Reviews of Cakes n Ladders (Board Game Cafe). (Coffee Shop) in Auckland (Auckland).

Cakes n Ladders (Board Game Cafe)

423 Reviews

226 Comments

Coffee shop

Cafe

173 Symonds Street, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1010, New Zealand

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Description Map Open Hours Reviews Contact Photos

Description

Information of Cakes n Ladders (Board Game Cafe), Coffee shop in Auckland (Auckland)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of Cakes n Ladders (Board Game Cafe)

Sunday

10am–10pm

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday

1–10pm

Thursday

1–10pm

Friday

1–10pm

Saturday

10am–10pm

Popular times

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Wednesday

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Thursday

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Friday

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Saturday

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Reviews of Cakes n Ladders (Board Game Cafe)

What a fantastic find. Went there with our teenagers and had a great time. We will be back!

Awesome friendly place. Big selection of games. James is crazily knowledgeable and can not only recommend what to play, but also teach. It's worth going there, play, and if you feel like coffee and cakes they've got that too.

3 dollars per hour. Loads of games. Great 👍🏼

Great selection of board games and and James is super helpful about choosing and teaching games.

Huge selection of games! The owner is very nice and it’s such a nice place to hang out for a few hours with friends

Best place to spend time with friends. So many games available to play. Cool collection of board games card games and many more. The owner was very kind and helpful he taught us how to play the game, he suggested us many games. We played costume party assassin and two other games but i dont remember the names. We had some tasty cupcakes and berry smoothie.

Cakes n ladders is always an awesome experience. It is great to take a group of friends to, or to just go and chill out as a couple. The range of board games is extensive, and the difficulty of each ranges from entry level type games to early mid-weight. The owner is ready and willing to help you through the rules if you need a hand as well. Would 100% recommend.

My 11 year old son and I had lots of fun playing multiple games here. We played for a total of 4 hours and it only cost $24. Such good value for money. It's a great way to try out a game you are thinking of buying, because some games can be expensive to purchase. Food prices are good too. Thinking of making it a monthly thing.

We love coming here to try out different board games to see if we want to buy a new board game for the collection. It's a very cozy place and the coffee is great .

As a newbie I am sure you won't find any other better board game Cafe in Auckland. 🔥It has a huge selection and everything is neatly organized. It's one of the most chill and relaxed public space I have ever been in general. The owner James is much fun to be around 😊 and helped me learn a lot (Hugs to you my friend) There is merely a price on what you pay for. Much fun experience. Btw do try the 🍰 it's delicious 😋 I wish they'd bring more stuff to serve

What a fantastic find. Went there with our teenagers and had a great time. We will be back!

3 dollars per hour. Loads of games. Great 👍🏼

I love the idea of this cafe! Lots of board games to chose from while enjoying a sweet treat and a cup of coffee. Only thing I didn’t enjoy is the fact that you pay $3 per person per hour to be there, which can add up if you enjoy a few hours playing games with a big group of friends. But I guess that is to maintain the quality and quantity of board games they offer :)

Me and my partner love this place, Cheap snacks and drinks. Its 3$ pp per hour, which is well worth the price. They have so many games to choose from a d the owner is always there to guide you when learning a new one. Thanks cakes n ladders you are awesome!

Fantastic place to meet up and play boardgames. Also exceptional place to try out new boardgames! The staff live and breathe their trade and have exceptional knowledge of all the games in stores. Drinks and food are decent enough, but recommend drinking water if you're there for a while!

A very interesting and fun concept. A cafe style board game place. You pay a small fee for the time you stay there but have access to a very large selection of games which you can play as you desire. The only limit is their availability depending on others playing in the cafe at the same time, however, I did notice there were multiple copies of popular games. In terms of game selection it was very impressive. There is everything from the big popular games to many small indie games which I have only ever seen on Kickstarter. Great for small groups and lots of fun. Would definitely recommend as a fun option to try with any group. The staff are very knowledgeable and are always happy to help explain the rules or recommend games based on taste.

I really want give this more stars - their board game collection is pretty gosh-danged super - but paying by the hour to play games and being mildly condescended to by the host when requesting suggestions for what to play based on a group's demographic was a little less pleasant than expected. The coffee is tasty, the collection is vast, and the location is convenient (even if the ambiance is...a little clinical). Take your kids here! Take your colleagues! It's great for that.

A really nice friendly atmosphere! There is a huge selection of boardgames and lots of tables and space to play. It's also excellent value for money to play games there: very cheap! The owners, James and Emma go out of their way to make you feel welcome and are really passionate about boardgames: James helped me to understand the rules of a new game several times :-)

Friendly staff, a good variety of board games and a pleasant atmosphere/decor. Worth a try for people who are looking to enjoy game nights.

I really like this place. So many games to play! And it's a very reasonable price. ($5 per person per jour, if I'm not mistaken) The staff is happy to explain the games and help you find them. Great option for fun with friends and kids with no alcohol involved. Also a great way to try out new games and buy your favourites only.

Great selection of games (so many!) and James is so helpful!! We had a great time! Definitely don't go for the coffee, but would still 100% recommend.

The outside of the store gives it a bit of an unkempt image. But there’s plenty of fun to be had inside. The food and drink is good and a wide range of games are available to be played. The staff also seem knowledgeable and keen to share their knowledge with customers. Pricing was very reasonable! Unfortunately the game we played had all its cards shuffled into a mess. But that’s not really a bit slight against the staff itself. The table we were on was a bit small and rickety, which made for dangerous coffee drinking. Overall I think this is a place well worth spending your time. There are areas that could be improved. If they were to be improved this shop would truly be a gem in Auckland city!

Cheap fun for the whole group. Huge selection of boardgames catering to amateurs and boardgame enthusiast. The owner is super friendly and very helpful. If you don't know what you are doing or what to play (try out) he is always more than happy to help. At $2.5 per hour per person it is great value entertainment. We did not try the food but let's be honest you are here for the boardgames 👌

Cakes N Ladders is a great place to spend hours playing board games with friends, drinking coffee and eating the cutest cupcakes. The employees know so much about each game and can help you learn the rules, and the library of board games is huge. Parking is available around the back also, which is handy. It is also super cheap, which is a bonus. I highly recommend a visit on a rainy day, kid-friendly.

I love coming here! The place is quaint and relaxed, the staff are so friendly and eager to share their knowledge about board games you want to play. The price is a bargain and often you are so engrossed in the company and the game, that you don't realise that you have spent 2.5 hours there! Must go for anyone of all ages!

This is a nice place with a great selection of games, and very friendly, welcoming staff. It seems to be a family business, so that's nice. The drinks selection is adequate but I do wish that they offered food suitable for sharing. Things like nachos or fries or similar. Also some quiet music for ambience would be sweet. Can imagine it being super cosy on a rainy day with some jazz playing.

This was my first visit to Cakes n Ladders. I thoroughly enjoyed it! They were very busy as they had 2 quite big campaigns booked that evening, but still managed to be helpful and friendly. Plenty of parking within easy walking distance at a reasonable price ($6 for the evening). I am vegetarian so was pleased to see some vegetarian food available. I would have liked decaf coffee to be available but they don't yet have a second grinder, so had hot chocolate instead which had great flavour, just could have been a bit hotter and larger. Because it was so busy we had to sit upstairs. The games tables upstairs need to be bigger and they need a cooling/ventilation system in addition to the fan in the corner, as the place became very hot with the crowds, food machines etc going. Despite that I still had a most enjoyable night and would recommend a visit by anyone who enjoys board games and wants to try out some of the games in their games library, whilst enjoying some simple food and drink.

Literally my favourite place in Auckland! The owner James is a really nice guy and has an encyclopedic knowledge of his board game collection. Great toasties and drinks, awesome home made desserts. So easy to spend 5+ hours here. Really cheap but great quality entertainment.

Spent the morning here with my Wife and to young girls. We had a great time. Yummy chocolate frappes, good cupcakes and a HUGE selection of games to play. James was awesome. Gave us suggestions and taught us how to play games. We asked heaps of questions and he was more than happy to help us. I just wish we had a place like this in Napier!!

What a great place to have a night out with friends. There is a huge selection of games to play and the owners have knowledge on just about all of them and are keen to help or suggest games that would suit your group. They make a great hot drink and their food isn't bad either. Would be great if they served alcohol but a licence does cost money.

Great place to chill and play some board games. There's a really big selection on offer, for any number of players and all different genres. The staff are really knowledgeable, very helpful and very friendly. The cakes are great too!

Love this place. James is brilliant and the food and coffee is delightful. Not sure why people seem to be expecting meals and alcohol here. Imagine trying to keep the games safe with drunk people and messy eaters. I couldn't imagine a better place to hang out and play some board games.

I frequently visit for the great atmosphere and fantastic selection of board games. Get the chocolate brownie, it's excellent.

We came here with everyone from eight year olds to teenagers to grandparents and everybody loves it and has a great time. The staff are so friendly and helpful and really know their stuff. The atmosphere is awesome and the selection is fantastic. It's really affordable as well.

Cakes and ladders is the best place ever!! We go there for an hour and end up spending 5. James, the owner, is so knowledgeable with every single game and can recommend games based on time frame and general vibe. 10/10 recommend

Great place to play board games by the hour - it's really cheap and and a huge selection of games! They also do coffees and various cabinet food to keep you going while you play. Bring the kids on a rainy day as it's a great way to while away an afternoon

A great find in Auckland even if you just have a fleeting interest in board games. A huge range of games and the chocolate cake was delicious. Highly recommend playing camel cup.

Good place, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Plenty of new games to try.

Fair prices, many options of board games. Very happy to see they have 5 Minute Dungeon: excellent game, go try it! (More vegan snack options would be greatly appreciated)

The best and largest selection of games that I've ever seen. The owner was very welcoming and even explained some of the games to us so that we could start playing. Will definitely make this a regular weekend spot!

Awesome staff, really friendly and happy to help choose the right game for you! Heaps to choose from, from simple classics to fancy new games to while away HOURS easily!! Good prices, delicious cake. We'll be back 😊

Food was underwhelming, overpriced and took over half an hour for four toasted sandwiches. Atomospher was ok. About what U expected for early weekend morning. Board game selection was pretty good. As a cafe I would not recommend. As a board game library it was pretty good.

Had an amazing experience. Great collection of games for any level player. The food was nice. The real star was the owner who was very keen to chat and share his knowledge of boardgames. Would recommend to all.

This place is amazing I went on a date here and there were plenty of games for two people and hundreds more for 3 and above the place is cheap to goto only 3$ and hour and the gamemaster was extremely helpful teaching you the rules of a game if your stuck the only reason I didn't give this place five stars is because there food options were small they still had food but not much

Lovely owner and a great place for games. Heaps of games to pick from. Would love to have more to eat there but theres an excellent burger place next door so that's awesome!

Great range of games on offer and a cool atmosphere. The owner and staff are also really friendly and helpful. Definitely a place to take your friends for some fun!

Great game selection & knowledgable staff. Lovely way to spend and evening or afternoon with some friends. Only room for improvement would be a wider selection / option of food

Didn't try the cakes but we asked for a board game recommendation and got a brilliant game to play! Will be back as often as I can swing it

Great atmosphere, lots of boardgames! good price. Hot drinks taste gross can make better at home. Customer service could be a bit more friendly

Great selection of games the owner was helpful with helping another group out with how to play a game. Didn't get to try any of the food though maybe next time. Would go back again.

Cool place. Grabed some sweet treats. Were delicious. Try it out. What have you got to loose

A lot of games and the owner is very nice and willing to teach if you don’t know how to play. Have a lot of fun there.

Enjoyed my first visit. Played some good games. Very relaxed and informal. I just wish they had more savory foods.

Please invest in your staff and get some coffee training

Great value for the amount of entertainment this place provides

Welcoming and fun, a great place to play boardgames with friends, old and new.

Great place to socialise with fellow boardgame enthusiasts, great coffee & a tasty selection of sweet & savory treats. Highly recommend this place if boardgames is your thing!

Always enjoy coming here. Great selection of games, there is something for everyone.

Great concept. Heaps of board game variety. Would love if they had more couch seating areas.

It's such a great place to hang with ya mate. Learn a new game or two and try some sweet treats. Long may it roll. (Dice pun)

Enjoyed my first visit. Played some good games. Very relaxed and informal. I just wish they had more savory foods.

Nice cosy cafe, owner james is very nice and explains the games. Good drinks no alcohol though :( but it is clean and well priced. Great for groups

Great spot. Tons of board games all organized. Owner knows his stuff about each game. Good atmosphere & clean. Will def be back.

Great fun and reasonably priced drinks, good tea for Brits missing home

Very friendly, knowledgable staff, a range of delicious baked snacks and hot or cold drinks and a massive collection of board games in great condition. A great, quiet place to socialise or catch up with family

We always have a lot of fun here. :)))

Good choice of board games, nice coffee and awesome staff very, informative and helpful with the games themselves. Great place for a rainy day.

Great concept. A place for board game lovers rather than food connoisseurs. Great atmosphere and friendly owners who are knowledgeable when it comes to board games.

Great selection of games! Great atmosphere too 😊❤

Convenient for fun time on hundreds of games that suit couples, groups and families. Attendant is very helpful and polite. Have fun.

This place has a brilliant range of games curated by knowledgeable and friendly hosts. Always love spending an afternoon. It's warm, cosy and welcoming.

A cheap way to have fun with your friends if you're into boardgames! And even if you're not, the staff are really good at recommending games you might like to try.

A lot of games and the owner is very nice and willing to teach if you don’t know how to play. Have a lot of fun there.

Always enjoy coming here, the staff are super nice and the atmosphere is great. An amazing collection of board games and delicious cake.

Have a great collection and the man in charge (James if I recall correctly) is great at walking you through their large collection of games, sorted by how many players, what kind, etc. Its great for groups to spend time in a geeky way.

Fantastic place for a coffee and casual board gaming. wide selection of board games to play as well as card games. will be revisiting for sure!

Lots of fun. There are so many games to choose from. You can easily spend hours trying them all. Staff are super friendly and helpful too.

Good selection of games and inexpensive. Good drink selection. Staff very knowledgeable about games and friendly. Definitely recommend :)

Amazing selection of games to play and buy complimented by the well presented cupcakes and tea. Going back there again next week 👍

Fantastic place to hang out. Only $2.50 per person, per hour with an enormous library of boardgames to play

Niche Cafe for gamers novice and experienced. Great relaxing space. Thumbs up!

Great venue, friendly staff (james) and good price, they explain the games to you and it has a good drink menu but no alcohol :( apart from that its great.

A very nice place to relax and have dessert and perhaps, if you are with friends, play one of the many many board games they have available for your enjoyment.

Great coffee, good selection of games and very comfortable to sit and play.

I love this place, always leave happy, the best value for your money, lots and lots and lots of games, help if you don't get it, a great coffee too.

Huge choice of board games, reasonably priced (2$/person/hour), and the drinks / cakes are good and cheap.

Brilliant selection of games - heaps to choose from - kids to serious board games for adults. Snacks are available - but you go for the games, not the food.

Fantastic collection of board, table top and card games. It's very cosy and the food and drink is affordable and decent quality. A veritable Nerd-vana

A good proposal for a different evening with friends. Gigantic collection of board games. Not such a big collection of tees, coffees and pastries. Well, you can't have it all, they say!

Good place to hangout with friends and play some board games, the place could use with background music . Many games to choose from with also a coffee and cake bar

Great range of boardgames, very helpful staff and nice coffee too.

Amazing selection of games. Nice atmosphere. Only light foods available but you go there for the games

Went there with 2 kids of 13, had a delicious dessert and played games for nearly 2 hours, cheap parking round the corner and lots of fun, we loved it.

I love this place! So many board games and lovely helpful staff. I plan to go again :)

Awesome place to spend an afternoon as a family. Great customer service, drinks, snacks, and game selection. Need more of this in the world.

Great selection of board games, delicious food and amazing chocolate cake and very friendly service

Amazing coffee shop in the CBD. The choice of board games is only surpassed by the kindness of the owners and the amazing chocolate brownies they bake

Great cozy place to relax and play some board games. Staff are amazing and super helpful with the rule explanations!

Amazing place. Amazing staff. So fun and friendly. Go support this wonderful business and these wonderful people who clearly enjoy and love what they do. AMAZING CAKES AND COFFEE TOO

Awesome place to hang out with mates over tea, snacks and games. They have every board game imaginable.

Awesome place! Helpful staff, really affordable and family friendly!! Will be going back

Love all the different games, was hoping for some vegan options in the food and drinks range thou.

The selection of board games is really good and the owners are friendly and ready to help explain the rules of you need it.

Great selection of games and very knowledgeable staff will help you setup and get playing ASAP!

Wonderful people, wonderful environment. Great selection of games to play and helpful staff that really get you into playing

Awesome range of games! Great place to spend a day or a couple of hours.

Beautiful! An absolutely remarkable place to wind down, have a game & delicious foods. Always a welcome atmosphere :)

A great place to relax with friends. The staff are pretty helpful with the games and they make you feel comfortable :)

Great place to spend a few hours with friends. Super selection of boardgames. Friendly staff

Awesome first visit. Great range of games, friendly atmosphere, lots of fun. I'll be back!

Love this place. Great advice for board games to play. Excellent range of games to play too.

Great selection of board games. Nice atmosphere.

Nice range of board games for all ages and skill levels. Look forward to coming back with more friends.

Really cool place to hang out with variety of board games.

A great place to relax and play games. The staff will help you if your new

A welcoming atmosphere, cheap snacks and drinks, and a huge library of games with a friendly and knowledgeable staff! A cheap night out with open minded friends!

Always a good time with friends, great selection of games and the food and coffee are awesome too!

Lots of fun, heaps of games, very reasonably priced. We went for an hour, stayed much longer.

AWESOME PLACE! The street it's on looks messy and ugly but as soon as you walk inside its a truly magical place, great stock of games and accessories and good looking food.

Lovely, locally owned boardgame cafe with friendly staff and a huge collection!

Amazing selection of games! Awesome environment! Staff were helpful!

Lovely staff. Very helpful with explaining the games. Drinks are nice.

Cool concept with good selection of boardgames. Reasonable pricing. Could do with some air con.

I always have a good time at Cakes n Ladders. It's a critical hit.

A lot of unique and different board games, and card games. Super helpful staff to teach you how to play them

Amazing range of games. Great red velvet cake. Friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended.

Cool place. Grabed some sweet treats. Were delicious. Try it out. What have you got to loose

Hundreds of board games. Good game knowledge. Needs more snacks.

Amazing staff, lots of fun! So many board game options!!

Incredible and cozy place with friendly and helpful staff who can explain the games really well.

Great selection of games. Chilled atmosphere. Very reasonably priced.

Awesome! Great if you want to play some social board games in a lovely little corner of Auckland

Nice place to hang out and play games $2 per hour per person.

Great, large collection. Decent knowledge of the rules which cuts doen on time spent learning new games.

Nice place to gather with friends and family to play board games etc. Basic food and beverage selection available.

Good place for small group gathering. Nice board games too.

Really great place to go with friends. Lots of games, fair price

So cool! Loads of games. Friendly service. Affordable entertainment.

There are a lot of board games There, there are nice staff, and it's nice and clean

Very nice place fun for friends and family. Smoothies taste good.

Amazing selection of games, clean, great tables and seating, cool drinks and snacks

Great place. The snacks are good and the staff are helpful.

Excellent Service. Tons of games to choose from. Didn't know what to do with all that choice

Cakes n Ladders is a lot of fun. Very relaxed with heaps of games to choose from.

Great selection of boardgames, easy fun with friends

Interesting place for board game, 2.5$ per hours/per person

Wide range of games. Also if you don't know how to play the game or if you are unsure of it, don't hesitate to ask the guy in charge, he knows.

Extensive game collection, great cake and friendly service.

Great value for the amount of entertainment this place provides

Wonderful place. Friendly owners. Extensive collection. Inexpensive.

Great games collection with excellent cake 🤩

So many options of games, and all the people who work there are so kind and helpful.

A very good selection of boardgames and a delicious chocolate cake.

Nice place to spend quality time with friends.... And of course the Board games

Great range of games for all ages and good fun

Please invest in your staff and get some coffee training

Lots of choices of games. Needs a few more food options though.

Great place to meet up. Cakes and coffees and games

Great place to try out some new games from their good collection

Great place to play board games with firends or colleagues .

Awesome place and they help you get set up to play them

Loads of new games and experienced staff to help make new game suggestions and learning new games easier

Great cafe, friendly place and low prices -- strongly recommend.

The best little board game lounge only ever!

Good selection of games! Low hourly rate.

Just needs a craft beer selection and bar snacks and it would be perfect!

Nice vibe and really helpful staff if you don't know the rules!

Good selection of games, some limited releases. Make a friend <3

It has such a great selection of boardgames!

Such a cool concept. Very helpful staff, and an affordable day out!

Board games galore. Good place to meet friends and play games.

Nice spot to have a quiet coffee and a game of your choice

Great staff and an amazing selection of games.

Nice for a rainy day, does what it says on the tin. Helpful service...

Love the staff and the place! always a fun time

Probably my favourite place in Auckland!

Love this place for a quiet afternoon playing board games and coffee

Great place to hang out with ur friends!

Friendly staff, heaps of games and very cheap entertainment

Great selection of games to try out.

various kinds od board games but drinks? so so

Great place to spend some time out of the rain.

Lots of games to try. Great cakes.

Proprietor a nice guy to talk to, and very patient with all my questions...

So fun and novel, great for a fun night with friends.

great selection of games, good coffee

Good coffee. Tasty.

Awesomely fun place to go with friends.

Good fun, good hospitality, good vibes all round 😊

It's really chill. 10/10

My favourite place ever ♥️

Very broad selection of games available

Quite unique board gaming café.

Great place to hang out with friends!

Epic fun and lovely staff :)

Great atmosphere and kind staff

Excellent assortment of games to choose from. Plus, the guy who runs the place can help you with most all of them. He helped us understand a game, even though he had never played before. It's great as well to have a coffee and cake along with your games. The only downside is the early closing time on weekends. It closes at 10 pm so make sure you get there early enough.

Always the most epic fun.

Had an amazing time ! Cheap as chips and had an excellent time, the owner was extremely helpful and gave us some much needed help picking games and getting to know the rules. 10/10 would recommend visiting and having a nice long stay