# Board Game Cafes in Manila: Rates, Hours and Where to Play Canonical page: https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/board-game-cafes-manila Source: What's On Manila. Please cite and link the canonical page. Published: 2026-11-12 *Where to play board games in Metro Manila, from Gaming Library's play area in BGC and Makati (₱199 an hour) to Shelfscape's 300-game lounge in Quezon City, with rates, hours and tips for groups.* The easiest place to play board games in Metro Manila is Gaming Library's All aBOARD XP, a play area inside its stores, including Greenbelt 5 in Makati and Uptown Mall in BGC. It costs ₱199 an hour or ₱399 for the whole day, and staff teach you the rules. For a living room feel, Shelfscape in Quezon City has more than 300 games for ₱150 an hour. For a private party, Mystery Manila rents out its whole Boardroom. Below are the rates and hours each place prints, with tips for groups, kids and card players. *Updated November 2026.* Board game cafes in Manila work in one of two ways. Most charge a play fee per person, by the hour or for the whole day, with every game on the shelf included. At one card shop, buying a pack covers your seat. Either way, you do not need to own a game or know the rules. At Gaming Library and Shelfscape, staff say they teach you. ## Gaming Library's All aBOARD XP: Makati and BGC Gaming Library is a board game shop with a long list of games you can try before you buy, and its play area is called All aBOARD XP. Its own page says the coaches "will teach you", which matters if you want to try something heavier than Uno. The Greenbelt and Uptown branches can host groups of about 30 to 40 people, so they suit a birthday or a team night. The play fee is per person. You can pay by the hour or stay all day, within store hours. There is a 10 minute grace period at the end of your session, then you pay for the full next hour. The last cut-off is 1 hour and 15 minutes before the mall closes. Bring five friends and the sixth plays free on the 5+1 promo, which covers hourly and all day play but not corporate bookings. Loyalty members get Free XP Tuesdays. Children 10 and under must come with a guardian, and the guardian pays the regular fee too. The kids' rates are higher than the adult ones on Gaming Library's page. - **Price:** ₱199 an hour, ₱399 all day. Kids ₱249 an hour, ₱549 all day. - **Greenbelt 5:** 3rd Floor, Greenbelt 5, Legazpi Street, Makati. 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Sunday to Thursday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Friday and Saturday. 0960 606 3876. - **Uptown Mall:** 3rd Floor, Uptown Mall, 36th Street corner 9th Avenue, BGC, Taguig. 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday to Thursday, 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM Friday and Saturday. 0949 121 6606. - **Book:** [gaminglib.com/pages/aaxp](https://www.gaminglib.com/pages/aaxp) ## Shelfscape: Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City Shelfscape is a board game lounge and tarot shop on Kanlaon Street that calls itself "your living room away from home". By its latest count the lounge has more than 300 games, from party games to long strategy ones, and the game masters teach the rules for any of them. Solo players are welcome; the lounge says there will always be someone to play with. Your fee also covers a movie corner with a projector and a console room with a PS5 and a Nintendo Switch 2. Coffee, matcha and light snacks are sold in the lounge. Pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash or wearing diapers. You can bring your own games, but the normal rate still applies. Outside alcohol has a corkage fee of ₱500 to ₱1,000. - **Price:** from ₱150 an hour per person, ₱120 for students with a valid ID. Whole day ₱500 on weekdays, ₱650 on weekends. Bring five friends and the sixth gets in free. - **Hours:** Tuesday to Sunday, 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. - **Where:** 162 Unit C Kanlaon Street, Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City. - **Book:** walk-ins are welcome. For big groups, especially on weekends, message them on Instagram or Facebook or book on [shelfscapeph.com](https://shelfscapeph.com/pages/shelfscape-lounge). ## The Boardroom by Mystery Manila: for a private party Mystery Manila, which runs escape rooms at Century City Mall, Eastwood Mall and SM Podium, also has a private board game cafe called The Boardroom. Its own site offers it as a private rental: your group gets the whole room and more than 100 board games, with flexible time slots of 2 to 4 hours and all day packages on request. Food and drinks are available, with packages that vary by branch. That makes it a good pick for a birthday, a despedida or a team lunch where you want the room to yourselves. The site does not say which branch has the room (checked 12 November 2026), so ask when you book. If you want to make a day of it, pair it with one of Mystery Manila's escape rooms. Our [escape rooms guide](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/escape-rooms-manila) has Mystery Manila's rooms and rates. - **Price:** not printed on the site. Message Mystery Manila for a quote. - **Book:** through [mysterymanila.com/boardroom](https://www.mysterymanila.com/boardroom). ## Contemporary Nook: card games and tabletop nights in Loyola Heights Contemporary Nook is a card game shop, not a cafe, but it rents seats and tables by the session. The play space is open for Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and any tabletop game you bring, and it seats up to 24 players. Most nights have something on: Commander casuals on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Standard on Wednesday, and Modern on Friday and Saturday. Come here if you want to play your own deck or bring a group for a wargame or D&D night. - **Price:** ₱200 for 3 hours for a casual seat on a busy day. Buy any pack of any card game and you pay no seat fee. A tabletop table for wargames, board games or D&D is ₱100, or ₱150 for two tables. - **Hours:** 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday. - **Where:** LG01 Torre Lorenzo Loyola, 91 Rosa Alvero, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. - **More:** [contemporarynook.com](https://www.contemporarynook.com/shop/play-space) ## Outside the Box: Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Parañaque South of the city, Outside the Box is a game attraction at Ayala Malls Manila Bay with tabletop games, brain teasers and puzzle challenges. Tickets are timed, one hour per person, and you pick a visit time when you buy. The operator says it is open daily and for all ages, which makes it an easy hour out with kids. - **Price:** ₱250 per person for one hour, Monday to Thursday. ₱300 per person for one hour, Friday to Sunday. - **Where:** 5th Floor, Building A, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Parañaque. - **Book:** [amusements.global](https://amusements.global/attractions/outside-the-box) ## Which one to pick - **First timers who want to be taught:** Gaming Library or Shelfscape. Both say staff teach the rules. - **A whole day for one price:** Gaming Library (₱399) or Shelfscape (₱500 on weekdays). At Gaming Library, all day costs ₱1 more than two hours. - **A big group:** Gaming Library's Greenbelt and Uptown stores take about 30 to 40 people, and both Gaming Library and Shelfscape run a 5+1 promo. - **A private room:** The Boardroom by Mystery Manila. Shelfscape also has a private room; ask when you book. - **Your own cards or deck:** Contemporary Nook. - **Kids:** Outside the Box is for all ages. At Gaming Library, children 10 and under need a paying guardian. Board games are also a good answer to a wet weekend. See our [rainy day guide](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/rainy-day-things-to-do-manila) and [indoor things to do in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/indoor-things-to-do-in-manila) for more, or [date ideas in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/date-ideas-manila) if it is just the two of you. ## Questions people ask **How much is a board game cafe in Manila?** Expect ₱150 to ₱300 an hour per person, or ₱399 to ₱650 for a whole day. Gaming Library charges ₱199 an hour and ₱399 all day; Shelfscape starts at ₱150 an hour, with whole day rates of ₱500 on weekdays and ₱650 on weekends. **Do I need to know how to play?** No. Gaming Library and Shelfscape both say their staff teach the rules, so you can pick a game you have never seen. **Do I need a reservation?** Shelfscape takes walk-ins and suggests booking for big groups on weekends. Gaming Library has a booking link on its page. The Boardroom by Mystery Manila is a private rental, so you book it ahead. **Is there a board game cafe in BGC or Makati?** Yes. Gaming Library's All aBOARD XP is at Uptown Mall in BGC and at Greenbelt 5 in Makati. **Can I bring my own board games?** At Shelfscape, yes, but the normal rate still applies. At Contemporary Nook, the play space is open for any tabletop game you bring. **Are board game cafes good for kids?** Outside the Box at Ayala Malls Manila Bay is for all ages. Gaming Library has kids' rates, and children 10 and under must come with a guardian, who pays the regular fee.