It’s not often we get to do a boardgame cafe review for a brand-new location. So when Boardom popped up on our radar a month ago, we knew it was a location we were going to have to visit. It’s near exactly 1 bus stop, the one next to the McDonald’s from Chong Pang Camp. You could always take the train to Yishun MRT and get on a bus there. The stops further down both sides serves more buses but would be an additional 5 minutes of walking.
Getting to the location proved to be a slight challenge for me (Aden), who lived outside of Yishun. The small number of buses servicing the stops meant a lack of direct transport. Even extending the radius to the bus stops down the streets, there are only 11 buses serving 5 stops, and only 4 buses (5 on the opposite road) serving the stop next to Boardom.
The interior is quite spacious, with nice wood flooring and exposed pillars, which are always nice as they act as sound dampeners. At the back of the store is a toilet that is available for customers. Drinks are sold at $2 per bottle, with water priced at $1. They’ve got bright lighting, which is great if you don’t wish to strain your eyes as well.
We weren’t really sure just how noisy it could get, given COVID restrictions, causing a reduced number of customers. From other open-space café we’ve been to, the noise will likely increase exponentially with crowds. Though, due to the dampeners, it likely won’t get as bad as Experience Point. The tables are movable, so larger groups can be accommodated, and the chairs are decently comfortable to just slouch back in.
While their shelves lacked a quantity of games, it had a large scope. The traditional pick-ups such as Splendor, Ticket to Ride, and Avalon are available. However, the owner has a soft spot for heavy Kickstarter games that can be harder to find elsewhere — as they are usually expensive to part with for public play — such as the Horizon Zero Dawn boardgame and Tainted Grail. There’s also a focus on mystery and escape games as well.
Retail front wise, however, is basically non-existent at this point. They do sell card sleeves and Pokémon cards, and they have plans to greatly expand their Digimon cards stock as their flagship, with competitions planned. D&D is also on the table, so do check their space to follow their journey. Right now though, the lack of retail is kind of a bummer, as Boardom has a really eclectic taste that’d be interesting to shop from, and their small games selections means even less options available for entertainment.
If you’re worried about food, cease your fears. Boardom is literally 2 shophouses away from the famous Chong Pang Nasi Lemak. If you’re not feeling up to queuing, there’s the aforementioned McDonald’s, a Domino’s, a pub, and a Korean BBQ place, all within the three streets up.
Tables are currently booked through timeslots of 12-5pm and 6-11pm, with an additional 11pm-3am slot available on their “weekend” slots of Fridays and Saturdays. At the time of writing, Boardom’s running a promotion of $10 per slot ($12 on weekends). From our experience doing boardgame cafe reviews, the prices are quite reasonable. Though we hope that after the promotion they would keep the cost affordable as well.
Conclusion
A new boardgame and card game place with lots of room to grow. Not easy to get to, but affordable and comfortable place to stay once you reach. Could really use either an expanded retail front or larger game selections, as other even smaller places have more varied options than what is planned for here. However, given its amenities and price, Boardom’s a good place for players to bring their own games and just chill.
Cafe is perfect for…
– Board gamers looking to try out expensive or rarer games.
– BYO gamers wanting a place to play and chill for extended time at reasonable price.
– Digimon trading card game players, as they intend to grow.
Cafe is good for…
– General populace, looking for a place to hang out.
– People in the neighbourhood looking for entertainment (Especially those booking out of Chong Pang Camp)
– Anyone looking to play some mystery games.
Cafe is bad for…
– People outside the area. It’s quite troublesome to reach.
– Customers looking for a retail shop, as their selections are limited.
– Board gamers looking for extensive selection, as they currently have less than 100 games.
The lads from TabletopTavern are on an adventure to discover Boardgame Cafes situated on the sunny island of Singapore. Our quest is to provide you with the most informative Boardgame Cafe Reviews. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to catch our latest Boardgame Cafe Reviews!
[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]
