On the rise in Jakarta and other major cities are an interesting neighbourhood and community addition: board game cafes and spaces.
What was once reserved to the dining room table and Sunday evenings has now been brought to the forefront of social gatherings. We explore the expansion of board games outside the home as well as share a few of our favourite places in the city where you can create your very own hotel ‘Monopoly’, settle islands in ‘Catan’, or decipher secret ‘Codenames.’
The increased interest in “offline gaming” is a response to Jakarta’s increasing demand for social opportunities and third spaces. Third spaces are the places in between one’s first and second place: the home and the workplace. As Jakartans seek alternative social opportunities (such as fitness & wellbeing gatherings), boardgame cafes offer new ground for more personal interactions, with the addition of easy icebreakers.
Where To Go in Jakarta?
If you’re in Jakarta, you’re spoiled for choice. The deciding factors for picking your next venue boil down to: the types of games available, community activity, and access to help or more realistically, experienced Game Masters (GM). Depending on the café/store, these GMs will lead events, guide new players, and be the conduit for larger gaming activity. Some will also offer food, but don’t expect all board game cafes to serve hot food on-site. Lastly, expect to be invited to WhatsApp Groups & Communities. If you’re a regular and plan to join various open events or public games, this will most likely be how you stay in contact with the store’s community
LUGUA Café & Store
With 2 locations around the city, LUGUA Boardgame Store & Café is an accessible venue for those new to and familiar with board games. While their game collection is vast, LUGUA caters more towards existing groups of friends/family playing together, so don’t expect to meet other players through events or gatherings. Their most recognisable venue in Grand Indonesia’s West Mall is more store than a café, allowing mall shoppers and passersby to jump in for a game or to purchase a game to bring home. Their Pondok Pinang location in the Segitiga Hub, however, is a board game store/café hybrid, allowing guests to dine in and set up for longer games.
LUGUA Café: Mon – Fri, 9 am to 10 pm; Sat & Sun, 10 am to 10 pm
LUGUA Store: Open every day, 10 am to 10 pm
@luguacafe | @luguaboardgame
Mamasays & Grouplay Board Game
With a philosophy of “Eat first, play later”, this board game restaurant in West Jakarta is home to over 300+ board games and experienced Game Masters. Combining Asian Comfort Food with a cosy venue, Mamasays Resto & Board Games has made its home in Neo Soho Mall, focusing on group board games for families, friends, and couples. In addition to their West Jakarta location, Mamasays’ main location is Grouplay Board Game in Gandaria City Mall. This site has weekly events such as Wednesday Euro Night, Friday Game Night, as well as an active Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) community.
Mamasays & Grouplay: Open every day, 10 am to 10 pm
@grouplay.id | @mamasays.resto
Arcanum Hobbies
Out of all the featured board game places, Arcanum Hobbies is the most enthusiast-oriented venue in this list. Outside of the usual board game titles, Arcanum regularly hosts various Magic: The Gathering, Digimon, Pokémon, and other game gatherings. You can find open events on their Instagram page or get connected with their community via WhatsApp to find out which of their 3 locations has an upcoming activity. Arcanum is located in Taman Puring, Kemang, and Bintaro.
Kemang: Open every day, 1 pm to 10 pm
Taman Puring: Mon – Fri, 1 pm to 8 pm & Sat & Sun, 1 pm to 10 pm
Bintaro: Open every day, 1 pm to 10 pm
@arcanumhobbies
The Bunker Board Game Cafe & Store
Bunker is one of the older board game cafes in Jakarta, starting almost 9 years ago. Despite its location in Serpong, South Tangerang, it has cultivated a strong community of families, students, and enthusiasts alike, hosting events and even offering Board Game Café consultation for future board game café owners.
Operating Hours: Open every day, 9.30 am to 10 pm
@thebunkercafe
Thank you to our Swedish reader Pontus Rosén, who noticed the uptick in board game cafes in Jakarta. You can spot him at his favourite spot Papan Hobbies Cafe & Co-Hub in Lebak Bulus.
