Great vibes here! Went here to play chess and loved the ambiance. It was $10 to play and then they had snacks and coffee/tea for purchase.

Was looking for late night milkshakes and happened to stumble upon this place, a board game cafe! Didn't know what to expect coming in, but quickly learned you basically pay to play unlimited games. Since you do have to pay a game fee, I suggest making a night out of it to get your moneys worth. They have all the board games you can imagine, and then some...card games, two player games, etc. Everything is categorized so you can navigate pretty easily. They even have a suggestions board if like us, you don't know what to play. We came pretty late so only stayed a little over an hour...but we got our milkshakes so it was worth it. Actual place is open late some nights but they seem to stop serving food/drinks beforehand, so keep that in mind. Honestly we had fun and this is a chill way to spend a night out. read more

Cute indoor space for board games with drinks, snacks and fresh made sandwiches. There are multiple walls of board games spread around the multiple rooms inside and not obvious at first glance. The place was at capacity when I visited around 6 PM on a Saturday. Looks like a fun spot of friends or couples! read more

See all

Love this place! I've been once before and had a great time. There are thousands of boardgames to choose from ranging in difficulty level, number of players and subject. The cafe serves food, but you have the option to bring your own food and drinks in (including alcohol) for an additional $5 pp. The staff was incredibly nice. My party of 5 went on a Sunday afternoon and got a table pretty easily. Street parking was plentiful. Great way to spend a night with friends! read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Love it here. One of my dear friends worked here for a bit- love coming in with friends and playing games, or grabbing a hot chocolate and getting some work done read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Went to get a coffee on the weekend but we couldn't sit down at a table because they were reserved for people playing games. The coffee was fine but we had to leave as soon as we got our order. read more

I had never heard of an official board game cafe before but love the concept and knew this was a must visit! And boy did it exceed my expectations! The shop from the exterior is a cute little White Castle but the inside is a jam packed game house! The people that work there are so nice and willing to help if it's your first time visiting! They have a game charge of $10 per person but allows you to play any game and lasts for the whole day! They also had really good sandwiches and I just overall loved the vibe of this cafe tucked amongst the crammed board games! My friends and I stayed for a couple hours and managed to get through 4-5 games but will definitely have to come back to try more of their selection in the future! read more

Knight Moves Cafe - a grilled sandwich on a plate - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Both my fiancé and I came by this place, hoping to get a drink and play a board game before heading to Coolidge Corner Theater for the midnight viewing. Imagine our excitement dwindle down to annoyance after not finding any staff available at the front and back of the house (yes, we walked to the back) for the 25+ minutes we waited around. 3 other walk-in customers also waited in line, only to end up leaving or walking about. After being unable to locate any staff members, we ended up leaving. It would not matter anyways, considering how packed the place was (on a Sat night) with no clear directives of how to seat ourselves and pay for the service. Sad to say this is a disappointing experience and we did not get the chance to experience the board game/cafe vibes of it. Lower your expectations before giving this place a try if going on a busy night. read more

My first time at a board game cafe, and boy was it an experience. The group I visited Boston with had a couple board game fanatics, so we decided to check out this place before heading out for dinner. We were there for more than three hours, and after dinner, we came back for more. Upon entering we feasted our eyes upon set after set of floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked to brimming with board games. Old and new, simple and complex, all different types. Apparently there's even a cellar full of thousands more. It was pretty spectacular. The place had just reopened for COVID and there were groups of old timers playing games at various tables. There's a lot of space to spread out at. The tables and chairs are lovingly well-worn, and the place had a sort of charmingly cluttered organization. It cost $10 per person for unlimited games and to stay as long as we wanted to. (Also allowed us to leave and come back for the day). We chose to play terraforming Mars. The owner was super nice and taught us the whole game even though he was clearly busy and receiving a ton of business calls throughout. The game itself was very fun and before we knew it a couple hours had whizzed by. We left for dinner and then decided we wanted to go back to try another more simple game before we left. That was fun too. Didn't get to try the food or drinks, but overall seems like a fun place to hang with friends on a rainy day or to try out new board games. read more

See all

Such an awesome experience and super glad my boyfriend and I got to come here for our anniversary date. We're still exploring Massachusetts and this is a definite must check out place for a fun night out with friends, family, or a date! Super Unique experience: Cool board games stacked in multiple book cases throughout (only pictured 1) + Great treats, coffee, and drinks !!! Price & Worth: We payed $15 per person (not including food and drinks) but not bad considering we stayed for about 3 hours! We played 1 game because it was our first time playing it and because of the complex strategies it made it confusing at first, but fun for a 1st round. Already can't wait to go back and get a re-do! We got there around 7 but by 8-9 it was packed for a Saturday so keep this in mind if you want to bring a big group it may be worth coming in earlier in the evening. However, they're open till 2am Saturdays so you could make it a late night out! The food prices were decent, they have sandwiches, coffees, drinks, hot cocoa, brownies etc. Food: We shared a Brownie Sundae and its melts in your mouth, gone in a blink good!!!! Definetly give it a taste! Their Hot Cocoa and Coffee was also pretty good Service: We met the owner Devon, and he was beyond nice offering help picking a game and he was open to answering any questions we had. He treated every customer the same which was nice to witness. It was just him along with one other staff member serving food/drinks so it may take a bit to come out, which we were fine with as it gave us time to put the game together and review the rules, but they kindly apologized for the delay anyway. If want a fun experience, need a bite or a great place to hangout, and want to support a local business, check this place out! read more

See all

I honestly never knew these places existed until one of my friends suggested meeting up here! What a terrific idea for someone like me who loves board games, but I'm quickly running out of space in my own home to put the countless (not as loved) games acquired. This is a fantastic way to hang out with friends and to TEST out games before purchasing for yourself. It's a reasonable price for $5 for weekdays and $10 for weekends and additional $2/person if you want to bring your own food and drinks. They also have a modest offering of their own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. We tried the hot dog, which was nothing to write home about. I agree with the other visitors that their game selection is extensive but VERY UNORGANIZED. Is it so unreasonable to ask one of the staff members whether they had a LIST of the games they hand on hand? There is no rhyme or reason to how the games are organized. They're just stuffed back to wherever fits after the patrons are done using. -1 star for the chaotic mass of games to sort through. However, if you are unsure the staff members can help recommend games for your group to try. On the weekends such as when we arrived we actually needed to wait awhile before getting a free table for a group of 5-6. Part of the space was used as a makeshift educational/art workshop for kids in the back so some of the space was unavailable. Some of the games we played while there were Smarty Party/Pants (this is such a weird and dated trivia game), Dixit, Cards Against Humanity (ugh basic game that I don't want to play again) and a Map based location game that I forgot the name of. We had hoped to try out Tokaido and Settlers of Catan but they were in high demand and another group wanted to use it instead. Anyway I'd love to come back to this place and try out a new set of games in the future more equipped with food and drinks. read more

Great spot to hang out with friends, and they have a lot of games which even two people can play. You pay a set price per person and you can stay for as long as you'd like. On Mondays-Wednesdays it is $5 per person, but on Thursdays-Sundays it's $10 per person. They also have some drinks/food you can order such as coffee, tea, milkshakes, sandwiches, and pastries. You can also bring your own food/drink/alcohol for $5 a person. You can ask for water at no extra cost. For two people, a pot of tea ($5), and a frozen lemonade with peach ($6), the total came to $32 on a Saturday. There was only one person working at the counter on a Saturday afternoon, and the place got pretty packed. She seated groups first, then dealt with the accumulated food/drink orders. Somebody came in to just order coffee but she turned him away because she was too busy. The board games are on multiple shelves and there wasn't any apparent organization of them so if you're looking for a particular game then it might take some time to find. The games are in playable condition but definitely very used. The cafe itself is pretty small, so the tables are close together. The cafe is quite stuffy. I probably wouldn't order anything from the menu in the future because the place didn't seem very clean. The frozen lemonade was great but as soon as the employee turned on the blender, everyone's game was disrupted because the blender was so loud. They have donuts on display at the counter but they're not covered and I spotted some fruit flies buzzing around the donuts... I'll probably end up coming back because there aren't that many board game cafes in the area. They have a very large selection of board games, and they're open pretty late. However I'll either be eating beforehand or bringing my own food. read more

Knight Moves is super cool. They have a broad range of board games from lightweight party games to heavier games. They have both classic, popular games as well as the newest, "hot" games. They have coffee drinks, "cup of candy", paninis, smoothies and shakes. I come here for the vibes and the board games. They do also have BYOB. I love the Green Monster Smoothie . The owner Devon is super friendly and has deep knowledge of board games. While it was very busy when we were there, but Devon still took the time to teach us a game. I first went to this cafe to go to a board game Kickstarter Launch. Devon is friends with many publishers in the industry so he is able to host some cool events. This weekend it was very busy, the tables were full, and I loved that if you find my reviews helpful, please let me know read more

See all

What a time. What a place. What a smooth Bobby. Had a BLAST playing games with friends but perhaps most surprising is my newfound friendship with Bobby Smooth who was dynamite behind the counter all night. read more

Fun place to wait for friends, or just to spend an afternoon. There is a good selection of games and the coffee was good and good prices. didn't have any of the food, but it all looked super tasty. fun, relaxing vibes. read more

This a really good and unique cafe. Devon has over 2,000 games. It's $15 to play on the weekends and it's a great place to come with friends especially if you want to try some new games. Devon is great and very knowledgeable of any type of game you were looking for. There are also snacks and many different drinks. read more

Love the atmosphere and the incredible collection of games! Great people and good selection of food/drinks. Definitely a place to check out with friends in Boston. read more

This is a great place to hang out with your friends! They offer drinks and sandwiches, tables and games, all for a small fee. The staff is very helpful and friendly and everyone there was having a good time. Every city needs a place like this. read more

For 10 bucks you can play an enormous collection of games for an evening. For an extra 5 you can bring your own food and drink too!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I came with a few friends a few weeks ago and I never wanted to leave. We came on a Saturday afternoon and it was pretty empty. They have an ENORMOUS selection of games; it's impossible to run out of options. The woman at the counter was also super sweet!! My friends ordered a nutella milkshake and I ordered a latte, which were both pretty good!!! Overall, the atmosphere was super cozy and nice and the variety of board games is very impressive. Great way to spend an afternoon! Highly recommend!!! read more

See all

Came here a little before midnight on a Friday night, and I must say it is very cute and very chill place to hang out, day or night. They have an insanely good collection of board games and card games and plenty of tables of different sizes for any group to hang out and play games! The food is OK, not great not bad. I got the caprese panini and wasn't blown away but the flavor is good. I finished the plate but wouldn't get another. However, the brownies they offer are awesome, truly a good brownie. The service was great, friendly and fast, however it was pretty empty when I went. I'm sure the quality of the service doesn't change with busy-ness though! All around, I would come back, and actually play games next time. read more

This was such a great experience with friends! The tables and chairs felt very cozy; the whole place had a living room kind of feel to it. The selection of games was immense as promised and time felt like it flew by. Didn't realize you can pay a $5 fee to bring as much of your own food as you want, or get café snacks-- I'll be back for a milkshake! read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Just a few of the games available - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Knight Moves is a boardgame cafe in Coolidge Corner. One nice little bonus is the half hour magic show in the back on Friday evenings - Eric Benton's Magic Test Kitchen. Magician Eric takes this opportunity to test out new tricks in front of a live audience read more

See all

The idea of knight moves can be fun but is poorly executed when at high capacity. And tonight while the board game shop was full I did not feel respected by the person at the counter. I've been a fan of knight moves for a long time but this experience makes me reconsider my patronage. I'm not sure if I will drop by again. read more

Last night I hosted an event here for about 50 people. We booked out the two rooms towards the back of the cafe for two hours, and it was $300. We were allowed to bring our own food and drink, so we ordered some food and brought some alcohol to consume there. The space was a little tight, and it felt a little too warm and claustrophobic at times. The bathroom, however, is extremely well kept and comfortable. It's probably the comfiest part of the whole cafe lol. They have tons and tons of board games, most of which I've never even heard of, but they're also pretty worn and some have missing parts. read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Codenames had missing parts - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

My wife and I had been here years ago, but we got old and had kids and subsequently have no life, so it's been a while. We realized that we had a babysitter booked and had somehow... made zero plans. "C'mon," I said, "Let's go down to the board game cafe. It'll be fun! We can bring booze and get takeout and play games." "I don't know," she said, "Doesn't that sound a lot like... what we could do at home?" "It'll be different!" I insisted, "We'll be among The People!" So we got takeout from different places, brought in some beers, parked easily along Beacon Street, and headed over. You know what? We *could* have done this at home, except we wouldn't have been able to: -Try new games (with unlimited tips/instructions from a very patient and enthusiastic Devin, the host) -Try old games (Connect Four! Battleship! Totally underrated! Legit fun, especially after a drink or two) -Have ready and easy access to snacks we'd never keep in stock at home (mmm, nutella milkshake) -Escape from the loving yet persistent responsibility of parenting two young kids -Appreciate the wonderful and excellent nerdy, game-playing population in Boston This was lots of fun, I can't wait to go back! read more

I came here in a group of 8 people in the hopes of a board game night. It's $5 per person M-W. There are sooooo many video games here that it's impossible to count how many the store owns. My friends and I played avalon mostly and 1 other game towards the end that I can't remember. The place closes at 11p. Everyone seems to order the mango smoothie or the hot chocolate. The hot chocolate js reeeaaally yummy, not too sweet. The whipped cream on top is a bit too sweet too. Would definitely come back here to have game night with my friends. read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Hot Chocolate - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

This place was a total serendipitous find! So cool there's a space to play games with a homey living room cafe/coffee shop vibe!! Who knew how many thousand of board games there are?! And what a fun group activity!! read more

Cute place to go on a date or just with a few of your friends! My boyfriend and I came in the middle of the week when it was slow, but I know it can get really busy on weekends. The location is a little small, but it has a cozy house vibe that makes it fun. I haven't tried any of the food, but the water came in cute little goblet cups. There are so many games! Honestly I only knew like three or four of them, but it was fun to learn new games. There's a lot of meter parking outside. read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

A boardgame cafe right around Coolidge Corner making it a perfect place for a fun game night with friends. I came here on a Saturday night with a couple of friends and we got a table in the back and were pretty excited to find some new games to play. The guy at the counter told us it was $10 admission and we could come and go as we'd like as our admission rate is for the entire day, which I thought was pretty cool to know. All of the shelves are packed filled with different types of games, so we looked around and all picked out a board game that seemed interesting. We encountered a few problems with missing pieces or instructions, so we couldn't play any of the games we originally picked out. Thus, we were on the search for a simple game that had all the pieces and instructions to follow. There is a smaller shelf of games, which seemed to be quicker games compared to the large board games on the other side. We found better luck here and played Sparkle Kitty and Cobra Paw. Both games had all the pieces and quick directions to learn how to play. I'd definitely like to come back when I have more time to learn how to play different board games. read more

See all

To call this the best tabletop game cafe in Brookline is a bit of an understatement. After all, it is the only tabletop gaming cafe in Brookline. But let's not allow semantics to overshadow the sheer breadth of board games, fireside warmth and incredible baked goods found within its Beacon Street nook. To say Knight Moves has more games than your entire collective nerd clan who just raided their extended nerd clan's garages and attics is an understatement. We played Ticket To Ride and Beardos and our neighbors played Star Trek: Catan, which left approximately 276 other options for you to peruse. Or I could just share their list: http://knightmovescafe.com/game-library/ To say the cocoa is rich and creamy, and a full tray of assorted (and reasonably priced) cookies, jam bars, chocolate covered pretzels, cakey brownies and anise-flavored gems disappeared within moments would be, in fact, two independent understatements. To say the entry fee ($10; Mon-Tues has a $5 special running!) is high for a fly-by, but a steal for a long night of intense board gaming with friends, is a collective understatement. To say the staff makes you feel like family, only more welcomed, is... well, you get it. For so many understatements, I can't say enough. Free pizza on Wednesdays! read more

Knight Moves: Board Game Cafe is warmly welcomed to Brookline and Boston - this is a place that offers something for everyone: standard board games (Clue, Scrabble, Connect Four), unique intense games (Settlers, Lord of the Rings, Dominion), a relaxing lounge, coffee & pastries, free wi-fi, and an all around amazing warm smell that greets you when you first walk in. I stumbled upon this lovely cafe about three weeks ago and I was fortunate enough to meet the owner, Devon. Upon entering the cafe, he warmly greeted us and gave us a quick tour of the place. There are two huge bookshelves stacked with board games and a chess board is set up near the front window for any Board 1, superb chess players that are ready to show off their moves. The cafe is still growing - on 12/10/2013 the cafe received their license from the Dept of Health to serve coffee and pastries and I think the owners are hoping to serve other food and beverages by the end of the year. Aside from coffee, the owner did go out of his way to mention that they will be offering hot choc and tea. If you're just looking to chill in their comfy lounge, admission is free and there's complimentary wi-fi! There is an admission price for those that are interested in playing the board games - $10 for those that are just stopping by and checking it out. For those that are more serious, you can become a member of the cafe for $15/month and admission is reduced to $6 per trip plus you get one free beverage per visit. If you want to play board games all day, everyday, you may want to purchase the premium membership for $120 per month - which buys unlimited admission for the month and complimentary snacks and drinks. The cafe has a partnership with Eureka - so for anyone that is in dying need to own the board game that they spent 10+ hrs playing at the cafe, they can just go across the street and buy it! http://www.eurekapuzzles.com/ I know that the owners are hoping to host events and Devon was kind enough to offer me a very generous discount since I had mentioned that I was part of the Big Sister Association. On 12/10/2013, my little sister and I took him up on the discount and we spent about 3 hours just relaxing and playing some board games. Devon was super cool and even looked up some words to see whether it was legit for scrabble points. The cafe is still doing some soft openings but I know that they are going to be open till 11 PM during regular business hours. If you want to make sure that they are open, check out their website and give them a call before heading over - http://knightmovesboston.wordpress.com. I look forward to coming here on a regular basis with friends and family! read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Devon with his games! - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

A cafe... FOR BOARD GAMES! You pay a one time fee for the day and you can play allllll day (or night, on the weekends)! They have an impressive collection of board games- many different kinds and genres of games for your enjoyment. Monday-Wednesday: $5 Thursday-Sunday:$10 Whenever I come here with a couple of friends, we pay the one time fee and play all day. You can also BYOB and drink as you're playing board games. read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Awesome little cafe with a couple of tables for several parties playing board games. It can get crowded on the weekends real fast - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Oh man this place is fantasticular. Finally got to come here since my school club was interested in playing some board games. The 8 of us played for hours and it only cost us $20? Are you out of your mind? It was so great to have a plethora amount of games to choose from, picking a game to play was the hard part. Actually learning how to play some of the game was also hard but the owner kindly walked us through. I totally won most of the games, go me. A cozy place with a really really cool clock. I want that clock. The front is kind of small if you have a huge line waiting at the cash reg it might be hard to move around but there is a much bigger space in the back for large group. We only had time to play through 4 different games, but will definitely come back to try others! BONUS: they sell gift certificate! BRING ALL THE FRIENDS! read more

Came here at night. 1st time trying board games and it was a ton of fun! Tons of games I never heard of. Staff were friendly to recommend and explain games. It's 5$ per person and an additional 5$ if you bring your own drinks. Atmosphere was friendly and it seemed always packed. I think most people spend several hours there. Fun would try again. read more

Everything about this place is right up my alley! Welcoming, cozy atmosphere, delicious tea and paninis, and so many games!!!

Such a fun, cool little spot in Brookline - highly recommend! And the owner is super friendly!

This place is pretty legit. They introduced me to Ticket to Ride and now I'm addicted. Food is good, when they have it. I think the atmosphere is almost a little too lax. There's not a lot of consistency in terms of when you pay, how coffee refills work, etc. It makes me uncomfortable to not know what the expectations are of the customer. The game selection is insane!!! So many games!!! And the best part is they will teach you how to play- no more reading rule cards! Have literally spent hours upon hours here. read more

Knight Moves Cafe - Ticket to ride! - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

This place is pretty cool, with the exception of running into an escaped mental patient here one month ago I have never had anything less than a great time here! Pro Tip---This is for all the rookies, when you show up and are searching for a game to play, DO NOT crowd/distract other people that are seated already playing games, its poor form. Tell'em Rick sent you, chill out, and have fun. read more

Went yesterday with my brother and girlfriend. And was pretty disappointed. The guy at the front desk barely welcomed us, keeping his headphones on his ears. We asked him what kind of games would match our needs and he picked 3 he handed us...then went back behind his desk: no explanations, just an implicit "leave me alone now". He never checked in to ask if everything was fine and we spent 1h just trying to understand the rules of the games. Also, if you want food or drinks be prepared to spend $7 on a milk-shake. Prices are quite crazy. I understand that this is how the business is making its money but be reasonable... I was expecting better given the reviews and how welcoming the one in Somerville is. On the bright side, there are a lot of games and the decoration is great although we feel that it used to be better and plastic tables are slowly replacing the old-fashion stuff. Too bad. read more