If you are thinking about hosting a board game night, then you need a good location to do it! Trust us, game nights can get a bit rowdy, and that’s a good thing! You want to choose a place that provides both comfort and flexibility. We have the best locations for game night that you can find local to you. We will go over the best places for where to host a game night.
If you are thinking, why not just host a game night at home? Well, sometimes your house or dwelling is not always an option. You may live with other people or your house is just way too small. In some cases, you might not even have a house! This is why you must utilize local places in order to find the perfect location for your game night.
When choosing a place to host your board game night, you want to make sure there’s an adequate amount of space, plenty of lighting, and no distractions. These can be places like recreation centers, private rooms at bars, local libraries, coffee shops, or even board game stores or cafes.
We’ll tell you why each of these places can be perfect for your next game night and how you can find one of these places nearby. It is important to take in account what place will provide the best comfort and flexibility for a game night with friends.
Where to Host a Board Game Night?
If you are not able to host a board game night at home, then you must find the next best possible place where you can meet your friends for a fun filled night of playing games. As long as the place has plenty of room, great lighting for playing board games, and isn’t too noisy, then it can be an option!
You may be asking, where can I find these places? You don’t want people giving you weird looks or frustrated staff members thinking your group is taking advantage of their space. This is why it is important to choose places that will be socially acceptable for you to set up your night filled with playing games.
Depending on where you live, there should be plenty of opportunities to find public places that would be ideal to play board games with friends or family. These places can be bars, restaurants, libraries, coffee shops, or board game stores or cafes. We will go into detail about these different locations so that you can choose the best one for you.
Board Game Stores & Cafes
Board game stores are one of the best locations for game nights because they usually have open tables for players to come in and play all sorts of games. If your local board game store has a dedicated space for people to come in and play games, then go for it!
Board game stores are usually open late and open on the weekends. Most places even have a wall of free games that you can play so you don’t have to bring your own. It is a great opportunity to try out new games while also being surrounded by other people who enjoy the hobby as well.
Don’t worry if you don’t have one of these board game stores near you. There are plenty of other options on where to host a board game night.
Board game cafes are beginning to pop up EVERYWHERE. They are fuel for what most of us nerds love, board games and coffee! At board game cafes, you can enjoy refreshments while also playing board games provided by the cafe itself. Feel free to also bring your own board games and relax with your friends on comfy chairs while playing games.
Board game stores and board game cafes are great places when choosing a location for a game night. They are practically made for this exact reason, so make sure to take advantage if you have one of these stores or cafes near you!
Bars & Restaurants
If you are not located near a board game store or cafe, then a second option can be to host a game night at a bar or pub. Sometimes bars or pubs may not be the most ideal place on where to host your board game night, because there are often a lot of distractions or background noise.
However, you may be able to rent a private room or even ask for a private room to host your board game night. If you are able to score a private room, then this is a great option as you will have your own separate space away from all the noise and distractions.
You may also be able to find a restaurant in your town that doesn’t mind you taking up the table space during off peak hours. Just be courteous and make sure you aren’t taking up the space or overstaying your welcome. It’s better to be safe than sorry and avoid getting kicked out.
Therefore, make sure to ask one of the restaurant employees if it is ok if you guys stay for awhile and play. Also be sure to purchase some drinks or food regularly and don’t forget to tip your waiter or waitress well before you leave.
If you have an older group, then breweries are usually perfect because they often have social areas with huge tables where you can hang out. Things may get a little loud if it’s crowded, so it’s best to maybe go during a time when it isn’t peak hours. A lot of breweries even have outdoor areas which is perfect for playing outdoors in the summer.
Coffee Shops
Coffee shops will usually let you stay or hang out as long as you want. This is probably the most ideal ‘free’ option as you can usually push a few tables together, buy a cup of coffee, and play your games.
Of course, you won’t be in a private room so you can’t be too obnoxious as to not disrupt other patrons. Coffee shops are usually opened later than you think and have an ample amount of seating.
I am not just talking about Starbucks, there are many places other than Starbucks that have that ‘mom and pop’ feel. You just need to look around and do a quick search to see what is local to you.
Libraries
I know what you’re thinking… a library?! Yes I know this sounds a little weird, but libraries can be great places for a game night. Many local libraries have private rooms, and they are usually free to use!
You can choose a private room that has a large table for plenty of room to spread out your board games. At most libraries, these private rooms are located in the back or are sound proof, so feel free to be as loud as you want without disrupting library patrons.
The best part about libraries, they are free and mostly every town has one. They might even have old board games that you can play. It’s a win win if you ask me.
Which Location Works for You?
Now that you have a few ideas on different locations to host a game night, it’s time to do a little research on your own to see what’s out there!
You can do a quick google search for “board game store near me” or “board game cafe near me” and see if anything comes up. These will be your most ideal places to host your board game night.
Have a favorite bar or restaurant? See if they have any private rooms that you can use or rent for a night of playing games.
Coffee shops are great options if you can find one that has plenty of room and seating. You can combine tables together and grab a nice hot beverage. Coffee shops provide a nice laid back atmosphere for playing board games.
Another option is that pretty much every town has a library. Find your local library and scout it out to see if it will be a good spot to host a game night.
I hope you enjoyed this article! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. As always, happy gaming!
Looking to upgrade your game night? Check out some of our favorite board game accessories we use at every game night!