Are you looking for an exciting way to spend your summer evenings? Perhaps you’d like to reduce your screen time, share more laughs with friends or enjoy some tasty food and drinks while trying something new? If so, your next obsession awaits in the form of Chance & Counters board game café.
Cleverly-named Chance & Counters was founded nine years ago by three friends and board game enthusiasts, who launched their first café in Bristol after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then, their business has gone from strength to strength and they now have premises in four major UK cities. Their Leeds café opened in 2023 in the building that was Yard & Coop. This has been transformed with a brightly coloured facade and an interior that’s like a cosy urban den, creatively kitted out with everything you need to play in comfort, including dedicated tables, bespoke games cabinets and leather seating.
On its shelves you’ll find more than 500 games, which are helpfully divided into different categories. These start with ‘light’ games that are quick and free to play. There are then nostalgic family classics like Scrabble, Monopoly, Catan Junior and Battleship, and fun games that test your dexterity such as Hamsterolle or Bamboleo. You can also practice your poker face with ‘deception’ games, or play strategy favourites like Carcassone, Brass Birmingham or Ticket to Ride. If you don’t know what you’re doing, never fear. The café’s friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you to set up or even show you how to play.
Some of the games in Chance & Counters heavy strategy section might take all day to play but you can keep your brain fuelled by tucking into satisfying comfort food from the cafe’s recently revamped summer menu. This features tacos with fillings such as smoky slow-braised beef brisket or BBQ pulled sweet potato. Alternatively, you can enjoy loaded fries, burgers, cauliflower ‘wings’ or chicken and waffles – there’s plenty of choice for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike here. If you’re having a grown-up gaming session, you can sip cocktails including whiskey sours or espresso martinis, or try an indulgent boozy shake. The non-alcoholic shakes and soda floats are great, too.
A night out at Chance & Counters won’t break the bank – access to the cafe’s full games library costs just £2 per person per hour when booked in advance online. Its calender is currently packed with special events, from nights dedicated to a certain game to social meets and play testing. Visit Merrion Street to discover it for yourself.
June and July offers:
For both June and July, Chance & Counters are running two of their D&D one-shots each month. These are short, story-packed adventures and are perfect for trialling out a new campaign world and a character you’ve been dying to play. Everyone who books on gets a free set of Mystery Dice – who doesn’t love a freebie!
If you’re wanting to bring your own group, they’re also opening their venue up for free D&D gaming. And because DMs deserve some love, there’s rewards just for them! From Mondays to Thursdays, DMs get a free ale tankard and each party can roll and d20 on arrival for a chance to win a huge amount of prizes!
Check out their website for more details: https://www.chanceandcounters.com/2025/05/double-down-on-dd-this-summer-at-chance-counters/
