Nowon board game café with kids: Dixit and Jenga at Hero Board Game

Why a Nowon board game café instead of a kids' café

My friend, my 6-year-old niece and I had lunch near Nowon Station. Going straight to my friend's place would've meant spending the whole time entertaining the kid instead of actually talking to each other. Café? Kids' café? Somewhere else?? While we were debating, I suggested, "How about a board game café?"

My friend hesitated a bit, saying she'd never been to one. I pushed hard, insisting it's a great indoor date spot for things to do in Nowon. After some frantic searching, we picked Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch, which had a reputation locally for being clean and fun. Off we go!

Personally, once a kid hits 6, I find board game cafés way better for playing together than kids' cafés, where everyone can actually join in the game.

Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch: location, hours and parking

• Address: 3rd Floor, Units 301 & 302, 15 Sangye-ro 3-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul (toward Nowon Station Exit 9)
• Hours: Mon–Thu 13:00–24:00 / Fri 13:00–01:00 / Sat 12:00–01:00 / Sun 12:00–24:00
• Parking: Not available (Kakao T Hyunsung Building parking lot recommended)

What the seated rooms and facilities are like

From the red door onward, Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch already has that board game vibe!

Once you step through the glass door, a staff member walks you to your room. We were led to a seated room where you take your shoes off and sit comfortably. The tablet on the table let us order drinks and also watch video explanations of the games — super convenient.

On top of that, the hallway in the middle of the store has free arcade machines and a PlayStation anyone can use — basically a paradise of things to play.

There's a multi-charger by the counter entrance too, so you never have to worry about your phone dying while you play.

Each room has a slightly different layout, but the place was packed so we didn't get to peek into the other rooms.

What three of us ordered on a weekend

At Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch, one drink order per person is required, and ordering bingsu (shaved ice dessert) counts as 2 drinks. For our weekend visit of 3, we ordered 2 iced Americanos and 1 strawberry latte.

Picking the games: Gemblo, Dixit and Pokémon Splendor

We dropped off our stuff in the room and headed to the shelves by the entrance to pick out games properly. Three board game beginners, totally lost!?

My 6-year-old niece confidently took the lead and picked "Gemblo," saying she'd played it at kindergarten.

I grabbed "Pokémon Splendor" because it said "beginner" and had cute Pokémon art.

There were so many games I couldn't tell what was what. I spotted a big poster on the wall that said "Top Recommended Games for 6 Players." I completely missed the "for 6 players" part and just saw "No. 1 Best" and blindly picked "Dixit" (I was so proud of myself at the time, haha). We also grabbed a Little Mermaid puzzle and the classic "Top Top (Jenga)."

Which games actually worked with a 6-year-old

We opened the lid on the Little Mermaid puzzle and all three of us went silent... why are the pieces so tiny? It turned out to be a whopping 500 pieces. Nope, pass on this one!

My niece led the way with "Gemblo," the game she'd picked. Um... neither of us finished it, haha. It looked easy, but we couldn't even complete one shape and quietly closed the lid.

Let's just do the easy "Top Top (Jenga)"~~~ All three of us had a blast, haha. But in the cold, hard world of competition, mom and aunt didn't go easy on the kid, and in the end my niece lost! Life isn't that forgiving.

Dixit, the top-ranked game: is it fun with only 3 players?

Now let's try the No. 1 game, "Dixit." We opened the box and found nothing but storybook-like cards?? What is this?! My niece just stared at us... I nearly developed dyslexia reading the instructions. My friend looked up the rules online and we barely got started.

Partway through we realized this game recommended for 6 players felt off with just 3, but by then we were already having way too much fun. I think we basically made up our own rules. My niece gave innocent, obvious hints anyone could guess, while us adults, our imaginations completely dried up, could only think of rough (?) incidents we couldn't say in front of a kid, and had to force out other hints instead. The three of us laughed until our stomachs hurt, and I ended up in first place. Highly recommend Dixit, haha.

Finally we set up Pokémon Splendor, but reading the rules felt like too much and we just decided to call it a day.

Events running at Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch

The "Bingsu My Way" event

My own recipe! You start with the basic shaved ice base and pick your own toppings to build a bingsu (shaved ice dessert) your way. Take a photo of what you made and post it on Instagram with the designated hashtag and the official account tag for a chance to win a prize through a random draw.

The 500-piece puzzle challenge

For the competitive types! Pick a puzzle, ask at the counter, and if you finish within the time limit (2 people: 90 min / 3 people: 75 min / 4 people: 60 min), you get a 2-hour free coupon per person plus a Polaroid photo taken of the moment! If you're a puzzle master, this is definitely worth trying on your next indoor date in Nowon.

Hero's exclusive murder mystery game (Crime Scene)

There was an invitation reading "A mysterious murder has occurred," and it turned out to be an exclusive, free Crime Scene game as immersive as a Nowon escape room. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves mystery-solving games.

Final verdict on Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch

We stacked the games back on the return shelf and brought our cups to the counter. Adults get to actually enjoy themselves without being drained, and kids get a different kind of fun too — I don't think there's a better place for the three of us to hang out together.

If regular dates are getting boring, or you're looking for an indoor activity to enjoy with a child, I'd strongly recommend Hero Board Game Cafe Nowon Branch as an indoor date spot for things to do in Nowon!