Board games are such a classic way to unplug and bond with family and friends! But these days you don’t have to stay home to enjoy them – you can join others in the community on a board game night. Who knows, you may learn a new game or even meet a new friend! Over the past few weeks I’ve discovered quite a few places to play board games in Wichita, including comic book shops, coffee houses and breweries.
The best part is that there’s something for everyone. I like that the board games have venues for families and adults only too. It gives you a variety of environments to try out. Also, these board game nights are just one of many things to do in Wichita! (I don’t know how people can say “there’s nothing to do.” In fact, I think there are so many things to do now that I don’t know how you’d ever possibly do ALL of it! But if you haven’t found them yet, that’s okay. Just subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll get updates with everything we find.)
Local Pubs and Breweries Board Game Events:
- Hopping Gnome Brewing Company hosts a 21+ Cards Against Humanity game night every fourth Wednesday of the month. The fee is $5 to play and there is a chance to win prizes. There is talk about possibly adding different games at a future date. To keep up to date on the gaming events being offered, check out the Hopping Gnome Facebook page. Hopping Gnome is located in the Douglas Design District at 1710 E. Douglas Ave.
- Grinning Goblin Gaming Tavern is an 18+ establishment owned by Jennifer and Patrick Burton that has retro and modern gaming consoles, including Nintendo, Super Nintendo, N64, Game Cube, Wii U, PS1, PS4, and Xbox one. They also have a variety of board games that people can play. The consoles and board games are FREE to play, but you have to leave your ID at the bar when checking them out. They do charge a fee for the use of the Oculus Rift, which is their virtual reality system. They are located at 1625 S. Rock Rd. Suite 135.
- Headshots Bar & Grill is known for their video games, but they also have a good selection of board games too. The board games are located in the Table Top Java Shop, which is right next door. Headshots has a full menu of pub food and drinks. Headshots is located on 21st & Woodlawn. If you are under the age of 21, you must be accompanied by someone 21+.
Coffee Shop Board Game Events:
- Sente: Games and Refreshments is a new gourmet coffee and board game shop in downtown Wichita. It is located on Douglas across from the ICT Pop Up Park. They have a library of over 200 board games to choose from. You can play all day for $5 and children 10 and under are free as long as they have at least one paying adult with them. They also host Throwback Thursdays where all classic board games are FREE to play on Thursdays. Sente also has FREE game demo nights in which you can learn to play new games for free. Follow Sente on Facebook to learn about upcoming game demo nights.
- Table Top Java Shop is a new addition to Headshots Bar & Grill. It is located right next door to Headshots and offers over a 300 table top games in their library. They serve a variety of coffee and specialty drinks as well as pastries and the full Headshots lunch menu. You can play games all day for $5 per person and on Thursdays it is half price.
Game Shop Events:
- Hero Complex Games & Entertainment is a game shop located on 21st & Woodlawn. They have regular weekly gaming events. For a complete list of their game events, visit the Hero Complex Facebook page.
- Mana Vault on 1629 S. Meridian is a hobby and gaming store. They host a variety of game tournaments, pre-releases and demo days. Visit the Mana Vault Facebook page for more details on their events.
- Wizards Asylum ICT is a comic book and game shop located at 1309 W. 31st St. S. They offer free board game demo nights as well as other card playing events. Visit the Wizards Asylum ICT Facebook page for all of the upcoming event dates and times.
Family Board Game Nights/Days:
- The Sedgwick County Extension Center on 21st & Ridge Rd. hosts FREE family board game nights throughout the year. Visit our post for a detailed list of this year’s dates.
- Cardboard Carnage is not an actual location in itself, but a very active gaming community that hosts free board game nights every Thursday at 7 p.m. They also host game demos at various venues. (Visit the Cardboard Carnage Facebook page to view the various events.) These events are for ages 12 and up with parent participation for minors required. For more information, read our article Free Tabletop University from Three Friendly Local Game Shops in Wichita.
- Haysville Community Library meets up on the last Saturday of every month from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Meeple Mayhem, an open board game time for anyone who would like to play!
Hi Emily!
Do you know if pets are allowed? My dog, Chimi really loves to watch games.
Thanks!
Terry Morgan
Terry, your dog is an intellectual.