Toddler-friendly board game café in Incheon: Holmes & Lupin24

I was trying to figure out where to take the kids this weekend and got tired of doing the same old thing, so I went looking for somewhere new. This time, all four of us — my two daughters, aged 49 months and 26 months, my husband and me — visited Holmes & Lupin24 OTT Board Game Plus Incheon Dongchun.

Honestly I wondered whether the kids were even old enough to properly enjoy board games, but once we got there, there were way more games for young kids than I expected, plus a variety of Nintendo games, so we ended up having a really full day of play.

What kind of place is Holmes & Lupin24 Incheon Dongchun? Location and setup

Holmes & Lupin24 OTT Board Game Plus Incheon Dongchun is located at 39-6 Aenggogae-ro 246beon-gil, 2nd floor, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. Rather than a typical board game café where you just play at a table, this is a space where you can enjoy board games, console games like Nintendo, and even OTT content all in one place.

How do you book a room at Holmes & Lupin24?

The system wasn't complicated. When you first arrive, you choose the type of room and the length of time you want. If you want to focus on board games, you pick a board game room; if you also want to use Nintendo, you go for an OTT & Nintendo type room.

Once inside the room, you can freely pick from the games already set up there, which was great. Best of all, many locations charge by the room rather than doing complicated per-person calculations — super convenient for families!!! I'd recommend checking the latest hours and rates for the Dongchun location before you go, since it's run almost without staff!!!

If you write a review, you get an extra 30 minutes! Good to know if you're worried about running short on time.

Hangang ramen and snacks on site: no need to leave the room

Inside Holmes & Lupin24 Dongchun, there's Hangang ramen (a Han River-style instant noodle) and other simple food and snacks available — basically a mini convenience store setup. You don't have to step outside to deal with hunger. When you're out and about with kids, it's surprisingly hard to time things around proper meals, so being able to grab something quick while playing was more convenient than I expected. That said, it's better to think of it as a snack to tide you over between games rather than a full meal.

Since everything is room-based, I liked that we could spend time as a family without worrying much about other people around us. The board game rooms are private too, though they're not actual enclosed rooms — they're separated by curtains.

What board games does Holmes & Lupin24 have, and how do you choose?

The selection of board games was insane, right? I think they have pretty much any game you could be looking for haha.

There were recommended games sorted by difficulty and number of players, which made picking one really easy.

Finally, let's step into our room. Ta-da~~~~ The room itself was cozy, but it was more than fine for playing with the kids.

Board games that worked with a 49-month-old and a 26-month-old

The first games we picked were Yeol Ramen, Kkochi-ui Dalin, and Tumblin' Monkeys. At first I worried the kids wouldn't understand the rules, but with mom and dad explaining things one step at a time, they surprisingly kept up. We never did manage Kkokko Mino though, haha.

Meanwhile, in the corner, our 26-month-old was busy battling a stuffed puppy... haha. At 26 months, she wasn't really following the complicated rules, more just playing with the game pieces, but she seemed to have a great time just doing that.

Young kids especially seemed to enjoy the process itself — picking cards, moving blocks, dropping the monkey — more than winning or losing. Our 49-month-old joined in more actively and even enjoyed waiting her turn. If your kids are still young, I'd recommend picking simple, hands-on games like these over complicated strategy games.

Can Nintendo beginners play Just Dance and Watermelon Game here?

The instructions for the Nintendo games were detailed enough that even we, total beginners, picked it up quickly.

I honestly went in only thinking about board games, but the Nintendo turned out to be genuinely fun. We tried Just Dance, Watermelon Game, and a bowling game, and for playing with young kids, some of the Nintendo games were actually easier to jump into than the board games. Just Dance is about moving to the music, so the kids especially loved it, and with mom and dad dancing along too, there was a lot of laughing as a family. We were hooked on Watermelon Game for a while too, haha.

Is Holmes & Lupin24 worth it with toddlers? Our verdict after 3 hours

Since the kids are young, I only expected board games, but with Nintendo added into the mix, the 3 hours flew by. Before going, I was worried whether a 49-month-old and a 26-month-old could really have fun at a board game café. But once we got there, it wasn't a place where you had to fully understand the rules to enjoy yourself.

Picking games suited to the kids' level, and switching over to Nintendo along the way, meant we had plenty of fun. What I liked most was being able to comfortably spend 3 hours indoors covering board games, Nintendo, and a quick snack all in one place. If you have young kids like we do and are looking for things to do in Songdo, this is a place worth checking out.