Kingmakers

We found this hidden gem on a hunt for new things to do in Columbus and it was the best decision. The staff members were friendly and well versed in a variety of board games, and we found some new favorites while visiting. The variety of bottled sodas made a great addition, although the few snacks were a little pricey. Understandably a place like this wouldn’t have much food to protect the condition of the board games, but $ 7-​$ 10 is a little steep for trail mix and hummus. However, it didn’t hurt the experience a bit and we will definitely be returning! We look forward to visiting in winter months as it seems to be a great little book for hot chocolate and games with friends to get out of the cold. Great for all ages and such a good time.

I am now incredibly obsessed with Kingmakers. I visited it for the first time with my sister and my boyfriend on a rainy, muggy day and was welcomed immediately by the incredibly friendly employees. After our greeter grabbing us a table and explaining how it worked, he recommended a few games for us. We settled on a new game «Letter Tycoon,» which he explained how to play and then took our drink order. We had a blast and ended up playing another few games afterward.
I love the huge selection of games they have — everything from low-​skill but super fun party games to really intense role-​playing or dice ones. The stickers on the sides of the boxes makes it really easy to find one (tells you the type of game, how many players and approximately how long the game play is) and ALL of the employees are knowledgable and friendly and more than willing to help out.
As others have mentioned, there is a $ 5 library fee, which gives you access to as many games as you would like. They have a wide array of drinks (coffee, wine, beer, cider, unique sodas etc.) and some snacks. There are a good amount of tables, set for different groups sizes. I love that all the tables and chairs are mismatched — it leads to a really cozy feel — like you’re in your parents basement playing games. The only downfall is that there is no air conditioning which during a hot day like the day I went, can lead to a sweaty, stuffy environment.
We will definitely be back (often!) and I highly encourage others to check it out as well. Super fun way to spend a day!

This is an alright place. Maybe I’m just getting old but it’s hard to hear in this place on a Saturday night. We had a group of six to play for an hour or two but left around 10 because we couldn’t hear each other. In fact, a dude in our group decided to prove the point by simply yelling nonsense in the room but nobody noticed. Seems like board games need decent hearing. So I’d say: good concept but poor execution.

Okay walking into here you are like??? But after getting settled and having a drink it is pretty enjoyable. My group of friends got really into the game. There is a bunch of games to choose from clue, trouble, anything you can think of! It is a lot of fun and they also have mead from Brothers Drake for $ 6.75. That stuff is $ 30 a bottle. It is amazing. It isn’t as big as a portion as regular beer though so beware.

Awesome place to and have some fun for a few hours… great fun. the only downside was the wait to get a table. but other than that it was awesome

My friends and I spent of Saturday night here and had a great time. We were hoping to play Dominion but it was already out with another group so Will was able to suggest another game that we ended up liking a lot more, Ascension. We all thought the $ 5 library fee was super reasonable. The guys in our group enjoyed the beer selection. As I am not really a beer drinker, I wish their other alcohol selection was a little bit more diverse. They had lots of prepackaged snacks from local businesses but I was really hoping for a snack like popcorn. I asked but they only had caramel coated popcorn. Staff walked around yhe whole time checking on our drinks and making sure we understood the rules of the games. Overall the experience was fun and we’ll definitely come back!

I cannot say enough good things about Kingmakers. What a wonderful idea to create a board game parlor in an area like the Short North. And with the recent renaissance of board games, this is the perfect place to try some games and see if the hobby is for you. Each time I go I am impressed with their selection of games. They seem to be keeping up with the hit list fairly well. Thinking about buying a new game? Try it out first! Have a game but haven’t learned how to play it yet? Stop in and they will teach you! All of this for a $ 5 library fee and you can stay as long as you like. You pay for everything at the end with a credit card. They do not take cash so keep that in mind. It makes for a nice Saturday or Sunday with friends. Of course you could stay home and do the same for free but with 100+ games I am sure you will find something new and exciting that you don’t already own. Did I mention, they will teach you how to setup and play.
The décor looks like a typical basement out of the 70’s with mismatched chairs and tables. It adds to the ambiance in my opinion. They have a selection of beer, mead, wine and specialty pop at moderate prices comparable to most bars. I’ve had beer, mead and pop so far. All have been good. I highly suggest the ginger ale! There are also snacks like pretzels, cookies and the like along with some coffees. I’ve not had any of these so can’t speak for them. The menus are cleverly written on the chalkboard pillars around the room which is a nice touch.
The place has always been clean and the staff very helpful and friendly when I have visited. If you are looking for something new to try in the area, I encourage you to check out Kingmakers.

Awesome spot. Vast game selection. Great local beer selection on tap. Knowledgable employees help you pick out a game to meet your interests.

Fantastic place! Their wall of board games is impressive. Even more impressive is the staffs knowledge of them!!! Their beverage choices were also delightful; beer, cider, hot teas. Don’t forget the snacks! There is also a nice selection of items such as cookies, chips, and dips.

Spent the evening here with a friend and we had a great time. The staff was helpful, knowledgable and personable. I had a coffee to drink and my friend had tea and both were great and cheap. $ 5 to play all night any amount of games and $ 2.50 for the drinks. Will certainly be back here next time im in town.

What a fun place! We had lots of fun. It’s a $ 5 cover to get in but you can stay as long as you want with no extra charge. We stayed for 4 hours without realizing it. They have different sized tables set up and hundreds of games to choose from. Our group picked a game none of us had played and one of the girls came and explained the rules to us. They also sell snacks, beer, tea, and wine. Be aware though that the food and drinks are pricey! The good news is that you don’t have to buy them. It is also encouraged to invite singles into your game. There was a guy there alone and we asked him to join our table. Just in case you are on crutches like I was, it is in a basement so you have to go down a flight of stairs. I made it with no trouble though. Parking is best behind the building in a public lot. It was really fun and we will be back!

Edit: kingmakers had the photos of thier friend shaming our game group taken down because they dont want people to know the truth of how unsupportive they are to the actual gaming and nerd community.
People associated with this company have been harassing the local game group my friends and I put together a year or two BEFORE this place even opened! They say we have poor taste because we won’t go there and support them but we’ve been supporting a local coffee house since we started. Why should we HAVE to pay to play games that we own? Our group started out as a place for a friend and I to get away when I was having a shitty week. Now it’s become a group of people trying to get away at the end of a shitty week. Kingmaker needs to leave us be because shaming us is not going to make us want to game there.
I also want to note this isn’t the first time a person has tried to shame us for having our own gaming group in the Short North and said that we should go to Kingmaker instead.

Great atmosphere with hundreds of game selections!!! The staff was helpful to explain new to me games, and eager to make my group feel welcome. $ 5 cover might be a bit much to swallow, but the opportunity to try new games, made it worth it! Gotta go back for more!

Great place! It’s in a great area of town and very inexpensive — $ 5 for unlimited play and many games to choose from. You cannot bring in outside food but they have wine, beer, coffee, etc. Makes sense — they need to make their food somehow.
The atmosphere is very nice and I enjoy spending time there. It is annoying how busy it gets and sometimes a wait is required, so be strategic and plan well.

Fun place and a cool concept. Unfortunately our party had to wait almost an hour to get a table. So either they need to expand to accommodate their popularity or set time limits on the tables.
I also didn’t love the cold ambience. I wasn’t expecting the bright lights and big open room. It almost felt like an unfinished basement. This isn’t like going to a coffee shop and sitting in big comfy chairs.
At first you really have to ask yourself if it is worth paying $ 5 a person to go out to a place like this when you can just invite your friends over to your house. Most of the people there looked college age. Maybe they all live in dorms so going to a place like this is more convenient for them. Granted, they do have a vast selection of games. Far more than the average person has. But most of them I wouldn’t want to play anyways. A Battlestar Galactica game? A Simpsons trivia game? Don’t get me wrong, I love the Simpsons, but my friends probably would not have known any trivia about the Simpsons.
It’s nice that they have the snacks and bar. But I can’t imagine anybody would go here for a typical «bar experience». You know, the «lets get drunk, party, and find someone to flirt with» experience. If you go here, you go here to play games with friends and maybe have a drink or two.
But just because it’s not a typical bar does not mean it isn’t as loud as one. And this is my biggest complaint, as well as the biggest complaint from the group I was with: the place is LOUD. If you want to try Kingmakers I would recommend finding out the slow hours and going then. Perhaps they can decorate the walls with something to dampen the sound a little. One friend said her throat was sore at the end of the night because she had to talk so loud over everyone else.
I hope they succeed because it does seem like a nice getaway especially for a lot of younger, college age kids. And it’s something different, and probably better, than going out to a bar and getting hammered. It’s trendy, friendly, and fresh. I would just recommend more space, less noise, and perhaps a different ambience.

So, after our foray over to Melt Bar and Grilled, Lionel, Jules, and I decided to take the short walk down High Street to try out Kingmakers. We’re huge nerds and Kingmakers seemed like a place built for us: games, drinks, and revelry in general.
Kingmakers is definitely a little different than your typical bar. First off, it’s clean and well-​lit, primarily to accommodate the board games themselves, which often require a little bit of reading, even if it’s just reading dice or a card or two. Secondly, it’s definitely family friendly. The owners were hosting an ‘art day’ for kids while we were there, with a handful of little kids occupied, creating new ‘masterpieces’. I don’t have an issue with that, primarily because the kids were interested and definitely well-​supervised.
Like most bars, though, there’s a cover charge. At Kingmakers, it’s a flat $ 5 fee, which gets you in and grants you access to their sizable board game library, which sits around 500 titles. The games themselves range from old classics like Risk or Monopoly, to newer hobby games, including some of my favorites, Sentinels of the Multiverse and Arkham Horror. Further, the games are organized quite well, with small labels showing how many players a game can carry, what kind of game it is, and what ages might like it.
Kingmakers has a reasonable array of drinks, with several beers and a handful of wines available, as well as a series of independent bottled sodas. I do hope that Kingmakers gets a full liquor license sometime soon, as the possibility of well drinks really would open up the possibilities there. Board game themed mixed drinks? Yeah, those would sell like hotcakes, I don’t doubt.
Kingmakers does not, however, have hot food in really any sense. They offer jerky, a few offerings from the Krema Nut Company, and cookies from a local bakery. Again, a few hot appetizers could go a long way towards bringing in an extended clientele. But, as is? Still pretty cool.
I’m not in Columbus as much as I’d like, but with the right crowd of gamers, Kingmakers is absolutely a fun destination. If you like games, give them a run!

This was a cool place my friends told me about. I’m glad I went, and I’ll be back for more! I had never heard of a board game parlor, so I was eager to try it out. There’s a $ 5 «library fee» (cover charge). There are waiters/​board game sommeliers who can recommend board games for you to try based on your party size, interests, and estimated length of play. They are very friendly! There’s also a full bar with beer on tap and wine specials. What’s really unique is the cool sodas they have! I heard the ginger beer was awesome, but they didn’t have any more when we ordered (probably because it’s awesome), so I went with a soda called «Leninade». Definitely a fun name, and it tastes great (kind of like carbonated cherry lemonade?). If you’re hungry, they have cookies and other snacks like mixed nuts. If you want to switch up your nights out, try Kingmakers!
PS– I heard they only accept credit card.

I went here on a weekend with some friend and first impression was cute window display! The staircase leads you to an underground room furnished with mismatched vintage chairs and tables. This place was spanking new and their restroom wasn’t fully finished haha but I get it!
You pay a $ 5 admission fee to get in and you get to play their board games for as long as your heart desires. They wrote the menu on their chalk board painted columns, which includes soda ($ 3.50), small selection of beer ($ 5.50 on tap), and pretzel from Brezel ($ 3 each or $ 8 combo). If you’re sitting at a certain table. it will be kind of hard to see the menu.
My first thought was what a great quirky idea to have a place where people can gather to play boardgames but then again… can’t you do that at home with friends and family?
I think Kingmakers is missing that special factor that makes me and my friends from wanting to come back. Perhaps, it’s more snack options? an interesting drink that you could only get at Kingmakers? a dog sommelier roaming around?
Overall, great staff and idea but missing something.

I’ve been having a love affair with Kingmakers for a few months, but Saturday night we finally sealed the deal.
I visited the owners, Malika and Sherm, back when the space was literally a shell; oh, but I saw the potential. The ladies walked me through their plans, and I was hooked.
Fast forward to early January, and I held a CMYE (Community Manager Unilocal Event) for about 35 Unilocalers. The entire staff was so lovely, and everyone had a blast at the event. I knew I’d be back for a genuine consumer experience – you know, one that I could *actually* review.
Fast forward to Saturday night. It was a blistering 40 degrees outside and gallery hop too – perfect for the entire city to venture out… most of them to Kingmakers… my friends and me included.
My buddy, Malika, quickly welcomed us at the door and put us on the short wait list. She suggested that we head to the bar for a drink, and then Sherm came over to get us started with a game at the bar! This was absolutely the best experience I’ve ever had waiting for a table. What a create way to keep us occupied!
As the night went on, my friends and I had so much fun! Just drinking and playing the night away… we easily got lost in it all. I could see myself here all the time.
The other reviews have done a great job at explaining the entire process, so I’ll let you read all about it from them. But I’d like to add a few helpful tips that hopefully will make your experience great:
*Parking — It’s the Short North; parking is like The Hunger Games. Some of my favorite hiding spots are along Goodale by the park or in the new Hub garage.
*The décor — Kingmakers is meant to feel like you’re playing games at a friend’s house. This isn’t a posh lounge where the games come secondary to the interior style. But for me, I much prefer the coziness that Kingmakers brings.
*The staff — They’re all board game sommeliers… not seasoned waitstaff. Keep that in mind. But seriously, these are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I want to hug them all and put them in my pocket.
*The dranks — Beer and wine on tap! Oh, and if you’re not into boozing, they have a fabulous selection of unique sodas.
*The snacks — Brezel to the rescue! These things are legit. Don’t even think about it – get some.
*The fee — It’s $ 5 to play as much as you want. C’mon… that’s a steal. But this *is* per person, so don’t get all offended when your kiddos don’t get to play for free.

Long have my friends and I desired such a place. A place we could got try one of a myriad of games to see if we might like to play them again or even buy them. A place we could have game nights without having to worry over whose house we’d be dirtying and who would need to clean and buy snacks. A place where someone always knows the rules to the games we haven’t tried yet. Kingmakers is that place and it is glorious!
For $ 5 you get into this cool game parlour. You are assigned a table big enough for your group and your drink and Brezel order is taken. From there you begin to scan the (literal) wall o’ games. With as many choices as they offer, it would take you weeks of stopping by every night they are open to play them all at least once. These aren’t cheapy games either. We’re talking $ 25+ per game. This, my friends, is one of the many reasons your $ 5 is well spent.
Another? The staff at Kingmakers are so friendly and helpful. Want to try a new game but feel intimidated about the rules? They’ll come help you learn the rules and get those first few rounds going. Want to try something new but have no idea where to start? They’ll help you figure out a good game based the size of your group, how long you’d like to play, and some of your favorite games.
Want a boozey beverage and a snack? They’ve got beer and wine on tap, Brezels in stock, and a variety craft sodas that are as unique as they are delicious.
If you are a fan of board games or just want to try a different way to spend your evening, check out Kingmakers. I don’t think you’ll regret it.