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"A lot have taken away the player-elimination aspect," explains Adams. "They're also less random, and a lot more put control back into people's hands with dynamic

and unique choices" rather than simply a roll of the dice. Plus, there's less direct conflict in many games. Rather than tear down a competitor, as in Monopoly, players are

building their own resources on their own land, business, or journey. A subgenre, cooperative games, has players pooling talents to beat the game itself. A dad and his sons play Ice Cool at

the Cardboard Crowns board game cafe in Dayton, Ohio. Photo courtesy Ben Adams, Cardboard Crowns There’s also the company. Elana Auerbach, her husband Bill Press and their elementary

school-age son are frequent guests of Victory Point Cafe in Berkeley, California. "It's rare to have a place that's such a mix of generations all enjoying themselves, a lot of

different people together," says Press, explaining that the shop attracts a mix of students, retirees and families. Although some cafes cater to fans of role-playing games such as

Magic the Gathering, and others target a family audience, most try to be inclusive of all ages and interests — from the game selection to the menu. Continuing the "third place"

idea, board game cafes often offer a menu featuring locally-sourced food and drinks in order to support the region and attract support in return. Cardboard Crowns, where roughly one out of

five guests are under 18, has a kids menu. The menu at Board Game Republic in Denver, Colorado, changes seasonally and offers such refined fare as garlic roast sweet potatoes with rosemary

and pecans along with plenty of local IPAs and ales. "We call ourselves a social gaming house with a bar and restaurant," says co-owner Keith Meyers. In Berkeley, Auerbach and

Press appreciate supporting a local business by spending time at Victory Point. Plus, the cafe's choice of board games is far larger than the collection they could ever own themselves.

This "try before you buy" factor is a draw for serious gamers, says Victory Point co-owner Areg Maghakian. And like many players, Robertson likes the chance to get away from cell

phones for a while and socialize the old-fashioned way. "If we want to open the group to 10 or 12 people, we can," he says. "You get to know everyone better. It's just

fun."