FAQ’s
How does this work?
Buy a game adventure pass for each person in your party. Choose as many games as you like. Play them at your table. Bring them to the game return when done. Repeat. Think of your pass as similar to a movie ticket except you control the action of the movie. Passes are $10/person for general visitors ($5/person if under 12 years old and free for those under 4 years old).
What is included in my game adventure pass?
Access to over 1,000 board games, priority seating at our tables over non-gamers, a comfortable place to play, perks like the ability to bring in outside food or leave and come back under the same pass, most events happening that day such as learn-to-play, care and upkeep for the games, and did we mention over 1,000 games?
Are you related to the Board Room?
No, but we appreciate everything they did for board gaming.
Who is this place geared for? Can I bring my family? Kids? A date?
We are a family-friendly cafe. Bring your grandparents, your young children, your date, or just yourself. We have games for ages as low as 2 years old and games as old as the 1960’s for some extra nostalgia. All who welcome others are welcome here.
What do you have for food and drink options?
We offer general coffee shop options, including coffee, tea (lots of it), espresso, soda (including custom ones), bottled drinks, cookies, scones, brownies, pretzels, popcorn, chips, etc. We do not carry alcohol options. We do also have hot food such as mozzarella sticks, mac & cheese bites, pretzels, and seasonal cakes. Our standard menu can be viewed on our Menu page.
Do you allow outside food? Do you do BYOB?
The purchase of a game adventure pass and a small outside food fee of $2 per person grants the ability to bring outside food in. We do not allow alcohol on site.
Do you do birthday parties or have group rates?
We do! Please contact us at boardgames@backagaincafe.com with how many people, age ranges, whether you’re looking for just games or included food/drink, whether you’d want a private event, dates/times, and anything else you think we’d need to know to achieve your vision. Generally, we host private events on Mondays or mornings when we wouldn’t normally be open to the public.
Can we reserve a table?
Yes! This is especially helpful if your group is larger than 5 people. Call us at 860-854-6524 or email boardgames@backagaincafe.com to reserve your table. Reservations are not guaranteed until confirmed by us and are held for 15 minutes from the time given for the reservation start unless we receive an update from your party. As an informational note, we are usually quietest on Tuesdays and busiest on Sundays.
Do you sell games?
Currently, we only sell used games, but have a fair selection of them available as we rotate games out of our library to make room for new ones.
Will you have [insert: Magic, D&D, Pokemon, chess, youth, senior, learn-to-play, looking for group, etc.] events?
Yes and no. We do events on specific board games and themed around holidays where bringing your own game group is not needed. Because we don’t sell games or cards, we are limited from hosting Magic or Pokemon tournaments and the like. Please check our Events page for more information.
What is not allowed at your cafe?
Because we’re a food establishment, we cannot allow animals other than those designated as being a service animal as much as we wish we could. Please note that the CT law regarding this does not recognize emotional support animals as service animals. Smoking, vaping, and other similar elements as well as weapons are also not allowed in order to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.
Do I have to play games?
No, you are welcome to come in and check things out with a tea and scone or such. On weekly afternoons, we are usually quiet enough for working from the cafe, reading with a snack, or having small meetings. We just ask for a purchase of your choice for your stay.
Do you teach games? Does your staff know the games?
We know at least something about each of our games and can help you with them as much as the current crowd permits. We are also available for recommendations. We have several boards that can help guide you to a game and a key for our organizational sticker system that organizes games by length of time, age, player count, and whether they’re welcoming for new players.
Do you have a membership, loyalty, discount, or referral program?
We have a free loyalty program where each dollar you spend earns you 1 point. Presently, reward levels are 20 points to cover an Outside Food Fee, 50 points for a $5 discount, or 100 points for a Game Pass. Additionally, there is discount program where if you use a mug bought here for your drink you get 10% off of that drink.
Where can I park?
Street parking, Melilli Lot, the lot near KidCity and Russell Library to name a few. Street parking is $1/hr til 6pm (free Sundays and city lot parking is $1/hr til 8pm (free Sundays). The ParkMobile app is $1.30/hr and allows remote time extension. Meters are coin/card.
What are your hours? Are you open on X day?
We are closed Mondays. We’re open 1pm-10pm Tuesdays-Fridays, 12pm-10pm Saturdays, and 12pm-8pm Sundays. Holidays you can expect us to be closed include Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
How can we find/contact you?
You can find us as @ backagaincafe on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, BlueSky, etc. or by emailing boardgames@backagaincafe.com / calling 860-854-6524. Our Discord is the best place to find the most up-to-date info. You can also join our newsletter to receive monthly updates on events and specials.
What events do you have? Can I just drop in to play a game (or several)?
Anytime we’re open to the public is open gaming time, especially if you’re coming in with friends. If you’re a solo gamer, we do have games just for you, but you can also check our events list for the best times to join a group. Our events can be found on our Events page (how about that), but are more frequently updated on our Discord and social media.
Can I bring my own game(s)? What games do you have?
Of course! This is covered by a game adventure pass. Please check our games list to avoid bringing any games we have a copy of (unless yours is kitted out, of course).
What’s it like in the cafe?
We aim for hobbit-level cozy, but we’ll let our guests speak for us. Check out our reviews.
Is the cafe ADA accessible?
There are no stairs required to get into or move about the cafe. There are two sets of standard doors to gain access, however. Once inside, we endeavor to keep an aisle clear for traffic between two rows of tables. Our register counter is set at an ADA-compliant height and, of our all-gender single bathrooms, one is partially accessible and the other is fully. We are happy to make additional accommodations if they would be helpful and are feasible. Please give us a call to discuss.