After losing the Game Haus to post-pandemic fallout, there's been a sense of loss in the gaming…read morecommunity. Sure, it was pretty far away (Glendale) from Riverside, but I always enjoyed the trek and good times. Fortunately, Kyle, opened the Game Nights Cafe about 1.5 years ago as of this writing (01/01/2025), and the two-level shop and gamespace provides games to purchase, an impressive library of games to play in-house, and necessary hobby materials, such as Citadel paint, brushes, tools, and even a nifty airbrush set for about $70.
After two visits here I'm Reviewing the shop, setting, atmosphere, and special New Year's Eve event. First, my long-time gaming buddy happened upon the store while antique shopping across the street. While Gameology in Upland has been our go-to, the initial appeal was the later hours of operation, especially on Sundays, the day we typically line up. There's a game cover fee, a reasonable $6 per player and good for the entire day. Otherwise, as Kyle mentioned to me, people would stay all day and not even purchase anything. Purchases, however, do offset the cover charge.
The basement is where the bright track lights make the full-lenghth space inviting. Many hundreds of games line one wall. All are available for anyone wanting to play. And a significant number of tables and comfortable chairs are another draw. There's also a sizeable space upstairs adjacent to the retail area for games. Kyle invited us to come back for New Year's Eve for food, beverages, and a generous playtime that surpassed 2am. For $40 I was down, especially when I saw how much food was provided. A fullscale Middle Eastern feast, as well as charcuterie, sides, and desserts. Wow!
The crowd was also fun and my group quickly befriended another and we played lots of fun games that could support 6 players, including Heat, Acquire, and Inca Gold. All three were in the extensive library previously referenced. In short, they host many events for Magic the Gathering (MTG), Dungeons and Dragons, open play nights, and hopefully more NYE celebrations.
Finally, they also have a lot of games and things marked down for quick sales, so consider browsing. Not far away is the Glass House, and somewhere close by is Zoink Records.
