If you’re ever craving some low-stakes friendly competition and in-person hangs with friends, one of the best places to head is one of London’s board game cafes. These provide the same vibes as playing cards in your favourite pub or cafe but with a much more extensive selection of games to play. A great example is Draughts’ two board game bars around London, which boast an enormous number of games to play and a great environment in which to enjoy them.
Draughts, which celebrates its tenth birthday this year, operates board game bars in Waterloo and Dalston. With over 1,000 titles to choose from at each site, they’re the perfect spots for chilled-out hangs with friends or unique first dates. But be warned – things could get pretty competitive depending on which games you pick!
So, how does it all work? Guests pay an admission fee (which starts at £7.25 during off-peak hours), which gets them a table to play on and unlimited access to ALL the games for up to three hours. For far less than the cost of a new board game, you and your friends could play 3 or 4 games you’ve never tried, or even as many as 10 if you’re playing the quick ones! Psst… it’s also free entry for under-12s and half-price for those aged 13-17.
But don’t go thinking that Draughts is only for hardcore gamers. Thanks to the breadth of game genres, lengths, and difficulties, Draughts caters just as equally to avid board game fans as it does to complete newbies. And the knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help you out – or perhaps lay down a final decision on a tricky board game rule!
More than just games
Now, you’re likely going to get hungry from all the intense competition. Fortunately, they’ve got you sorted with plenty of food and drink. Choose from the likes of loaded fries, cheeseburgers, Korean fried chicken, birria tacos, and more. They promise: “Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or gluten free, we’ve got something for everybody.”
And to sate your thirst there are draught beers (see what I did there?), wines, sodas, and cocktails galore. So, tuck in – but don’t get those board games dirty!
Events at Draughts
As if it wasn’t enough for Draughts to proffer up countless board games and plenty of food and drink to enjoy, they also host spectacular events regularly throughout the month. These include:
- Blood On The Clocktower (Draughts Hackney) – a live immersive social deduction game of lying and betrayal for up to 15 players.
- Game Night Showdown – a day of competition and epic gaming across a range of games. Heat winners will advance to the grand final!
- Quiz Night with Lav (Draughts Hackney) – one of the best pub quizzes in town that sees punters vying for the title of heavyweight trivia champion of Hackney. Includes free board game session after the quiz.
And much more…
There are also regular boardgamer meetups to join fellow tabletop enthusiasts for an evening of gaming. These sessions are great for those new to London hoping to meet like-minded friends, or experienced players looking for new challengers.
Draughts is also a great spot for all manner of private events. You can book a space for your next birthday party, or you might end up there for your next work social. You could even host a unique stag do or hen party!
Our board game picks
So with over 1,000 options how on earth can you be expected to choose? Well, the staff can help! They can help choose exactly the right game for you based on your party size, board game knowledge, and how easy it should be for everyone to pick up the game. (Some board games have LOADS of rules and take ages to learn, while others are much easier to start playing.)
But if you want to go in with a few recommendations under your belt, here are our picks to get you started when you visit Draughts:
- Love Letters – an easy-to-pick-up game that sees players attempting to woo the Princess.
- Codenames – the rules are simple, but you’ll rack your brains for synonyms and inside references with your friends for this word-identifying game.
- Finger Guns at High Noon – have you got the quickest finger guns in the West?
- Get the Ick – pick which ‘ick’ grosses out your fellow players the most, or which one they secretly like.
- On a Scale of One to T-Rex – “a game for people who are bad at charades”
- Pandemic – battle a global pandemic. It’s the game that inspired Draughts’ founders to start the business!
So, what do you say? Let’s roll the dice, and plan a trip to Draughts.
📍Draughts Waterloo, Arch 16, Leake Street, London, SE1 7NN. The nearest station is Waterloo.
📍 Draughts Hackney, 41 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2JS. The nearest stations are Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction.
Find out more about Draughts, and book a table or an event, here.