Board game café in Hongdae with PlayStation: Hero Board Game Cafe

To escape the heat, my partner and I went on an indoor date at Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 (히어로보드게임카페 홍대1호점). Along with board games, it has arcade machines and PlayStation games, and we could order food, so we played and ate in one place.

How do you get there from Hongik University Station?

It took about 10 minutes to walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9. The café is on the second floor of the building at 31-10 Wausan-ro 21-gil, close to Hongdae’s main street. Paid parking is also available.

What board games are available, and can beginners enjoy them?

As soon as we entered, I noticed many different games. In particular, the café says it has around 50 murder mystery scenarios. There are scenarios for two people as well as groups, and you can ask a staff member for a recommendation.

There was also a QR-code guide for checking the scenario list.

There were plenty of regular board games too. As a beginner, familiar games such as Halli Galli, Da Vinci Code, and Splendor caught my eye first.

We played one round of Da Vinci Code. Each room has a tablet PC where you can watch game-explanation videos, which is helpful when you do not know the rules. I enjoyed Da Vinci Code again this time.

We also tried Raon, a Korean-language game, for the first time. We could play various games with Hangul consonants and vowels, and this was fun too.

What else is there besides board games?

There was pocket billiards too. Neither of us knew the rules, so unfortunately we did not try it, but we watched other people playing.

There were arcade machines and PlayStation games as well. As a board-game beginner, I take time even choosing a game, so I liked being able to play familiar arcade games right away.

At the time of our visit, the arcade machines were free to use. There were games such as Metal Slug and Tekken, and I played one round of Bubble Bobble. I was having too much fun to take photos while playing.

There were several games to choose from on the PlayStation too. We chose It Takes Two, which we had played before, and it was fun to play together again after a long time.

Are there good seats for two and group seating?

The café felt spacious and comfortable, with a variety of seating styles. We sat at a table for two to four people, and I felt it would be more comfortable when used by two. We could draw the curtain and use it like a private space. Each room also had equipment that circulated air, such as a fan or air circulator.

There were also seats divided into small room-like spaces.

There were group tables where several people could sit together.

Can you have a meal there too?

We ordered food and drinks through the kiosk in our room. It was convenient to order directly from our seats.

There were coffee, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages, as well as a wide range of food.

Since we had not eaten anything since morning, we ordered ramyeon (instant noodles), Jjapagetti, a chicken wrap, Coke Zero, and a crispy hot dog.

The ramyeon in particular was tasty, and we finished it quickly. We were able to sort out a meal while playing games.

At the time of our visit, there was also a notice about an unlimited weekday soft-drink refill promotion.