Hi!

I like game cafés. I like the idea of a place to go to play games that also serves food, and where you can meet other like-minded game enthusiasts, both novice and seasoned. So, thought I’d put together descriptions of my 3 favourite places to go out to play games in Mississauga.

Keep in mind, I’d defining game café as a place specifically for the purpose of meeting up to play games. There are other cafés, restaurants, and teas houses that have a shelf of games on the premises so you can bring them to the table and play, but I wouldn’t call them “Game Cafés”.

Here they are, presented in alphabetical order, not order of preference:

DE CODE Adventures

De Code Adventures has six escape rooms, which I believe was the original purpose of this location, but has also added a large space of tables for board gaming, including a long table covered in scenery and terrain for miniature battle games like Warhammer 40,000.

In addition, there are a couple of rooms for role-players to book and use for game sessions, although they have regular nights already set for some groups. Their game library is fairly large, and is organized by category such as family games, party games, high strategy games, and quick games to help you make your choice more easily.

Their thematic menu has numerous light meal and snack items to give you sustenance while you play. I had the “Chili Conquesto” which is a cheese dip with tortillas, and it was delicious! I also stole a sip of my gaming partner’s chocolate milkshake, which was called the “Army of Darkness”. I bet it brings all the deadites to the yard, because it was really good!

The staff we talked to there were very friendly and easy to talk to. We were there on a Monday evening, so it wasn’t busy; I would have liked to see other people playing and interact with them a bit, but Monday’s generally not a big night for such places. I’ll have to go back on a weekend and see how it goes!

Right now it only costs $4 to go in and play as long as you like, and they offer a combo: for $7 you get to play, AND you get a pop and a bag of chips.

I definitely recommend bringing some friends and giving this place a try.

Dicey Business

Dicey Business is a great place to hang out and play games! The staff is extremely friendly and welcome you like family. The place itself is undergoing some renovation, but they aren’t closing while they are doing it, doing major changes after hours. And the renovations are so new, that the pictures on the website are no longer totally accurate. The back wall has been opened up to put in a larger kitchen area, which will soon have beer taps, since Dicey Business is the only game café in Mississauga to be licensed to serve alcohol.

The food menu has a variety of delicious snacks and meals, but the grilled cheese and chocolate milkshake are both renowned as top items!

There are many regulars here, because people love the cozy and friendly atmosphere. A Dungeons and Dragons group meets here on Mondays, and there are regular Pokémon nights (it is quite popular here, drawing even ranked competitive players), and they also get out the TVs and run a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament.

The game selection is great, and also sometimes straight up amusing! You like the classics? They seem to relish in finding garage sale and thrift store items that will bring you back to your childhood (if you’re nearly as old as me). Old games and new games, there is something here for everyone. They also have a good selection of games for sale here.

There are also two escape rooms here, although one is out of commission during the renovation. I understand that it will be rebuilt once the kitchen area has been totally completed, with plans for a third to be added at a later date.

Unlimited play will cost you $4, and they are open until midnight, in case you want to game late. On Friday and Saturday, they’re open until 1am, so you can even get a longer game finished!

If you’ve been following us on our socials, you’ll have already noticed that we like to spend time here, so why not come see it for yourself, and maybe we’ll see you there!

LVLUP Games

LVLUP is a new café, and more is being added to it all the time! The last time I was there, swords had been added to the walls, and a local bakery was providing the pastry treats that you can purchase to enjoy while you were playing.

The space is bright, open and clean, and the staff are friendly and helpful. This store has the largest selection of games for sale on this list, including a Games Workshop section to get your Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar essentials, including paint and brushes.

The game library is large and includes the new games you’ve been hearing about, as well as some older favourites.

The food selection isn’t yet as extensive as some of the other cafés, but there are food places in the plaza LVLUP is located in, and you can grab a pizza (or a slice) and bring it back into the store with you.

For $5, you can play as long as you want, and that includes a pop.

So there you have it! Here are three places in Mississauga you can go to have a fun board game evening with your friends and/or family! I suggest you try them all, and then try them all again! Heck, let us know when you plan to go, and we’ll see if we can come and join you!

Do you have a favourite place to meet up and play games? Let us know!