I'm sure there are banned items in every household. Whether it's because you have kids and you'd like to censor them from inappropriate movies or maybe it's cats because somebody has an allergy. Do you know what's banned in our house? Monopoly. Yes, the Parker Brothers family board game, Monopoly. After one too many overly-competitive nights, Monopoly was banned from the house (my husband and I are apparently in it to win it in everything we do, even board games). Since then, we've not played many board games together. We started some family game nights when The Preschooler was old enough, playing games like Chutes and Ladders, I Spy Cards and Wii Carnival Games, but alas, he has inherited our competitive nature (you should see this boy play Wii sports, he's insane). So, we limit the family gaming nights because I'm sure yelling "IN YOUR FACE!", "YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" and "TAKE THAT SUCKER!" at each other isn't considered quality bonding (and yes, please imagine us doing this during Candy Land). When a member of my moms group mentioned that she and her husband were opening up a gaming cafe here in town, I just smiled and nodded in that "that's nice dear" sort of way. Being a non-gaming family, it wasn't something I saw us visiting, and I often wondered how a gaming cafe would do in Fort Collins as my initial impression involved thoughts of Dungeons & Dragons. That's totally not our scene. We're more of a Pictionary or Trivial Pursuit, kind of people. A few of us there were unsure of what to play being either the Scrabble-type or the non-gaming-type. Gary suggested a few games that were fun and easy to learn, as one friend suggested that she didn't want to play a game "that took an hour to learn how to play". We ended up choosing Last Night On Earth: The Zombie Game. I also had a shot of espresso. The Haunted Game Cafe uses a custom blend of Jackie's Java, roasted right here in Fort Collins. This was not an espresso for the weak. It's a kick-you-in-the-pants intensity at first, but mellows into a rich taste of dark chocolate. Then each sip becomes more mellow and chocolaty. It was fantastic. And this is about the time my jaw hit the floor realizing how much time and effort Gary puts into making a really, really good cup of coffee. Then, The Haunted Game Cafe was no longer a "game cafe" to me, but a coffee house with games. I left that night feeling a bit sheepish that I had doubted the Haunted Game Cafe without giving them a chance. I was very impressed with the coffee and I had a surprisingly fun time playing a zombie game (and shockingly, did not call any of my friends names while playing). I even came home, walked through the door and said to my husband, "We have to go there for a Date Night. It was so fun!" I'd go there for a great coffee and try some new games, but, Monopoly is still banned. We are never playing that again.
(4)
Patrick T.
Went here for the first time last week and It's exactly what I was looking for! Great place to buy many different types of board games beyond Catan. Went in to just order a game they didn't have on the shelf and ended up playing a few of their games they have available for demo play in their cafe. They have big and small tables for game play for two people or for more than 2. The people there were really friendly and saw that I was new to the game that I was playing and offered help throughout the game. The only little catch is to play from their game library you need to make a purchase but its not expensive and their coffee is great! I will definitely go back when I get some free time.
I like this place. I had play Magic as a kid, and when my wife and I stopped in here for a coffee, and I saw my childhood, I was instantly intrigued. They offer a variety of drinks, all of them are great. They also have board games of all kinds for sale and to play for free, provided that you indulge in one of their many tasty drinks. Well worth it. They have MTG tournaments Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Also other gaming options other times of the week. Stop by and get your geek on!
(4)
C R.
This is a great cafe! They have a large variety of games available for free to play and learn. It's a very nice casual atmosphere with great coffee. However, I have yet to see a real ghost...
(5)
Greg G.
A wonderful place that I wish I had discovered sooner! They have a decent selection of games to buy, and an excellent selection of board games to play in store!! They offer a wide range events regularly, and seem to have enough regulars in the store, so a game can occur at all times! Oh, and the coffee is pretty good too. Most importantly the staff is very friendly, inviting, attentive, and treat you in such a way that you want to keep coming back. The haunted cafe is a much for anybody who enjoys board games or Magic the gathering. If you have already been, go there now. You won't be disappointed :)
(5)
Arek M.
I have tried quite a few locations for FNM, in Fort Collins alone. This place is the worst place I've gone to for magic and related needs. The staff are rude, and to some people cruel. The prices are inconsiderate on some things but on many and most - backbreaking and unacceptable. They pay around 20% for trade-in and charge about a 40% premium on low-mid range priced items. Expensive cards can go from minuscule trade in value and high tcg trade to many dollars or at least a 5 dollar mark up. The players and collectors encountered here resort to almost criminal behaviour in misleading younger and generally inexperienced players and collectors in the value of cards. I witnessed a massive trade between a child and obvious veteran for a couple the planeswalkers the kid had just scored in packs there plus a good portion of his obviously budding tradebinder for a couple 40 cent cards. an outrage and the kid even asked the staff for council and they gave him the green light. A tragedy for the game and a let down for humanity.
(1)
Samuel D.
Awesome local place where employees are always engaged and helpful. They have tons of tournaments and their drink prices are competitive, although some drinks are better than others. There is a large variety of games to play, from simple 2 player games to large and complex 8 player games. There is definitely a NERD culture here, so be prepared for that type of personality. Overall, a cool local place to meet up, have some coffee, and game.
(4)
Andrew G.
Haunted Game Cafe is great if you're in the mood to be ignored, condescended, or taken advantage of. It's truly unfortunate as Haunted could be a great shop. The last 3 times I went in I've had to wait to buy something. Wouldn't be a big deal....except there weren't any other customers waiting for help. Not at the game racks, not at the cafe counter; the only patrons were sitting and playing games. I get that they've built a rapport with their constant customers, but is that a viable reason to treat new ones so rudely? Prices are abysmal as well. Games are typically priced higher than other brick and mortar stores in the area. In drink options, expect to find 5 "specialties" that taste akin to what 5 year old would put together (seriously, try the Lestat and you can feel your teeth start to hurt from the sugar). Want a soda? $2.50 for about 16 oz, but you can get a couple of refills if you point out to the employees that their board states it; otherwise you'll be charged again. We all have a choice where to spend our money. If you'd like to pay to herd cats; Haunted is the place for you. However, if you respect your time then just pass on by.
(1)
Sarah H.
The attention to detail that was put into the atmosphere of this cafe is impressive, from the ghoulish sconces to the purple walls to the chains on the back door. I tried a spicy ginger chai latte which was good but didn't really seem different from other chai teas I've had. I also had a raspberry Italian soda (yum!). They've got a great retail area that rivals a mall game store and a very impressive selection of demo games that you are free to pay as long as you are a paying customer. The only reason this place didn't get five stars is because the staff wasn't terribly friendly - they weren't rude or anything, just not very outgoing, didn't greet me when I came in, never smiled, etc.
(4)
Michael B.
Visited the Haunted Game Cafe today. There is a really nice welcoming atmosphere of fellow game players, from the others sitting at tables through to the friendly staff behind the counter. The whole place is kitted out with little details to really help make the atmosphere match the name of the cafe in a light hearted way. Someone really cares about this place, and it shows. If you are looking to buy games (board games, trading cards, table-top etc) this is a very good place. As a cafe they will sell you coffee and food, but the extensive range of games to buy is core to the experience. They also have tables where you can sit and play, or just drink your coffee. Tables range in size from two-person up to what looked like eight-person. The larger tables have a lip around the edge to stop dice from straying onto the floor. And one of the tables had a padded surface, great for card games. The noticeboards also had information about many tournaments for various games, so this place clearly has all the hook-ups in that regard. A lack of any wifi connection, and slightly cold temperatures were the only let-downs for me. I don't have data on my phone (by choice) and often look to the places where I get my coffee to have wifi so that I might check emails etc. That will not stop me from going to this cafe though! Oh yeah, and does not accept bitcoin yet, but I'm sure it's coming. Right?
(4)
Hollace M.
Great place to go if you want to be treated like a 6-year-old child. We were comparison shopping the prices with an app and the owner came over and told us how "we shouldn't do that in stores because it makes the owners VERY ANGRY." What a jerk. If you're ashamed of your prices, don't take it out on us! We like to buy locally, and we almost always do, but after being treated SO RUDELY, we can't patronize a store that patronizes us! The owner is a total dork and acted like he caught us doing something wrong, so incredibly RUDE!!! Made us feel unwelcome and we will never be back. BTW, the games were cheaper on Amazon.
(1)
Lauren B.
This is a pretty cool place. Personally, I am not a huge player of games, but I have friends who frequent the Haunted Game Cafe and ask me to tag along. There are so many games to choose from, it's a little overwhelming. Plus, you want to keep an eye out for when they hold tournaments (usually a sign for me to vacate the premises). If that's your thing, then awesome! A few of my friends have participated from time to time and have even won prizes. Even though I am not very familiar with most of the games here, I still really like the place. As far as drinks go, I tend to stick to the Chai here. To be honest, there are a ton of things on the menu that look good, but their Honey Vanilla Chai always calls my name. I would say that it is much better hot, so if you're coming in for a cold drink maybe try something else. Their original Chai is a bit bland to me, and the Ginger is a bit too spicy in my opinion. Make sure you pick up a frequent customer card, even if you aren't sure you'll be back much (they're free). They scan it every time you order something, which to me is way better than a punchcard. Who knows if I'll ever earn enough points for anything, but it's cool to have. I hope they do something cool for Halloween!
(4)
Rob B.
One thing I can't resist when visiting a new city is checking out the local gaming shop. So long as there are board and card games involved I am all over it. When I saw that Fort Collins had a gaming shop I was all set to head down and see what they had going on. The Haunted Game Cafe is a bit different in that it offers board games as well as coffee and other beverages like that. I did not partake of any drinks and headed straight to the games. They had a decent selection of the more-popular board and card games like Magic, Munchkin, Settlers and Warhammer. They did have a few more obscure games, and I was particularly happy to see they carried the awesome Flapjacks & Sasquatches game, which I had Kickstarted and was glad to finally see in a brick and mortar store. However, I was a bit disappointed in their overall lack of other similar, smaller card-based games. They did have a few small tables set aside for people to play games, which is always nice to see. It would have been nice to see some non-gaming nerdy collectibles as well. The prices seemed to be right where they should be, and the clerk was friendly and welcoming. I would totally come back when in need of new board games.
(4)
Jack E.
Pretty solid drink selection in the cafe, could use a little more seating ideally, but not horrible. We got lucky as someone was leaving just as we were looking for a table. We didn't check the shop, but had a LOT of choices for games to play while sitting. This is a pretty good place to come if you want to board game it (or play games of other varieties) for a while.
(3)
Shawn K.
This is a great place to go for games. I haven't tried the coffee, but every time we go in there, we walk out with something new. Our family had decided to start a game night, hoping to get out of the habit of staring at the TV like a bunch of zombies. They have a great selection, and the staff is very helpful, they seem to know everything the sell, and whether it is truly appropriate for all players. We have a tween daughter/geek in training, and try to make sure things are appropriate for her. Every time we've asked for an opinion we've been given an informative review, and they've never steered us wrong. The old-school geek in me wishes they carried a little more of the RPG items I remember, but the father in me is ecstatic that we can buy a game that all of us enjoy, and truly have an embarrassment of choices thanks to The Haunted Game Cafe.
(4)
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Address :3307 S College Ave,Ste 107
Fort Collins, CO, 80525
Kristin M.
I'm sure there are banned items in every household. Whether it's because you have kids and you'd like to censor them from inappropriate movies or maybe it's cats because somebody has an allergy. Do you know what's banned in our house? Monopoly. Yes, the Parker Brothers family board game, Monopoly. After one too many overly-competitive nights, Monopoly was banned from the house (my husband and I are apparently in it to win it in everything we do, even board games). Since then, we've not played many board games together. We started some family game nights when The Preschooler was old enough, playing games like Chutes and Ladders, I Spy Cards and Wii Carnival Games, but alas, he has inherited our competitive nature (you should see this boy play Wii sports, he's insane). So, we limit the family gaming nights because I'm sure yelling "IN YOUR FACE!", "YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" and "TAKE THAT SUCKER!" at each other isn't considered quality bonding (and yes, please imagine us doing this during Candy Land). When a member of my moms group mentioned that she and her husband were opening up a gaming cafe here in town, I just smiled and nodded in that "that's nice dear" sort of way. Being a non-gaming family, it wasn't something I saw us visiting, and I often wondered how a gaming cafe would do in Fort Collins as my initial impression involved thoughts of Dungeons & Dragons. That's totally not our scene. We're more of a Pictionary or Trivial Pursuit, kind of people. A few of us there were unsure of what to play being either the Scrabble-type or the non-gaming-type. Gary suggested a few games that were fun and easy to learn, as one friend suggested that she didn't want to play a game "that took an hour to learn how to play". We ended up choosing Last Night On Earth: The Zombie Game. I also had a shot of espresso. The Haunted Game Cafe uses a custom blend of Jackie's Java, roasted right here in Fort Collins. This was not an espresso for the weak. It's a kick-you-in-the-pants intensity at first, but mellows into a rich taste of dark chocolate. Then each sip becomes more mellow and chocolaty. It was fantastic. And this is about the time my jaw hit the floor realizing how much time and effort Gary puts into making a really, really good cup of coffee. Then, The Haunted Game Cafe was no longer a "game cafe" to me, but a coffee house with games. I left that night feeling a bit sheepish that I had doubted the Haunted Game Cafe without giving them a chance. I was very impressed with the coffee and I had a surprisingly fun time playing a zombie game (and shockingly, did not call any of my friends names while playing). I even came home, walked through the door and said to my husband, "We have to go there for a Date Night. It was so fun!" I'd go there for a great coffee and try some new games, but, Monopoly is still banned. We are never playing that again.
(4)Patrick T.
Went here for the first time last week and It's exactly what I was looking for! Great place to buy many different types of board games beyond Catan. Went in to just order a game they didn't have on the shelf and ended up playing a few of their games they have available for demo play in their cafe. They have big and small tables for game play for two people or for more than 2. The people there were really friendly and saw that I was new to the game that I was playing and offered help throughout the game. The only little catch is to play from their game library you need to make a purchase but its not expensive and their coffee is great! I will definitely go back when I get some free time.
(4)Bryan B.
I had my first taste of the Haunted Game Café last night. I heard about it from a few people but had never been inside, or even knew where it was located. It's easy to find in the strip mall just west of Red Lobster. (Northwest of College and Horsetooth...The same strip mall as Young's Café). I was half-expecting a dark, dingy, pit full of hardcore role-playing gamers with no social skills. The other half of me was expecting a tiny little 'It's your Move' copy-cat store. I can say I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong on both counts. What I found was a few tables of adults and young adults playing games, a friendly guy behind a coffee bar, and a store full of games and knick-knacks, many of which I had never even heard of before. I was stoked. They do carry some of your "run-of-the-mill" games (i.e. Apples to Apples, Blockus, Cards, Dice, Magic: the Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, etc...) But I would say that 75% of the games in the store were games I had never seen before, but looked very intriguing. Now here's the best part: There is a whole wall of games that you can try out before you buy, or just come hang out and play at the café. And they have a nice little coffee/snack bar right inside the store. (Last night we tried out a card game called "Gloom" and then "Zombie Dice", both very fun.) The Coffee bar has coffee, chai, espresso, tea, hot chocolate, soda, xing tea, bawls energy drinks, snacks, candy, cider...all kinds of good stuff. During our visit, we saw a group of 6-7young adults playing Magic: the Gathering (or something along those lines), another group of 8 or so people playing something on their linked Nintendo DS systems, and a group of 4 adults that look like they came in for coffee and a game after dinner. This is truly a place where just about anyone could have a good time if games and beverages can make you happy. This place is also a great way to find out about (and TRY) new games. Let's be honest, there are only so many times you can play the same 5-6 games in your game closet before you get bored of them. And you can only bring home 3-4 versions of trivial pursuit, scene it, or monopoly until you're sick of playing those too. Two thumbs up for me, I'll be back. P.S. - The Coffee and beverages are very moderatly priced for a cafe setting. :)
(4)Nick S.
I like this place. I had play Magic as a kid, and when my wife and I stopped in here for a coffee, and I saw my childhood, I was instantly intrigued. They offer a variety of drinks, all of them are great. They also have board games of all kinds for sale and to play for free, provided that you indulge in one of their many tasty drinks. Well worth it. They have MTG tournaments Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Also other gaming options other times of the week. Stop by and get your geek on!
(4)C R.
This is a great cafe! They have a large variety of games available for free to play and learn. It's a very nice casual atmosphere with great coffee. However, I have yet to see a real ghost...
(5)Greg G.
A wonderful place that I wish I had discovered sooner! They have a decent selection of games to buy, and an excellent selection of board games to play in store!! They offer a wide range events regularly, and seem to have enough regulars in the store, so a game can occur at all times! Oh, and the coffee is pretty good too. Most importantly the staff is very friendly, inviting, attentive, and treat you in such a way that you want to keep coming back. The haunted cafe is a much for anybody who enjoys board games or Magic the gathering. If you have already been, go there now. You won't be disappointed :)
(5)Arek M.
I have tried quite a few locations for FNM, in Fort Collins alone. This place is the worst place I've gone to for magic and related needs. The staff are rude, and to some people cruel. The prices are inconsiderate on some things but on many and most - backbreaking and unacceptable. They pay around 20% for trade-in and charge about a 40% premium on low-mid range priced items. Expensive cards can go from minuscule trade in value and high tcg trade to many dollars or at least a 5 dollar mark up. The players and collectors encountered here resort to almost criminal behaviour in misleading younger and generally inexperienced players and collectors in the value of cards. I witnessed a massive trade between a child and obvious veteran for a couple the planeswalkers the kid had just scored in packs there plus a good portion of his obviously budding tradebinder for a couple 40 cent cards. an outrage and the kid even asked the staff for council and they gave him the green light. A tragedy for the game and a let down for humanity.
(1)Samuel D.
Awesome local place where employees are always engaged and helpful. They have tons of tournaments and their drink prices are competitive, although some drinks are better than others. There is a large variety of games to play, from simple 2 player games to large and complex 8 player games. There is definitely a NERD culture here, so be prepared for that type of personality. Overall, a cool local place to meet up, have some coffee, and game.
(4)Andrew G.
Haunted Game Cafe is great if you're in the mood to be ignored, condescended, or taken advantage of. It's truly unfortunate as Haunted could be a great shop. The last 3 times I went in I've had to wait to buy something. Wouldn't be a big deal....except there weren't any other customers waiting for help. Not at the game racks, not at the cafe counter; the only patrons were sitting and playing games. I get that they've built a rapport with their constant customers, but is that a viable reason to treat new ones so rudely? Prices are abysmal as well. Games are typically priced higher than other brick and mortar stores in the area. In drink options, expect to find 5 "specialties" that taste akin to what 5 year old would put together (seriously, try the Lestat and you can feel your teeth start to hurt from the sugar). Want a soda? $2.50 for about 16 oz, but you can get a couple of refills if you point out to the employees that their board states it; otherwise you'll be charged again. We all have a choice where to spend our money. If you'd like to pay to herd cats; Haunted is the place for you. However, if you respect your time then just pass on by.
(1)Sarah H.
The attention to detail that was put into the atmosphere of this cafe is impressive, from the ghoulish sconces to the purple walls to the chains on the back door. I tried a spicy ginger chai latte which was good but didn't really seem different from other chai teas I've had. I also had a raspberry Italian soda (yum!). They've got a great retail area that rivals a mall game store and a very impressive selection of demo games that you are free to pay as long as you are a paying customer. The only reason this place didn't get five stars is because the staff wasn't terribly friendly - they weren't rude or anything, just not very outgoing, didn't greet me when I came in, never smiled, etc.
(4)Michael B.
Visited the Haunted Game Cafe today. There is a really nice welcoming atmosphere of fellow game players, from the others sitting at tables through to the friendly staff behind the counter. The whole place is kitted out with little details to really help make the atmosphere match the name of the cafe in a light hearted way. Someone really cares about this place, and it shows. If you are looking to buy games (board games, trading cards, table-top etc) this is a very good place. As a cafe they will sell you coffee and food, but the extensive range of games to buy is core to the experience. They also have tables where you can sit and play, or just drink your coffee. Tables range in size from two-person up to what looked like eight-person. The larger tables have a lip around the edge to stop dice from straying onto the floor. And one of the tables had a padded surface, great for card games. The noticeboards also had information about many tournaments for various games, so this place clearly has all the hook-ups in that regard. A lack of any wifi connection, and slightly cold temperatures were the only let-downs for me. I don't have data on my phone (by choice) and often look to the places where I get my coffee to have wifi so that I might check emails etc. That will not stop me from going to this cafe though! Oh yeah, and does not accept bitcoin yet, but I'm sure it's coming. Right?
(4)Hollace M.
Great place to go if you want to be treated like a 6-year-old child. We were comparison shopping the prices with an app and the owner came over and told us how "we shouldn't do that in stores because it makes the owners VERY ANGRY." What a jerk. If you're ashamed of your prices, don't take it out on us! We like to buy locally, and we almost always do, but after being treated SO RUDELY, we can't patronize a store that patronizes us! The owner is a total dork and acted like he caught us doing something wrong, so incredibly RUDE!!! Made us feel unwelcome and we will never be back. BTW, the games were cheaper on Amazon.
(1)Lauren B.
This is a pretty cool place. Personally, I am not a huge player of games, but I have friends who frequent the Haunted Game Cafe and ask me to tag along. There are so many games to choose from, it's a little overwhelming. Plus, you want to keep an eye out for when they hold tournaments (usually a sign for me to vacate the premises). If that's your thing, then awesome! A few of my friends have participated from time to time and have even won prizes. Even though I am not very familiar with most of the games here, I still really like the place. As far as drinks go, I tend to stick to the Chai here. To be honest, there are a ton of things on the menu that look good, but their Honey Vanilla Chai always calls my name. I would say that it is much better hot, so if you're coming in for a cold drink maybe try something else. Their original Chai is a bit bland to me, and the Ginger is a bit too spicy in my opinion. Make sure you pick up a frequent customer card, even if you aren't sure you'll be back much (they're free). They scan it every time you order something, which to me is way better than a punchcard. Who knows if I'll ever earn enough points for anything, but it's cool to have. I hope they do something cool for Halloween!
(4)Rob B.
One thing I can't resist when visiting a new city is checking out the local gaming shop. So long as there are board and card games involved I am all over it. When I saw that Fort Collins had a gaming shop I was all set to head down and see what they had going on. The Haunted Game Cafe is a bit different in that it offers board games as well as coffee and other beverages like that. I did not partake of any drinks and headed straight to the games. They had a decent selection of the more-popular board and card games like Magic, Munchkin, Settlers and Warhammer. They did have a few more obscure games, and I was particularly happy to see they carried the awesome Flapjacks & Sasquatches game, which I had Kickstarted and was glad to finally see in a brick and mortar store. However, I was a bit disappointed in their overall lack of other similar, smaller card-based games. They did have a few small tables set aside for people to play games, which is always nice to see. It would have been nice to see some non-gaming nerdy collectibles as well. The prices seemed to be right where they should be, and the clerk was friendly and welcoming. I would totally come back when in need of new board games.
(4)Jack E.
Pretty solid drink selection in the cafe, could use a little more seating ideally, but not horrible. We got lucky as someone was leaving just as we were looking for a table. We didn't check the shop, but had a LOT of choices for games to play while sitting. This is a pretty good place to come if you want to board game it (or play games of other varieties) for a while.
(3)Shawn K.
This is a great place to go for games. I haven't tried the coffee, but every time we go in there, we walk out with something new. Our family had decided to start a game night, hoping to get out of the habit of staring at the TV like a bunch of zombies. They have a great selection, and the staff is very helpful, they seem to know everything the sell, and whether it is truly appropriate for all players. We have a tween daughter/geek in training, and try to make sure things are appropriate for her. Every time we've asked for an opinion we've been given an informative review, and they've never steered us wrong. The old-school geek in me wishes they carried a little more of the RPG items I remember, but the father in me is ecstatic that we can buy a game that all of us enjoy, and truly have an embarrassment of choices thanks to The Haunted Game Cafe.
(4)