Hongdae board game café with Yacht Dice and spicy soy chicken: Hero

Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1: hours and location

Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 is on the 2nd floor of 31-10 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's open Mon-Thu 13:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00, and Sun 12:00-24:00.

• Hours: Mon-Thu 13:00-24:00 / Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00 / Sun 12:00-24:00
• Location: 2nd floor, 31-10 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Parking available

Why we headed to Hero Board Game Cafe after dinner in Hongdae

We were trying to figure out what to do after eating in Hongdae, and ended up at Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1.

I go to board game cafés a lot with friends, playing games and chatting away, and this time it was Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1! It's already such a well-known board game café that I visited trusting it wouldn't disappoint.

Inside Hero Board Game Cafe: arcade machines and a pool table

The interior of Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 was pretty dim overall, which made the vibe feel a bit more focused on the games.

All the game pieces were neatly set up and ready to go, too.

Interestingly, they also have a mystery deduction game here. I was curious about it from the banner at the entrance — if you like detective-style games, this could be fun to try.

There were plenty of tables, and besides the board games there were free arcade machines and a pool table too, so there was never a dull moment.

I visited on a weekday evening and enjoyed it on the unlimited-time rate!

Spicy soy sauce chicken, jjapaghetti and tteokbokki: how is the food?

At Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 we ordered gochu soy sauce chicken, jjapaghetti (with extra cheese), and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). We hadn't eaten dinner before coming, so we went all out on the menu, basically making it dinner too!

I didn't expect much since it's board game café food, but I was surprised how good it actually was.

Especially the gochu soy sauce chicken!!! Highly recommend. The quality wasn't board-game-café-level at all, haha. The chicken was tender, the sauce was salty-sweet, and the gochu (chili) gave it a slight kick, so I kept reaching for more.

Besides that, we also ordered jjapaghetti with extra cheese and tteokbokki. The jjapaghetti was, well, exactly the flavor you'd expect — that familiar, reliable taste.

The tteokbokki was just so-so. The rice cakes weren't quite as soft as I'd like, which was a bit iffy, but the flavor itself was decent!!

Perfect for a snack when you get hungry mid-game. I'll definitely order the chicken again next time, haha.

On top of that, this branch fills your drinks all the way up. As someone who loves drinks, I really appreciated that too.

Best board games for three at Hero Board Game Cafe

The games we played as a trio at Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 were Yacht Dice and La Cucaracha. Neither has complicated rules, so 3-4 people can jump right in.

Yacht Dice: how it plays with three

Alright, once we'd eaten, it was time to game! Today's pick was Yacht Dice! You roll dice to score the best combination, so it's a game that comes down to choices and luck. Like in the photo, if you roll five of the same number, that's called a "yacht" and it scores the highest possible 50 points!

It's a game where the dopamine just floods in depending on what you roll — the rules aren't hard, but it's so much fun. My friend had all the luck going her way with a yacht and a large straight, so it was a dopamine-packed day, haha.

La Cucaracha: how it plays with three

Next up, La Cucaracha! The rule is super simple — depending on which dice come up (fork, spoon, or knife), you change direction and try to drop the cockroach into your opponent's tile. Also recommend it, it's fun! When I played it with two people it felt a bit flimsy, but with three it got really fun. I might have even enjoyed it more than Yacht Dice, haha. If you're visiting with 3-4 people, this is a board game I'd recommend!

Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 in one line

A great spot for an indoor date or a long hangout in Hongdae, with plenty of games and food that's actually good

• Board games, free arcade machines, and even a pool table — great for a group with never a dull moment
• Gochu soy sauce chicken was better than expected, definitely recommend!!
• Tteokbokki was just so-so since the rice cakes weren't quite soft

This is a place I'd want to come back to when I'm out with friends in Hongdae looking for a second stop after dinner, or when I want to hang out indoors on a rainy day. If you're not sure what to do in Hongdae or are looking for a good board game café, give Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 a try!