Are you feeling down, now that Christmas is over? Struggling to maintain an alcohol-free start to 2023?

Filling these long January nights can be tough, without reaching for a drink or simply flopping in front of the TV.

An alternative - yet fast-growing - trend is to check out a board game café (at any time of year).

Visiting a game café is a great way to exercise your mind, meet new people and get out of the house for a few hours (it’s recommended to book a table before visiting a board game café, to avoid disappointment).

These cosy, welcoming venues are stocked with hundreds of board games to play with family, friends, and / or friendly strangers. And there’s probably a board game café near you.

All types of gamers are catered for. Remember playing classics such as Connect 4, chess and draughts? Then you’ll feel right at home.

If you’re after something more adventurous, there are plenty of contemporary titles to choose from. From Catan to Gloomhaven, you don’t need to know any game rules before you play. Helpful staff are on hand to recommend great new games to try, or explain any tricky rules you come across.

In Manchester city centre, there’s award-winning shop / café Fan Boy Three, on Hilton Street.

Gamers in south Manchester are in luck, too: Goodtime Games, in West Didsbury, has been named one of the top 12 board game cafés in the UK by dicebreaker.com.

Finally, here in north Manchester, you can visit us at our recently opened Buzzin’ Meeples café in Prestwich. You’ll find a warm welcome with friendly, expert advice, plus an ever-growing gamers’ community.

Visit the bottom of our home page to subscribe to the Buzzin’ Meeples mailing list, for news about exciting upcoming events.