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Cebu Welcomes First Board Game Cafe

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Today's young generation has things easy-- and I'm not just talking about social media. There has never been a better time to be young than now. In fact, it's been a few years and they still are so lucky that I often wish I were back in College. Back then, I grew up in a simple city where we would usually get excited to go out on the weekend so we could enjoy ourselves. Most of us weren't even lucky enough to be hooked with internet connection in our homes. And even with dial-up connection (yes, we had dial-up and no Wi-Fi), we weren't eager to spend all our time on Friendster, Multiply, MySpace or even Hi5 (do any of you remember that?). That's why we would usually party, hoping to bump into our crush while wearing the latest clothes from YRYS/Genevieve Gozum.. only to discover every other girl had the same outfit on.

Yes, today's young crowd has things easier. They have so many different activities too choose from-- they can go to the mall or stay at home and play video games all night. Or they can hang out in a cafe and drink decaf coffee while use the internet to cyberstalk their crushes on Facebook. While there are some who still go out in bars to party (wait, let me rephrase that) and attend hip music festivals, there are other enjoyable activities around waiting for them to discover. They can go to a weekend food market or test their luck with game/trivia night. And speaking of that, there has never been a better time for anyone to identify himself as a "geek" or a "nerd." While these were looked down upon when we were younger, geeks and nerds have come out of their holes and started to socialize with other friends who share the same interest as them.

Despite our age and the impending generation gap closing in on us, my friends and I manage to take the time from our busy lives to enjoy some of these activities. On occasions, we frequent Cebu Trivia Night and try our best to land (at least) on third place. And a few years ago, we checked out Board Game Night hosted by a group of gamers while they were still at a milk tea shop in IT Park. Ever since then, we've gotten busy with #adulting that we haven't been able to let our inner geek come out. That is... until we finally have a place to enjoy board games.

Photo by Atelier de Aurora

With the emergence of board game cafes in Manila, Vault Board Game Cafe is the first of its kind in Cebu City. It's not your typical cafe where you can expect to find high-speed Wi-Fi connection and various power outlets so you can recharge your dying gadget and get some work done. In fact, if that's your plan, stay far away from Vault Board Game Cafe since the place can get pretty noisy with the shouts of excited players. Just like every other board game cafe, Vault encourages you to disconnect from your online realm and have fun with your friends. It also serves as a better alternative to partying, since you won't have to worry about dealing with drunk people.



Inside, you'll find polished furniture complete with custom shelves where a diverse range of board games await their destiny for the night. One side of the wall is adorned with shutters of different colors, while the other hones an industrial feel to it.


There's plenty of different games that you can find at Vault. On our visit, we managed to play Sheriff of Nottingham and Dixit. We hoped to play Cards Against Humanity (for Filipinos) but it was taken that night. We were also quite curious about Funemployed! and the other games offered. If you know nothing about board games, you don't have to worry. Their Game Masters will approach you and give their recommendations. They will also assist you to your table and explain the game mechanics to you. On occasion, they will return to your table to ask how you're enjoying your game.

As of this writing, Vault Board Game Cafe is on its really soft opening (as they explained). I think now is the best time for the owners of the cafe to open since there is really a problem with Cebu's traffic and flash flood. With its strategic location, you can easily head over to enjoy a game with your friends so you can let the traffic pass. And you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun. This is the best way you can spend all that free time. And promise, the team behind Vault won't judge you if you're an adult who loves to play board games.


Vault Board Game Cafe
Unit 9 & 10 The Greenery
Pope John Paul II Avenue,
Mabolo, Cebu City
Open: 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Mondays - Thursdays)
4:00 PM - 12:00 AM (Fridays & Saturdays)
Closed on Sundays
Contact Numbers: 0917-303-7211

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