8 Best Board Game Cafes for NYC Families

8 Best Board Game Cafes in NYC

Playing board games is a great way to bond as a family. Board games teach strategy and sportsmanship, and they’re just plain fun. Your family game nights don’t have to be limited to your living room anymore.

If you’re looking to bring some new life to your Family Game Night, check out one of New York City’s board game cafes!

Board game cafes have been becoming more popular in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. For a small fee, you and your family can have a night of board game fun.

These cafes typically have a library stocked with hundreds of different games and some delicious food to go with them.

Here are 8 of the best board game cafes in New York City to check out with your family.

Psst… Here are 11 Things to Do Near NYC with Kids Who Are Obsessed with Dinosaurs!

The Uncommons

230 Thompson St., New York, NY

Manhattan’s first board game café boasts one of the largest libraries of games on the East Coast. Play classic games, like Monopoly and Risk, or try your hand at the newest games on the scene or games by independent designers.

You may even go home with a new favorite game. A night at The Uncommons is sure to be fun for the whole family.

Next Move Cafe

6 Bay 23rd St., Brooklyn, NY

Hang out in Next Move Cafe’s cozy common area and play some of your favorite games while drinking bubble tea. The game collection here is massive, so you’ll definitely want to make multiple trips to try out everything the café has to offer.

Their menu has options you can’t get at any other board game café, including milk tea, kimchi fries and kimbap.

Hex & Company

2911 Broadway, New York, NY

1462 1st Ave., New York, NY

801 Broadway, New York, NY

Visit one of Hex & Company’s two Manhattan locations for open play of over a thousand tabletop games, role playing game meetups and other community events.

Hex & Company also offers a variety of in-person and online after school programs for kids. These clubs are focused on exploring strategic thinking and encouraging teamwork and good sportsmanship.

Main St. Board Game Café

307 Main St., Huntington, NY

Unplug and enjoy an analog gaming experience with your friends, family and other gaming enthusiasts. While you game, dine on snacks and drinks like milkshakes, lattes, hot pretzels and more.

Looking for an at-home gaming experience or want to expand your home game library? You can order board games, collectible card games and RPG books for pick-up or delivery.

Squarrel Cafe

572 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY

This cozy café in Brooklyn is best known for bubble tea, coffee and lots and lots of board games. They have regular game night events, and you can always enjoy a quick board game with your regular coffee stop in store.

Take your favorite games home with you through the store’s game rental program!

Sip & Play

471 5th Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Sip & Play is a homey, brick-lined café, sure to provide a fun gaming experience for all visitors. Peruse the shelves and shelves of games, order from the cafe’s expansive food and drink menu and take a seat for a relaxing night of board gaming.

Have a little one that can’t get enough of board games? Look into their after school game design academy for upper elementary schoolers and middle schoolers. Their inaugural year has kicked off already, but keep an eye out for future programs.

The Brooklyn Strategist

333 Court St., Brooklyn, NY

Find a gaming community at the Brooklyn Strategist. Drop in with your family and play one of the 500 games in the store’s gaming library.

Sign your game-loving kid up for an after school program, where they can sharpen their minds and make new friends.

Looking to take your gaming skills to the next level? Take a lesson in games like chess, Catan, Magic the Gathering and more.

Last Place on Earth

531 Graham Ave., Brooklyn, NY

It’s easy to feel at home in this women-owned entertainment café. Grab a comforting cup of tea or coffee and drop in for open play board games.

Last Place on Earth also has a full lineup of events for adults as well as kids, including couples game nights, yoga classes, book clubs and Dungeons and Dragons nights for kids, teens and adults.

The Ailey School – First Steps and Bounding Boys

<blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div dir="ltr"> <div class="m_-3740164643787738207m_4977048992707393770WordSection1"> At The Ailey School, FIRST STEPS offers a structured creative movement curriculum that allows girls (ages 3-6) and boys (age 3), to develop body awareness and control and learn the basics of dance technique. BOUNDING BOYS (ages 4-6) provides a more athletic experience, and an energetic approach to teaching dance skills. </div> </div> </blockquote>

Young Actors at Strasberg

Young Actors at Strasberg&nbsp;offers a comprehensive array of acting programs for students in grades 2 &ndash;&nbsp;12. Classes provide kids and teens with a foundation in Lee Strasberg's Method Acting and the tools to succeed in the professional industry &ndash;&nbsp;all while maintaining a fun and playful environment. Programs are tailored to encompass students at all levels, from those just beginning their acting journey to Broadway veterans and professional child actors. Young Actors at Strasberg alumni include Lady Gaga, Sophia Lillis, Angelina Jolie, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Rosario Dawson! Young Actors&nbsp;Programs are available online and in-person at our New York Campus, located in Union Square. Saturday, After-School and Online classes are offered during the traditional school year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) and Monday through Friday day camps and intensives are held in&nbsp;July and August. About The Lee Strasberg Theatre &amp; Film Institute: Founded in 1969 by Lee and Anna Strasberg, The Lee Strasberg Theatre &amp; Film Institute is the only school that teaches Lee Strasberg's work in its complete and authentic form. The Institute's goal is to provide students with a craft that will help them create a reality and respond truthfully in imaginary circumstances, regardless of the style or form of material being used. LSTFI is proud to have award-winning alumni from around the world working as writers, directors, and actors in all mediums.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

8 Best Board Game Cafes in NYC