A-Game Cafe

A hidden Boardgame place located beside Me Va Me restaurant. The only sign available was printed on the clear door which isn’t obvious. Walked up the stairs and there it is. The place wasn’t that big but there were quite a few tables that could probably fill up around 30 people or more.
I went in with my friends for a Groupon deal. $ 29 (I paid $ 23 instead) for 4 people comes with unlimited play and $ 20 food credit to share. Since I only had 3 people. It rounds up approx. $ 8 – 9 per person. We each ordered a London Fog latte ($ 3.75), tuna with crackers ($ 6.50), and a bag of Miss Vickie’s jalapeño chips ($ 2.25) to share. Totaled to exactly $ 20. The deal wasn’t much beneficial to us since we’re missing one person. Without the groupon deal, there is a $ 7 fee for unlimited play. Otherwise, there’s another price for limited hours play.
The food selection on the menu was okay. It includes a bit of everything beverages, sandwiches and snacks. The food portion wise was decent.
If you’re kind of new and was just looking for a place to play a few popular Boardgames. Then this is a place for you. The collection definitely ism’t as huge as the other Boardgames café like Snakes and Lattes but it has all the mainstream ones that everybody would enjoy playing. To name a few: Tenkenoko, Catan and expansions, Camel Up, Cards Against Humanity, Concept, Survive, Pandemic etc.
The staff were very friendly and accommodating. They offered games suggestions and taught us how to play which was pretty much like the other cafes does.
Considering someone who has been playing Boardgames for awhile. I would most likely not come back again due to the selections but it was a fun day.

A spontaneous visit here one rainy Sunday afternoon & it’s my first visit to any game café. Clean, organized & friendly, there was ample seating for large (4 – 10) or small (2) groups. They have a wide range of games (the popular staple games are there), one shelf for each: board & card games (so don’t miss the card game shelf at the back!).
Service was great — when we walked in, we were promptly greeted by one of the owners, friendly and approachable. He sat us down appropriately, let us be when we were browsing games. Then when we chose one, he happily came over to ask if we needed any explanations (we did), so he confidently set us up, even dealt us our cards to start the game! He sure knew how to get a feel for people (asked us if it were our first time; when to intervene or not) and he was knowledgeable in his games. I saw him doing this equally for other tables — which was great to see — that’s what community is all about! We stayed for almost 4 hours. Ended up being the last ones staying, and without asking they offered us ice water, promptly refilling it, making sure they let us know that we weren’t forgotten. Did not get to try their food or drinks, though I saw they are a bit pricey~
Overall, I’m very happy that I stumbled upon A-​games as my first experience of a board game café because they showed me a great environment. I commend them for their success in this cozy café and I would love to be back one day!

Came on a Toonie Tuesday with friends, $ 2 for unlimited play with the purchase of a food/​drink, which was a bargain! It’s located on the 2^nd floor so the entrance was easy to miss. The interiors were basic and clean — more cafeteria seating than comfy living room but no complaints at that value. There was also no line and it was more quiet and spacious compared to other places. I’m not a hardcore player but there was a nice collection of games in good condition that were also neatly organized. The staff were friendly and genuinely interested in sharing the fun of board games. I saw one of them patiently teaching another group how to play and checking in later to make sure they were having a good time. I got a tea, the cheapest drink at $ 2.75, and was pleasantly surprised that it was loose leaf. Overall a lovely time for a good price.

My friend suggested this place because she had a voucher from Groupon for this place. It sounded fun, so I asked two of my other friends to come.
It was Victoria Day and we were super excited that this place was open for business! We were a par-​tay of 4, looking forward to playing games that we used to play as kids.
Games: There were a lot of variety– board games, card games… etc! Some I have never seen before! My friends and I played: Battleship, Uno, and Jenga for three hours.
Food: We had sandwiches with chips. I had nutella-​banana sandwich with jalepeno chips. The sandwich was so gooey and warm, I liked that there was a generous spread of nutella and thick slices of banana. The jalepeno chips were great as well– crunchy and spicy!
Service: Friendly, attentive, easy-​going. A gentleman greeted us, took our orders (for food), came by to refill water & to ask if we needed anything throughout our stay.
We had a great time! I can’t wait to come back!
**Important note: Make sure to make a reservation so that you & your company will have a table when you get there :)

I’ve been to A-​game many times in the past year and every time it has been an amazing experience.
Derek and Gary, the owners, are friendly and extremely knowledgeable with every game. They have a knack of making complex games easy to learn, and are very patient with beginners.
This place is great when you want to have a fun and relaxing night with your friends. There is a huge selection of games and a great atmosphere. Not to mention it is located in the downtown core. Highly recommended!

Board game Café… Came here after work for a night of games but was kind of disappointed with the place as it has wooden tables and chairs. Not a comfy setting… The host however was very inviting and explained the games we wanted to play well. Sat with us and ensures we understand the game would come here again… We also got the tuna and Nutella sandwich both were good

Pretty good board game café. Small and cozy. Owners were very helpful in showing us the games and provided good recommendations. They didn’t have the most comprehensive library of games but had multiple copies of new games. Couldn’t comment about the food since we only played games.

Great environment to play board games. The service is great with friendly staff that provides great recommendations and teaches you how to play the games to get you started.
Their game selection is fairly large as well. You won’t find yourself out of games to play.

I come here every Monday night for the Settlers of Catan league and often other nights as well. It’s a cozy environment and has a satisfying variety of games. The owners and regulars are very friendly and are happy to teach you and welcome to a game. On busy nights, the café doesn’t close until hours past midnight.

A-​Game Café is a hidden gem in the entertainment district. My friends and I came here yesterday night for board games after we had dinner nearby. The cover charge for an hour is $ 3.50 and $ 7 for unlimited play over two hours; with no pressure to buy food or drink which I think is quite reasonable for a board game café. They have a good selection of games. What I particularly appreciated was the staff’s friendliness and that they gave our group a reservation — not many board game places will book off tables for groups (they’re usually first come, first serve/​walk-​in), but they did. :) We had a good experience overall — all the staff were very knowledgable about games, helpful and enthusiastic. Would recommend!

The best game café in Toronto and the only one we will go to now! And here’s why:
1) the staff help you pick games by asking thoughtful questions and you end up finding games you love and have never heard of
2) then, the staff explain how to play the game and set it up for you so you don’t waste time getting frustrated or reading the rules
3) it’s super fairly priced: $ 3.50 for one hour or $ 7.00 to game as long as you want
4) there’s no pressure to buy food or drinks — although the longer you stay the more you just feel like having something :)
5) it’s a clean, simple, and fun environment
Rock on A-​Game Café!

Great Café :) I liked it better than snakes and lattes. Clean, great atmosphere, and the best mugs xD Very modern design, simple and aesthetically pleasing. Gary was really friendly and extremely helpful. The games he recommended were really fun. Will admit, the menu was a bit lacking as I didn’t find anything that appealing. Good drinks but I wished there were more snacks, like maybe cake? Pastries? Fruit? Smoothes? Fair pricing and good selection of games. Also, I really loved the music that was playing. Snow patrol, goo goo dolls, the Fray… right up my alley :) Definitely will be coming back soon!

Cute place to meet friends for a games night or have a date night. Good selection of games and great (!!) owners. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable about every game we played.
I’m definitely coming back :)

I haven’t been to many board game cafes, but this is definitely one of the best I’ve been to.
The décor is really good, games are well maintained, and the staff were friendly and prompt. I had a lot of fun with my friends and there were so many games that we haven’t played. I definitely want to come back again soon.

I’m really into board games nowadays and these board game cafes keep popping up. A-​Game Café is a place where they will not pressure you to order stuff from their menu and it’s a place where you can relax and have fun just playing board games.
They have an hourly rate of $ 3.50 per hour. However, the maximum limit is $ 7 so basically once you play for 2 hours, it’s the unlimited all-​day play rate.
The owners are really friendly and really knowledgeable about board games. They sat down with my friend and I and taught us multiple games such as Forbidden Island and Agricola. Their explanations were easy to understand. If we had a question later while playing the game, they would immediately help us.
The café is really tidy and neat. The board games are also in brand new condition. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and probably will be back someday!

Many board game cafes in Toronto have a great selection of games, a convenient location and a good menu, however what makes A-​Game stand out is the attention and care that the owners put into every part of the guest experience. Derek & Gary’s passion for games is evident in everything from the pristine condition of the games and impeccable cleanliness of the place, to the décor on the wall. You’re not getting the most out of your visit to A-​Game unless you chat with one or both of the brothers, and invite them to join you for a game. As the board game café craze continues to sweep Toronto, many venues lose sight of the fact that it’s the people, not the games you play with — a quality that A-​Game delivers on in spades.

My wife and I came by here to play some games while on vacation from Philadelphia. We have been to many different board game cafes and played many different types of board games, and like to learn new ones when we have the opportunity to.
What sets this place apart is that if you want, the owners Derek and Gary will sit down with you and teach your group a new game that you would like to try, but have never had the opportunity to play. They love gaming, and it shows. They will even join in to play if you’d like! I have never seen the staff at any board game café go out of their way to teach rules for games, give general strategic points, and play upon request. This is worth the price of admission alone. The prices are very reasonable as well.
Clean, no pressure, no minimums, no elitist gamer attitude, and super friendly. My wife and I will definitely be back when we are in town again.

A for awesome! Definitely bringing its A-​Game to the downtown/​financial district masses. Being super accessible to subway (steps from Osgoode), its only competition in that category would be Roll Play, but A-​Game has a cozier atmosphere, phenomenal staff and can’t complain for the super affordable price of 3.5 per hour per person (max 7, can play all day/​night!)
The selection here as others mentioned isn’t as large as, say, Snakes and Lattes, but most likely they will have most games you would play (we sampled Telestrations and Catan during this visit). Also saw Ticket to Ride, Puerto Rico, Cards Against Humanity, Bang, King of Tokyo and so forth.
The menu is very reasonable and they’re great with free water for the table. No pressure to order anything. The copies of all games are still in mint condition (amazing compared to more established places which are already showing wear/​missing pieces). Owners informed us there is toonie Tuesdays ($ 2 flat rate all night!) and Settlers of Catan Mondays. Finally a great place to hang out with a large or small group downtown, will be back!

Another board game café in Toronto… and this one is great! Went on a Friday afternoon and the owners were very attentive, picked and taught us games, and even played with us since we were the only people there.
The board game selection is not as large as the other big game board cafes but it has the staple games you’ll need. Plus it’s cheaper, much less hectic, and the service can’t be beat.
Overall this place is great, super awesome guys, can’t wait to come back.

A new board game café in Queen West! They have opened up in the space above Ma Va Me, which was formerly a Spring Rolls. There are lots of tables and lots of games. There is a small menu with various types of coffee and sandwiches. It’s a nice spacious space. Bathrooms are clean! Check it out!