Board game café in Mapo, Seoul: Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1

On a hot summer day, I visited Hero Board Game Cafe Hongdae Branch 1 (히어로보드게임카페 홍대1호점) to find somewhere indoors to spend time with my child. With the weekday unlimited pass, we played everything from board games to pocket billiards and puzzles, and more than five hours flew by.

How far is it from Hongik University Station, and is parking available?

It is about a nine-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station. There is parking at the venue, but free parking was not provided. We parked at a nearby lot on a day pass and walked over.

The café is on the second floor of the building. There was an elevator, which made going up with my child convenient, though the elevator interior was narrow.

What were the weekday unlimited admission price and terms?

At the time of my visit, weekday unlimited admission was ₩6,000, and each person had to order one drink. Board games with my child usually take up three hours quickly, so I liked being able to stay without a time limit.

We had lunch first and arrived for the 1 p.m. opening. Even on a weekday, the seats filled up quickly after 2 p.m.

Are there many board games, and are they easy to choose?

More than 300 board games were organized along one side of the entrance. It was easy to find a game I wanted, and it was fun choosing according to our tastes. The dedicated murder mystery zone had more than 50 scenarios to enjoy.

An LED screen suggested games by number of players. It was useful when choosing a game for the first time. We played nearly 10 board games that day.

What is the seating like for children or larger groups?

There were tables for two, four, and six people, along with group seating for up to 12. We could choose between raised floor seating and regular tables, and the venue could accommodate up to 100 people at once. Curtains at each seat helped groups focus on their games.

What food and drinks did we have, and how much did they cost?

We could order food and drinks while playing. The menu included tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), chicken, churros, bingsu (shaved ice dessert), and Jjapagetti instant noodles; drinks included coffee, smoothies, soft drinks, beer, and cocktails.

We first ordered mango yogurt bingsu for ₩14,900 and a blue soda drink for ₩5,900. Since we had just eaten, we chose dessert; both the bingsu and the ice-cream blue soda were sweet and distinctive, and I was happy with them.

Later, when we got hungry, we also ordered a chicken and fries set for ₩13,900 and cider for ₩3,000. The chicken and fries came out freshly fried and crisp.

What else did we enjoy with a child besides board games?

There were also simple mini arcade games, including finger punch, mini basketball, and whack-a-mole. They gave us other activities to try between board games.

There was a pocket billiards table in the center. My child had enjoyed children’s billiards before, so we tried an adult-sized table together this time, and they enjoyed it more than I expected.

There were two arcade machines and a PlayStation 5. We played a spot-the-difference game and an airplane shooting game, which my child learned quickly and enjoyed. They were good for a short change of pace between board games.

Puzzles in different difficulty levels, including 150-piece and 500-piece options, were also available. By the time we finished the puzzles, more than five hours had passed. Drinks and food cost extra, but I was satisfied that the weekday unlimited pass let us spend a long time indoors with my child.