"No cell phones on the table." These are the board game bars where human connection is the true experience.
In an era where cultural life is increasingly consumed through screens, spaces that combine bar-style dining with the fun of board games are gaining ground as a unique and authentic alternative for meeting people. Globally, this trend is not new: the first board game cafes emerged in Seoul in 2004, and in Toronto, Snakes & Lattes has been gaining popularity since 2010, inspiring franchises in London, New York, and other cities.
The recent surge stemmed from the pandemic, when sales of board games—seen as a way to spend quality time with the family during isolation—soared. With the return to in-person gaming, there was a desire to "detox" from the digital world and seek refuge in face-to-face experiences. According to The Guardian , in the UK, after the lockdown, there was a 60% increase in gaming events in bars and cafes compared to 2019.
According to the consulting firm Business Research , interest in board games is growing steadily worldwide: the market is expected to grow from approximately US$16.1 billion in 2024 to nearly US$41.17 billion in 2032 . More and more people are looking for spaces where they can interact face-to-face, share real-life moments, and get away from screens; therefore, bars and cafes with board games are becoming increasingly common options.
The trend is seen in bars, clubs, tournaments, and private organizers. In these spaces, young people and adults—alone or in groups—share games without worrying about the rules, while enjoying a drink or a snack.
On Reddit, board game enthusiasts in bars describe these spots as “places where everything works together: quality coffee, varied games, and an ideal atmosphere to stay for hours.”
How did the idea of combining a bar with board games come about? “The truth is, it wasn't our idea. We're the second generation of bar owners. We bought the bar three years ago from two people who had owned it for 37 years,” Julián Mizrahi, one of the new owners of Jobs, a Recoleta staple [it was located at 2900 Arenales], tells LA NACION. It now has new locations at 3870 Carlos Calvo Street (Boedo) and 4139 El Salvador Street (Palermo). They will soon open on Núñez and Ramos Mejía Streets.
“We seek to offer the public a way to escape the everyday, the typical plan of going for a beer for no other reason. The point is for them to come, play, and disconnect. A curious thing is that there are no phones on the tables: people connect with each other,” says the owner of the bar, who has added a location in Boedo and will soon open new branches in Núñez and Ramos Mejía.
The games most popular with groups of friends are Say It with Memes and HDP. Jobs staff members teach those who don't know the rules how to play.
You don't need to go with someone: you can also go alone to meet people. "We organize many activities; the most popular and the one that works best is a night where you play games with people from other tables. We call it Tinder Jobs, and it's like a speed dating system," explains Julián. On that day, the host distributes people to different tables, places a ribbon indicating the direction, and suggests group game dynamics—board games or conversation games.
"It's a very different kind of outing from the usual, very different from the classic outing that's simply meant to be eaten or drunk, and it's a great place to meet new people. In fact, we call it a kind of social gaming club," Julián concludes.
Anyone looking for a space dedicated to board games in Buenos Aires—and not simply a themed bar—will find a unique experience at Conexión Berlín (Ayacucho 1571, Recoleta; and Córdoba 2786, Olivos). Founded by Pedro Vicentín, a systems engineer, and Fabiana Pérez, an art critic and arts graduate, this playroom for adults and children operates with a clear idea: people come to play, not primarily to consume food. “The idea came about because I found board games to be a very enriching experience for human beings and society,” Pedro explains to this outlet.
They identified two common obstacles: limited access to modern board games in Argentina and the difficulty of learning extensive or complex rules. Therefore, at Conexión Berlín, each group receives personalized recommendations and detailed explanations—including strategies—to enjoy any of the more than 1,500 titles in their collection, considered the largest in the country.
Fabiana also brings an academic perspective that broadens the proposal. Since 2009, she has been a member of a research group on audiovisual film at the National University of the Arts (UNA)—where video games are also studied—and participates in the Game Studies group at the University of Palermo (UP).
There, he published a study on the transposition of the novel Dune into a board game in the fifth edition (2022), and in the seventh, a work with Kevin—a team member and Humanities student—on the mediatizations in the transition from analogue to digital. “We want to reinforce the analogue, face-to-face contact, and offer games that encourage interaction between people,” emphasize Pedro and Fabiana, who agree on the same definition: playing is an opportunity to connect with others.
The audience attending Conexión Berlín is diverse: the most frequent age group is between 20 and 40, but children as young as 7 or 8 and people in their 60s also attend.
Punto de Partida (Av. Nazca 2893, Villa Luro) is a playful bar and café: a social gathering place where coffee and gastronomy combine with the experience of board games. The mission is to offer a dynamic meeting space that encourages face-to-face interaction, like a return to childhood games.
Its founder, Lucas Grieco, a graduate in Health and Safety, says the idea arose from his personal collection of board games and the desire to share this hobby in his hometown of Villa del Parque. The project took on even greater meaning after the pandemic, when many people felt the need to leave virtual reality behind to physically reconnect with friends and family. That's why Punto de Partida has no screens or digital devices to distract them: human connection is at the heart of the experience.
The venue offers nearly 400 games, from quick options to rounds that can last more than an hour. The team—made up of Grieco and his collaborators Martín, Cande, and Nazareno—explains the rules to visitors at the table, with no prior knowledge required. “Each table is a different world,” says Grieco. They ask if cooperative or competitive games, long or short, are preferred to tailor the experience; if a game is uncomfortable or unbalanced, they find another alternative.
Beyond the games, the core of the space is to foster interaction. In a calm environment, with soft music and no digital distractions, conversation, laughter, and sharing are encouraged. Grieco says the game acts as a natural "icebreaker," facilitating interaction without exposing anyone to awkward situations. Thus, Punto de Partida welcomes both groups of friends and families, as well as individuals who come to open gatherings to meet new people.
The bonds formed are long-lasting: it's not uncommon for a first-time visitor to say goodbye with a hug and return weeks or months later, recognized by name and the games they've chosen. The experience is personalized and unique for each table.
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