About Us
Board in the City CIC (BitC) has opened Southampton’s first dedicated board game cafe. However, we’re a little different from other board game cafes in that we are a Community Interest Company, which means that we are passionate about our community. We have even been nominated for an award for the work we do! In our first year, our focus was education, in our second year – assisted living for the older generation. This year, the focus is on mental well being and helping just about anybody!
Our aim is to spread the love of gaming and we pride ourselves on our friendly, inclusive atmosphere. Surveys with both our service users and our team feel that BitC is a safe place to be! We’re open six days a week and have a cover charge of £3 (see our opening times for our group discounts).
Hundreds of Games!
Over 700 so far! From classics to modern designer games, you’re sure to find something you like. Simply grab a game and start playing, and if you’d like someone to teach you, our games masters are on hand.
Controllable Time Limit!
You can play for as long as your budget will allow. Unlike regular cafes and restaurants, we want you to stay for a long time, so if your bill comes to £15* (adult) / £10* (child) or more - then there are NO add on extras for the time of your stay - so settle in and get comfortable. We have food and drink to help keep your adventures going. *including initial entry fee.
Help the Community!
The vast majority of our efforts go back into the community so the cover charge helps with things like manpower, replenishing and expanding our games library, and hosting events.
On the whole-we do not charge for our work in the community.
Our food and drinks are locally sourced where possible and freshly made. We also offer a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. There are delicious homemade lemonades and speciality teas, fresh coffee, milkshakes, squash, and a choice of beers & ciders for the adult gamers.
As well as teaching you games, our games masters are on hand to welcome you to the cafe, recommend games for your groups, and give you a tour of the venue. Hopefully you’ll feel right at home. If you’re craving some more competitive play then see our events page for details on the tournaments we host.
