm for under 16s, the Pokémon Club is a really popular event. My son attends each week for friendly casual games and trades.
Bolt Action
The WWII tabletop game has a huge following amongst regulars, there tends to be weekly games happening in the store.
Things to Know
With a flat fee of £5 per person for as long as you need, Distinct Gaming is a great place to game. There are snacks and drinks available for players and staff are happy for you to bring more substantial food items into the store during longer sessions. If you are local to Belper, it is well worth a visit.
Final Thoughts
You can see the love and enthusiasm us bloggers have for our local cafes. If you live near any of these places it goes without saying we recommend them and you should get yourself along. If not, google search what’s available, there will be one close by and get yourself along to check them out.
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