Whether you’re looking for a way to while away a rainy evening or for a one-stop-shop date idea, these Kansas City board game cafes are sure to provide you and your crew with hours of chatting, snacking, and strategizing.
Photo courtesy of Cardboard Corner Cafe
When did playing games with our friends turn into small talk sessions? How did we allow the pressures of adulthood to force us to swap play for work and joyful competition for “networking opportunities”? I don’t know about you, but screaming at friends over a rousing game of Catan is way more fun than allowing their words to wash over me while I nurse a drink and they tell me for the 50th time what they do for a living. And yet, a significant reason that hanging out with our friends usually looks like talking at one another about our lives rather than doing anything fun is because we’re all so tired. And when you’re tired, it’s hard to put together a game night with a clean house, yummy snacks, interesting drinks, and all the board games the whole crowd will enjoy. So, we continue to meet at the bar for happy hours. We complain about work update each other on the least interesting parts of our lives — discuss the weather, our health, and our last vacation. And then, despite not having had much fun, we promise each other we’ll do it again soon.
In romantic relationships, this is a rut, but in platonic relationships, most of us seem to have accepted this as the nature of adult friendship. But it doesn’t have to be! And you don’t even have to host the party of the century to change things up. Kansas City Board Game Cafes are an excellent way to let someone else do the work while you and your friends play.
The Kansas City metro is home to these seven fantastic board game cafes.
Photo Courtesy of Cardboard Corner Cafe
Cardboard Corner Cafe
Location: 9240 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66212
Hours:
Monday – Thursday 10 AM – 10 PM
Friday – Saturday 10 AM – 11 PM
Sunday 11 AM – 7 PM
Did somebody say…waffles? With a seemingly endless selection of board games, private party rooms, and specialty drinks, Cardboard Corner is Kansas City’s pre-eminent board game cafe. But if I’m being honest, their extensive waffle selection earned them top billing on this list. Buffalo chicken waffles? Cheddar Bay Biscuit waffles? Yes, please! And while we’re noshing, let’s play Risk.
ReRoll Tavern
Location: 2368 Armour Road, Kansas City, MO 64116
Hours:
Monday – Thursday 4 PM -11 PM
Friday 4 PM – 1 AM
Saturday 11 AM – 1 AM
Sunday 11 AM – 11 PM
With classic bar food, craft cocktails, and beer and seltzer options, ReRoll is a great destination spot for your next Dungeons & Dragons Quest. You can rent private rooms to host your own party or attend one of their theme nights and join the fun!
Mission: Board Games
Location: 5606 Johnson Dr. Mission, KS 66202
Hours:
Monday – Friday 10 AM – 8 PM
Saturday 10 AM – 6 PM
Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM
Mission: Board Games shares a location and owners with Urban Prairie Coffee, so there are plenty of pastry and coffee options to fuel an afternoon of gaming. They also have a massive variety of board game options and host tournaments!
Game Cafe
Location: 107 W Lexington Ave, Independence, MO 64050
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 12 PM – 10 PM
Friday 12 PM – 12 AM
Saturday 10:00 AM – 10 PM
Sun: 12 PM – 6 PM
Game Cafe has an extensive game shop, and if you want to snack as well as shop and play, they will allow outside of food and drink as long as it is ordered from another small business located on Independence square.
Pawn & Pint
Location: 613 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106
Hours:
Monday – Thursday 4 PM – 11 PM
Friday 1:00 PM – 1:30 AM
Saturday 11 AM – 1:30 AM
Sunday 11 AM – 11 PM
With cocktails, beer, and coffee, and snacks. While they don’t serve food, they allow you to order food from other places. Pawn & Pints also regularly holds trivia nights. Because Pawn & Pints is a bar, guests must be 21+ after 9 PM.
Nirvana Coffee Bar & Game Lounge
Location: 10707 E Winner Rd, Independence, MO 64052
Hours:
Sunday, Monday, & Wednesday: 8 AM – 5 PM
Thursday 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday & Saturday 8 AM – 11 PM
Closed Tuesdays
With a cozy lounge full of couches, plushy chairs, and tables perfect for board games — Nirvana is the last word in relaxing afternoons. Go for a coffee and a comfortable workspace, and stay to play!
Location: 1211 NE Rice Rd, Lees Summit Mo, 64086
Hours:
Monday 12 PM – 9 PM
Tuesday – Friday 10 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 9 AM – 9 PM
Closed Sundays
With a library of over 300 tabletop games, three private rooms, as well as a dining room and a lounge, Adventure Cafe is the perfect hangout for all levels of board game enthusiasts. They also serve a wide range of coffee and non-coffee drinks, as well as sandwiches, wraps, pastries, and other snacks!
You forgot Adventure Cafe in Lee’s Summit!
http://www.adventurecafekc.com
Location: 1211 NE Rice Rd, Lees Summit Mo, 64086
Hours:
Monday 12 PM – 9 PM
Tuesday– Friday 10 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 9 AM – 9 PM
Sunday Closed
We have a game library with over 300 table top games, 3 private rooms, dining room, lounge, and we are a Coffee Shop with a wide range of coffee and non coffee drinks, sandwiches, wraps, pastries and other snacks.
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