Tulsa’s first board game cafe allows visitors to play a wide assortment of games accompanied by food and drinks.
Situated downtown between a fusion restaurant and cute cafes, Shuffles stands out with its glass door that peeks into a fun family-friendly atmosphere. Immediately, pops of colors, modern furniture and the walls of board games stand out.
One wall has games available for purchase. It is filled with unique board games that are rarely heard of. While the other wall, called the library, holds games that are available to be played by customers.
The amazing thing about this library of games is that it has so many different types. There are some that are iconic and easily recognizable, like Connect-Four and Monopoly. But then there are more unknown games. One way to navigate through this would be asking the workers for new game recommendations.
Although the games itself do not cost anything to use, Shuffle does charge people entry fees. On a Friday or Saturday night, the café charges $5 per hour. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, guests can pay $6 for unlimited play, but Tuesdays are only $2 for unlimited time.
Despite the business of a downtown Friday night, the café was just full enough that it felt lively, though not crowded. The customers were a mixture of young adults in their friend groups and families.
Alongside the boardgames, Shuffles offers varied foods and drinks with entrees called “solo mode” and shareable plates called “co-op mode.” The price of the plates starts of around $6 and go up to $15.59. Their menu offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Not only that, Shuffle also provides customers with an assortment of alcoholic drinks like cocktails, beer and spirits. They even have their own bar. In addition, they also have a non-alcoholics drink menu that includes various types of coffees, milkshakes, sodas and lemonade.
In comparison to most other cafés around town, Shuffles does cost each customer significantly more. It is definitely not the work or study environment that some students may be searching for in cafes. Instead, Shuffles is a fun spot for those who are looking for a more wholesome type of activity for groups of people during their free time or weekends. It is not a place you want to go alone.
All the boardgames require at least two players. Although coming here just for the food and drinks is a possibility, it would not be worth the money since there is also an entrance fee that on certain days is charged per hour.
Despite the price, this is a fun place to go with parents or friends who aren’t the party type. It is a unique environment in Tulsa. The idea of board game cafes and pubs is a growing trend worldwide so it’s so cool to see it happen here too.
Shuffles also offers different experiences. They have Karaoke nights on Thursday and Trivia nights on Tuesdays. In one section of the room, they also always have a movie rolling. With the changing selections of games and activities, this is somewhere you can always find something new to do.
