The Hexagon Board Game Cafe

Food, coffee, beer, board games! What an excellent library of games, as well as friendly and knowledgeable staff who are truly passionate about the games they stock. The interior is nicely decorated and it is easy to spend a whole afternoon here without looking at your phone once! A great place to unplug and engage with friends over a fun game — if you can figure out how to choose one from the insane selection!

Great place for groups or just two people. They make delicious drink here and their game selection seems endless. The inside is very clean and modern looking. Love it.

No need to go into great detail here but I loved this place! What an awesome selection of board games and such knowledgeable staff.
Loved the size of the cups for tea, it was never ending! Good selection of snacks and sandwiches were surprisingly decent.
I can’t wait to go back! Games I played this time and really enjoyed (for a group of 5): Dixit, Clue and Mysterium. Check them out!

Really affordable place to hangout and play a large selection of games. The owners are friendly and will suggest games for you and show you how to play and setup the games when they are available. I like playing board games before buying them and this place lets me try them all. I would definitely recommend this for a place for friends to hangout and have s beer or for a nice date idea:

Great place, even if you just want to hang out and have some coffee. A place to go if you are around town.

I’m normally a brutal reviewer, but I was quite blown away by the environment and customer service to be found at the Hex (could be a bias that their main colours are a rich royal blue and white, two of my favs!). I was met at the door by one of the co-​owners, Kell (e?)y, who graciously and patiently explained the process. One picks a table, adds the name of all attendees at the cashier area, then choose a boardgame from the diverse and deliciously alphabetized collection present or you’re welcome to bring your own. Food orders may be made from your table and employees circulate regularly to clean away empty cups/​bottles/​plates, without feeling like helicopter parents.
A hallmark feature of Hexagon are the Hexperts! Linh taught us Tokaido (and watched us play Five Tribes after her shift), whereas Kell (e?)y herself taught us Splendor and Forbidden Island. This is amazing that a boardgame café owner is so approachable as well as educating all staff on such a diversity of boardgame rules and regulations, but participating in the teaching aspect as well is most fantastic! Clear, concise and patient explanations as well as saving poor befuddled blondes from 30+ minutes of setup. They did not make any effort to hustle us out despite finishing our last game of Five Tribes near 22:45 and asking Kell (e)y about her fantastic enterprise at the end of the night! How refreshing!
$ 2.50/hr or a flat $ 5 from 17:00 — 23:00 on Monday Nights are most reasonable rates for Whyte avenue location and steep rental rates. The space transformation is most clean, beautiful and well-​laid out.
My hot date for the night found it quite loud as sound tends to carry well within the confined area, however sound absorption is very difficult to control. The bathrooms were very modern, extremely clean and very impressive despite a packed night (hygiene is key with such a high male gender ratio at gamer spaces).
I tried 3 different Stewart’s sodas (Black Cherry, Orange Cream and Vanilla Cream) and they were all delicious! Floats were an amazing addition to the perfect gamer menu as well as an assortment of teas and caffeinated beverages. Snack foods are just that (the pies were the size of small meat pies that one can buy $ ³⁄₆. It was however wonderfully hot and delicious). My date’s various teas were served in massive mugs, which he greatly enjoyed at very good prices.
For constructive feedback, I would suggest an increase to the menu (though I’m glad that inebriation wasn’t an issue in fellow gamers, despite a vocal group of CAH right next to us at the Monday Mingler). Though limited physical kitchen area may hamper this, perhaps have pretzels/​chips/​other hunger abaters on hand may be in the works?
In addition to the great library of games (viable online from their website, as well as the menu — thank you 21^st century!), they do have a small collection of games for sale.
Hope to see you next Monday, Kell (e?)y and Company!

I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t come here to spend their leisurely time. THERE ARE SO MANY BOARD GAMES!!! A very inexpensive and fun time with friends :-).

Hexagon has many awesome games for you to try out! The staff are knowledgeable and friendly and have no problems helping you find something to play if you are completely lost in all of the choices. The games are (at the time of writing) in good condition and I didn’t notice any pieces missing or anything. They also carry a smaller selection of games for purchase if you really enjoyed something you tried out.
They have a small but good selection of beer, and other drinks such as coffee and hot chocolate. I bought a hot chocolate and found it a bit underwhelming compared to some of the other cafes in the area. They also have a small selection of sweets and other snacks. I tried a chocolate brownie, and again found it underwhelming (not chocolatey enough, too sugary, difficult to finish). The point is that in my opinion Hexagon does a great job of the board games part but I found the actual «café» part lacking.
This is an awesome place to take a date or a group of friends. The shop charges $ 2.50 per person per hour, so trying out a few games doesn’t cost too much and is a great alternative to a night at the movies. Visiting Hexagon is especially useful if you want to try out a particular game before purchasing. Nice!

You have to go here!
This place is so much fun, has a great friendly staff, looks amazing, has a great selection of board games, delicious treats to eat and drink, and an overall awesome atmosphere.
This is a fun spot to go on any day at any time, and a great place to meet up with friends and play some board games — they have all your old favourites, along with some interesting new games, everything you’d want to choose from! It’s in a great spot on Whyte Ave and it’s filling such a needed niche here in Edmonton. I got some of the vegan chocolate chip cookies (a MUST!), a chai tea, and played games for 2 – 3 hours. Very excellent price for all of this (less than $ 15).
I’ve only been here twice, but I loved it and will definitely be back!

Staff is very friendly and the selection of board games is great. Also love the snack selection. There’s beer too! We met up with old and new friends there for a game of Zombiecide. Our evenings there have usually been about $ 30 – 40.

This place is great. You can sit and play board games for hours for not much money, and it’s a great opportunity to try out new games.
Today we tried a game called Power Grid for the first time. If we had been playing on our own at home, it would have probably taken us an hour just to get the hang of the rules, but at Hexagon one of the owners came over and walked us through the setup and our first few turns so that we could get straight into playing without having to spend ages puzzling over the rule book.
The hot drinks are good, too, and they now have added a few sandwiches and savory pies to their menu. I had a chicken, swiss, and mushroom pie and it was quite good with a really tasty crust. My husband had a sandwich and he said it was only okay, but it’s not like you’re really going there for the food. You could also get bowls of snack mixes and chocolate covered pretzels and things like that.

I really hope these guys make a go of this super little spot on Whyte. The owners clearly care about their venture. The people who work here are all wonderful as well. It’s an inexpensive way to spend a few hours getting together with friends rather than the bar circuit. They will take the time to learn what you like, make recommendations for games you haven’t played before and even walk you through set-​up and game play to avoid having to start with the rules book from scratch. I’ve been three or four times already and the only pitfall is that they are getting so popular that it can be difficult to get in if you go too late!

On our way home this evening, the Hubba Hubby and I made the spontaneous decision to pop into The Hexagon Board Game Café to check it out.
After being outfitted with our drinks (black cherry soda = yum! and chai tea), Randy (co-​owner of The Hex Café) helped the Hubby pick out a two player game. Randy pulled up a chair to help us set up and understand the rules of our game, and was available to assist when we had a few additional questions as we played.
It was fun the play a new game, to spend some offline time together, to enjoy great drinks and to experience a new place in Edmonton. We really enjoyed the space from the location, décor, to the game selection (over 400!), the great customer service and the overall experience.
It was our first time at a board game café and we’ll definitely be back to The Hexagon where we’re excited to bring along some friends, as well as make new friends there!

Definitely a fun place: I visited for the very first time on September 1^st, which was their official grand opening! Not only was playing for 3.5 hours a reasonable price, but this is Edmonton’s first Board Game café in the Whyte Avenue area. I had a delicious (very foamy/​smooth) chai tea latte and played a number of games with my friends (Power Grid, Arbos, and Fluxx the Board Game). I kind of wish that they offered more substantial food options, but being within walking distance of so many other Whyte Avenue area food service establishments makes this aspect less than essential.
The board game selection is very diverse with many classics and family friendly games along with the more trendy (or newer) eurogames that board game geeks are enthusiastic about. The tables range in size (for groups as small as 1 or 2 to much larger groups). Additionally, they are open fairly early in the day, which could be helpful for an unexpected day off trip to try out some new games!

I spent months walking past the papered windows of The Hex Café (the short name for The Hexagon Board Game Café), waiting for it to open. Now, I’m sure that makes me sound like someone who spends all his time playing board games, but the truth is that I don’t play much at all, but I’d like to play more often, I just lack the time, and the knowledge of what’s out there.
5 days after they opened I managed to find the time to sneak over at 10am. The place was rather quiet (AKA no one else there), so I had a chat with Randy, one of the owners of the café. We talked about the area of Whyte (East Whyte, which is up-​and-​coming), and why he opened the café, and what he hopes to achieve with the space. It was a good chat, and I vowed to return as a paying customer (I had my toddler with me, and didn’t have time to stay). I also got a chance to quickly look at the 400 (four hundred!!!) board games he has to play.
The location is excellent, and the space inside is really nice. I like the color combination (a blue/​teal accented with white. Stylish white chairs are pulled up to tables; there are 4 tables that sit 4-​people each, 3 tables with 2-​people each, and (I believe) 4 long tables that can fit 6 people each. The games are stored at the back of the store, with a small (though Randy assured me it would be growing) retail space at the front. I took note of a couple of the prices of the games he’s selling, focusing on Settlers of Catan (he had a number of versions of it). I compared it to prices I knew from around town, and he’s about 20% cheaper than the other places (Chapters, River City Games).
A few days later I found myself on Whyte at 9am with 20 mins to kill, so I stopped in to see Randy and pick up a quick snack. They have various sodas (not Coke/​Sprite, but fancier stuff), as well as coffee, tea, and various sweets. I grabbed an orange juice and a cinnamon bun and chatted with Randy for a bit because it was slow. If you want a quiet time to go and learn a game, early mornings would be the best time, as Randy said it doesn’t really pick up until around noon. We walked by last night (a Friday) a 10pm and the place was PACKED! Every seat was taken, and there was a line of 5 or 6 people at the front, which was really nice to see. Randy also told me he’s working on getting a liquor license, and he’ll have some food available once that goes through.
I can’t wait to find the time to go in and actually play games in the café. There are so many to choose from that it may take some time to actually pick one. The café charges $ 2.50/hour to play the games, with the money going towards buying new games, or fixing ones that need repair. That sounds very reasonable to me! Just don’t be one of those people that sits there sipping on water the entire time; the café needs to make money selling coffee, tea, sodas, or sweets!

The newly opened Hexagon is a welcome addition to Whyte Ave, serving as a great place to spend a whole day or just a few hours. It offers yet another unique place on Whyte that you can integrate into a nice day in Edmonton’s most exciting area. With over 400 games and room for 50 people, the Hexagon offers a wide variety of things to try for groups of any size.
The board game selection is fairly robust, offering options for experienced gamers and newcomers alike. They have a good blend of hobby games and traditional ones and there’s no shortage of things that you’ll want to try out. With tables that can accommodate small groups or larger ones and different games available for different sized groups, there are plenty of options for couples or different sized groups. The staff is knowledgeable and willing to not only help you select a game that you’ll enjoy but also to teach you how to play. In addition to the games available to play, they also have a small selection of games at the front for sale. Their selection of games on sale is limited for now but I suspect that this will continue to grow.
Everything at the café works on a tab system with a $ 2.50 hourly rate per person for playing games and a selection of snacks and drinks that can be added to your tab. The café offers surprisingly good coffee and a good hot drink selection as well as a few cold drinks in bottles and cans. For snacks they have a variety of baked goods available but the selection beyond that is fairly limited.*** Unlike other board game cafes in the city and elsewhere, their food menu is limited to only the baked goods in the case at the front with no hot food or even chips, fruits, or other snack food options. While the coffee is fantastic and the baked goods are fairly good, the lack of selection is challenging for those with certain dietary restrictions or who aren’t in the mood for a sweet baked treat. Thankfully the Hexagon’s location on Whyte Ave makes it very easy to leave for a little while between games to get some food or drinks at one of the myriad gems in the area.
What makes the Hexagon truly special is their friendly and attentive staff. The owners of the café are incredibly welcoming and show that this is truly a labour of love by offering excellent service and demonstrating their enthusiasm. As noted before, the staff is keen to offer their expertise when giving board game suggestions or assisting you to learn a new game. Since the café is very recently opened, the owners are eager to listen to suggestions from their patrons and interested in making their café a unique and comfortable destination.
From the selection of games to the sleek interior to the very helpful staff, the Hexagon is a great addition to Whyte Ave and serves as a great destination for major board game nerds and the average passerby alike. Like any recently opened business they are still adapting and improving but the eagerness and enthusiasm exhibited by the staff at the Hexagon make me certain that it will continue to establish itself as a valuable addition to Whyte Ave.
UPDATE: October 15, 2014***
I recently returned to the Hexagon with a large group and am pleased to update my review to reflect the addition of a few more food items and, most importantly, that the Hexagon is now licensed! The café now offers 3 different beers from the Calgary-​based Village Brewery.
The presence of beer at the Café now makes it an ideal spot to have a drink or two before moving on to a late night on Whyte and serves as a pleasant alternative to the hot beverages that have always been offered.
It is clear that the owners of the Hexagon wish to make the café a Whyte Ave staple. The ability to create an inviting, friendly environment and to continuously work to make the Hex a great destination make me sure that their ambitious goals will be realized.