Unpopular opinion: Board game cafes killed the hobby for me

Old school meetups at someone's house used to be all about deep strategy and actual play. Now cafes are full of people taking cell phone pics of their drinks and chatting over filler games. Did the atmosphere shift ruin the focus for anyone else?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollym125d ago

Honestly I used to roll my eyes at people who complained about board game cafes, thought they were just being gatekeepers. But you're actually making a lot of sense here, I had to sit with it for a bit. The last few times I went to a cafe I barely got through one game because people kept stopping to take pictures of their latte art or their charcuterie board. It's like the focus shifted from actually playing to looking like you're playing for social media. And yeah the games are lighter now too, nobody wants to pull out a heavy euro when the table next to you is blasting music and laughing every 2 seconds. I miss that feeling of being deep in a strategy with a group of people who actually wanted to be there for the game, not the vibe.

campbell.nora5d ago

The 7th Street Board Game Lounge near me started doing "silent game nights" once a month where you basically can't have your phone out at the table and they keep the music low. It's been a lifesaver for getting actual heavy strategy sessions in. I'd say check if any of your local spots do something similar, or ask the owner if they'd be open to trying it on a slow weeknight. Most owners I've talked to are actually frustrated with the same issue but don't want to scare off the casual crowd either. Just gotta find the right window of time, usually Tuesday or Wednesday evenings work best for the serious players.