Where To Play Games in Chicago

Chicago is a gaming town. But playing board games doesn’t mean you have to stay home!

As the weather gets a little colder, consider rolling the dice on these local board game bars and cafes.

Snakes and Lattes in Logan Square

Straddling Logan Square and Bucktown, this space is part of local gaming history. It was formerly the Chicago Board Game Cafe, owned by the crew behind Cards Against Humanities. Now part of the Snakes & Lattes chain, it features over 800 board games, and admission costs $7.

Heads up: This is more a nighttime spot than a cafe, opening at 5 p.m.

Evergreen Social Whiskey and BoardGame Tavern in Evergreen Park

Evergreen Social is a brand-new spot owned and operated by Evergreen Park locals. The all-ages tavern aims to be a family-friendly destination — and a serious restaurant. The chef has a Michelin star, and the menu features meat lollipops, bone-in pork chops, and pappardelle pasta 🤤

Also: Every Wednesday is Warhammer Wednesday.

Bonus Round Board Game Cafe in Lakeview

Bonus Round is a light-bite restaurant and retail store in addition to a board game cafe. Striving to be an inclusive space, staff members pride themselves on their game recs — and teach the rules so no one feels intimidated.

This Wednesday, you can test out new board games, too.

Dice Dojo in Edgewater

The Dice Dojo is for serious gamers. The space is a hub for role playing gamers with regular meet-ups and over 40 events per month. The storefront also keeps an extensive collection of Magic: The Gathering cards … plus more than 1,000 other games.

Board Game Nights are on Wednesdays.

DMen Tap in Avondale

There’s certainly a lot going on inside DMen: sci-fi artwork, pinball machines, vintage TVs with retro video games, and German-style street food like döner kebabs and currywurst. There’s also plenty to play, including Uno and classic board games … but it’s really a favorite of the Dungeons and Dragons crowd.

DMen’s Oktoberfest is coming up too!

Prost!