Empire Board Game Library

What a great place to spend some time with friends. Great coffee, great friends and great times for all. You won’t be disappointed if you go there.
The game selection is amazing. You don’t have to be a full on gamer to enjoy yourself. The games range from kids games all the way up. I have been playing board games since I was very young. If you can’t find a game there you would like to play, you don’t like games.
I have to admit that I have played most of the games there but even I found some I had never played.
If your a gamer then you will find a great place to try a new game. Take a chance and try something new. You wont be disappointed.
The coffee was very good. I am a traditionalist and like regular coffee. I found the house blend was just spot on. If this is the base of there more fancy coffee’s then they must be amazing.
The staff there is very informed on all the games they have. If you have a question, they will find the answer if they don’t have it off hand. The people made me feel like they really were happy to see us come in and made me went to be there.
I have yet to try the food but from the sounds of the table next to us, it was very good.
So to some it all up.
Go, Play, Have A Blast.

Great place to spend an afternoon. Friendly very helpful staff, comfortable atmosphere and good lighting. The place filled up fast, I had a great time.

Solid selection of games. Friendly and attentive staff. Reasonably priced and tasty food. What’s not to love?

I enjoyed my espresso and cups of coffee here. Their flavors were all great. And my sandwich tasted so fresh and flavorful.
The game selection here is large and varied. Most of the games I’ve never heard of! It was fun to look at all the different games. The game our group ended up playing was Pandemic, which requires a massive amount of teamwork and strategy. It provided us with tons of fun for four hours, and we had our tasty drinks and food to complement the experience. It’s nice to have a place that encourages actual interactions with people in-​person (not through screens or text!), and the games really make each person think.
The servers were really nice, and they seemed engaged in the atmosphere. Our server asked us how our game was going, and then mentioned how he himself couldn’t make it through a game of Pandemic for more than a few turns because it’s so hard! Another server was nearby and, upon hearing this, he joined the conversation for a bit. Our server also made sure to check in with us fairly often, and gave us suggestions about other games we might like.
It was really a pleasant experience! I definitely want to go again soon! If you want to have an enjoyable time with friends, family, or a date, this is a great place to go!

Board games with friends and a wonderful café. It’s a win win. I never liked trying new board games until I was talked into going to Empire. I never knew there were so many various board games. It was fun to laugh and learn something new. The café has wonderful drinks and they even made me a drink that wasn’t in the menu. For whatever reason they don’t have macchiatos on the menu. Next time I’m very interested in trying the food.

I think there are people who can be competitive and still be decent people, and there are those who simply can’t. I’m the latter. The few upsides to my horrible condition is it normally only happens with Mario Kart, Mario Party, and short board games. That’s right, I’m not in it for the long haul. It requires too much energy to be such an angry person for longer than an hour. Although, my SO could play angry board games for hours, and then gets annoyed that I
Empire Boardgame has everything needed for people like me, and those other, better people. Their boardgame library is GINORMOUS. They have games I’ve never heard of, they have the classics, they have ones that will last hours, ones that will be short lived, good for groups, or good for pairs, whatever you’re looking for they have something for you. Their staff is also super knowledgable and will help pick out a game that will fit your groups needs.
Empire would make an excellent place for a date night, a family night, or a just because I need some friend time night. It is a true test of my friendships and relationships, and it is a ton of fun! Plus, it is crazy inexpensive, you pay by the person per hour, and they have delicious drinks and snacks. Definitely check this place out!

I am an avid board game player. I always thought I have played it all, but I obviously have not. Empire Board Game Library has over 300 board games and probably 90% of games you have never heard about. It is an amazing place if you want to spend time with your friends without needing to drink. If you wanted to get a drink, you’re not far from the bars nearby.
Cool things you could buy there: They sell snacks and family friendly drinks. Their earl gray and mocha are delicious. They have local baked goodies from several shops around town. You could even buy the board game there if you wanted.
It’s an awesome experience. At first, you may feel overwhelmed, but the workers there are knowledgeable of their games and give you several suggestions that fits your fancy.

After a few months in business, I decided to stop back in and see how they ran on a Friday afternoon. Previously, their food options were a bit weak (a limitation imposed on them by their kitchen situation), and the coffee was decent, but not stellar.
But I didn’t come for the snacks; I came for the games!
They do a great job making sure the games all come back to the shelf with all the pieces in their boxes, and the roaming staff are well-​versed in enough of the games to be helpful if you get stuck on a ruling. They know their library well enough to suggest other games from the over 500 they own which you might not have played before, but will probably enjoy, based on other games you’ve played before and liked. Think of them as a sommelier for boardgames.

Great place, they have tons of games and good food. Awesome prices too, only $ 3/​hour. Would come back again. ¹⁰⁄₁₀

I’m so impressed that Albuquerque has such an awesome place as this! At a completely affordable $ 3/​hour per person rate and hundreds of board games to choose from, you really can’t go wrong. The staff know the games and are willing to offer suggestions depending on what kinds of games you enjoy playing. Latest obsession: Love Letter.
There’s also a counter with sandwiches and coffee and tea, so the whole atmosphere is really warm and welcoming. It’s a nice step away from our electronics-​filled world these days :)

What an awesome concept! You walk in and get to play board games for $ 3 an hour (per person.) They have anything from classic games that you played as a child to extreme strategy games. I’ve been to this place 5 times now and each time it has been packed!
When you step inside the door they sit you down and explain the concept of the library. I’ve gone with just 1 other person to up to 6 other people before. They are very accommodating either way.
If you don’t know board games very well, they are great at finding one that you’ll enjoy playing. One of the times I went with a group and we just told them how we were feeling that day. They were able to match us to game just by our feelings!
Check this place out!

Incredibly extensive selection of games, great food, and killer baristas. The owner sat down to personally teach me this new game that he was excited about. Great idea for date nights or just hanging with friends. Very family friendly, too. I wish we had this in Grand Rapids!

I admit, I am not a board gamer. The last board game I played before coming here was monopoly and it ended with tears, a floor full of game pieces and a keen understanding of who was a ruthless capitalist in our family.
Aside from that, I went to this place on a suggestion from some friends. Never really been to a place with this concept and it sounded interesting.
I had NO FREAKING IDEA there were so many board games in existence! To add, some of these games are very intricate and strategic and some are just quick but probably most are actually fun if you give them a chance.
Anyway, the guys at this shop were extremely knowledgable about the games. Like insanely knowledgable. You could point to a game and they would surely be able to ramble about the intricacies within seconds. That’s amazing and very helpful because I’m sure most people that go in there are not so well versed. If you’re on a schedule and only have so much time, they will find a game that fits that time frame.
Five stars for great service and the coffee bar was excellent. Baristas and game experts?!

Board games are something I’ve always enjoyed. We even have many in our closet at home. When I heard that Albuquerque opened up a place like this, I was excited! And at a rate of $ 3 an hour per person, it is quite a steal! When my boyfriend and I entered we were immediately asked whether or not it was our first time. When we said no, they asked us how long we wanted to play for and started showing us a few recommendations. It is obvious that the staff here is very knowledgeable about each and every game. When we finally decided on a game, the worker, Nate helped set up the game and explained the rules to us until we understood how to play. I loved that he was there even while we were playing to answer any other questions, especially to help settle any disputes.
While we played, we ordered 2 mochas that quite frankly blew my mind. They were some of the best tasting mochas I’ve ever had! Who knew?! A fun place with over 700 games to choose from and the most amazing coffee! Since then, I’ve gone once more and plan to keep coming! I’m glad New Mexico has a place like this as an alternative to going out on a Friday night and drinking! I just wish now that they were opened even past midnight!

Good game selection, staff, set up.
Busy on the weekends. Minus one star: They don’t provide water for free, have to purchase a bottle!

Empire is such a cool place! Several hundred games (not all traditional board games, though they have those too) all in great shape and ready for play for a small fee. Plus they have food and drink for order. Right there, that’s enough reason to go and have fun.
The staff really kicks the experience up to the next level. Everyone there is super nice. And they are super knowledgable in all the games (that is quite a feat!). And they swing by your table and make sure you’re enjoying the game, answer any questions, and get you more food and drink. And, if you don’t know how to play a game, they’ll show you how quickly and simply. And if you don’t know what to play, but know you like futuristic space games that are good for 3 players and play in less than an hour (or any other desires/​constraints) they will pick out a game that meets your needs, and that you will love it.
Seriously, this place is addictive!

Came here for a team building event for work. The place is clean, staff is nice and helpful, and the food/​drinks looked really yummy. My table played 2 games but there were many more playing and some even in a tournament. I could have easily spent a few more hours there. I will definitely be go no back with some friends in the future.
The OCD in me wants the organize my games at home like they do, so easy to set up and put away!

I love this place! My wife and I stopped in during the soft open and heard about the $ 3 hourly rate and tried out a couple hours with some simple and fun little stuff. She rarely enjoys board games but we found something interesting then had a game suggested to us by the staff and we were hooked! Since then, I’ve taken my family for mother’s day (my mom loves game nights) and then my nephew decided to have his BDay party there. It’s a rare event when a group of 11 year olds and the adults are all enjoying themselves.
The staff is fantastic, everyone I’ve met there is sociable and friendly and genuinely appear to be enjoying themselves as much as we are. The game library is exhaustive so there are dozens of games to play in different groups plus I get to try out a $ 70 game for $ 3 and see if I want to spend the cash to buy it.
This is a great addition to Nob Hill and I can only beg people to go and enjoy it!

My husband and I rarely play board games with each other or anyone else. But we were hanging out with some friends on a Friday night and they suggested to go play some games here. It sounded fun, so we went.
We were amazed of the game selection and staff. They claim to have 600 games, I didn’t count but believe this to be true. All the games have been inventory and parts are organized in little baggies making game assembly and clean up a snap. The staff is very friendly and extremely knowledgable about the games. Our server helped us set up the game, explain the rules, and came by frequently to answer questions.
We ate before we came or we would have sampled the menu. Our fiends, however, ordered coffee and ended up having more than one cup. There hours indicate they are open to 11pm, however, they allow patrons to finish their game if it runs past this time. Our game ended shortly after mid-​night.
I’m a very sore loser and left the place feeling like a winner even though I lost. Simply because of the positive and upbeat atmosphere. I’ll definitely be back! If you are ever in a mood to play an old favorite game or something new give Empire Board Game Library a try. I did and I was very satisfied!

Um yeah, what M said. Really, this place was a really fun treat. Service is spot on, game selection is huge. My review, get your arse over to nob hill and check them out!!!