Board game cafes have become a staple in every urban center, from Vancouver to Fredericton. Here in Toronto, board game cafes pop up all the time, and they’re the perfect place to have an intimate date or a fun night out with friends. With so many board game cafes opening up all the time, it can be daunting to try and pick one from the seemingly hundreds of Toronto board game cafes. Here are three of my favourites for you to try if you’re ever in town, they’re quite affordable and are worth a visit.

For The Win Cafe

Over on Yonge and Lawrence, you can find this cozy cafe and over 700 board games at your fingers. For about $8, you can spend all day in the cafe playing games, and the staff are so friendly that they’re even willing to come teach you how to play a new game if you’re so inclined. The food here is decent, too, but I’m pretty fond of their hot chocolate and bubble teas.

A-Game Cafe

Queen Street West is such a happening neighbourhood, and A-Game is one board game cafe that adds to the aesthetic of the whole area. They have everything from your traditional game of Clue to some of the most abstract and bizarre board games out there, and their menu isn’t bad either. You can spend an entire day here without getting bored, and they’re open until midnight on weekdays and 2 A.M. on weekends… so if a game gets intense, you probably have more than enough time to see it to the end.

De Code Adventures

Originally an escape room venue, De Code expanded quickly to include a gigantic selection of board games for everyone to enjoy. You have to head all the way to the back in order to find the board game rooms, but they are huge, and the staff are lovely and willing to help you pick out a game to play with your friends… hell, I’ve even crashed a game that was already in progress before and everyone was totally cool with it. The food menu here is decent, and I’m a big fan of the Incan hot chocolate. This place is a great alternative for people who don’t want to trek all the way to Toronto without missing out on all the fun.