I've been to Ludology a handful of times now. It's a favorite place to stop before heading back across the border. The staff there is incredibly hardworking and very attentive. You will often see the same few people working there, and despite how insanely busy it can get, they've even remembered us after almost a month of not being there. I've been both inside and on the back patio. Surprisingly, despite the cold, they did an amazing job of keeping the patio cozy and warm (blankets, seat warmers that may burn your butt if you're not careful but they do warn you, and heat lamps). The vibe of the place is fun and welcoming. I've mostly had the drinks, which are fabulous and their hot chocolate always hits the right note. Their bartender often has new specials and is also very good at creating delicious cocktails. The one food item I have tried was their special crème brûlée, and holyyyyy. I'm pretty sure I'd try every version of that. I plan to go back more and I am excited to one day get to try their other food! read more

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The food and drinks were good. We ordered the chili cheese fries and brownies because we weren't very hungry. We were pleased with the choices. We walked in and we were greeted. We sat down. Took us a about 2 minutes to decide on a seat. Fairly empty place but i was with a picky kid and i wanted to sit on the balcony. I sat and my daughter walked through the games and finally decided on one. The waitress/host who greeted us did not come over during this time. While we were setting up our game about 6 minutes after the seat selection the waitress comes over, finally, with water and ask have we been there before I said no and then she says it cost for games. She didn't say that upon entry or in the 6 minutes that I was sitting. This was very frustrating and is a pet peeve of mine. Tell customers all information as soon as possible. I noticed that this happened with another table who came in as we were wrapping up. So, it wasn't just us but please tell people in advance. Gives off sneaky hidden fees vibes. Very quiet place. Cute. The balcony was cute. I ordered my last drink and then ordered dessert and said please go ahead and close my tab and bring the check. That didn't happen. When we finished we sat there for 10 minutes until the waitress came back. It's possible that she didn't hear my requests. I try to be efficient because when a kid gets restless I like to move quickly. No one spoke to us when we left despite there being three staff persons at the door. No one said, "thanks for coming in, hope you enjoyed." "Come back soon" I found that odd and not very customer/patron friendly. read more

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We went here for Valentine's Day and we were pleasantly surprised! The ambiance is really nice, decorated tastefully, really clean and comfortable. We didn't think to make a reservation so we were seated at the bar. The bartender was super helpful and friendly! We ordered mocktails and the Korean slider and burger with poutine. It was perfect. We were blown away by the board game selection, although we stuck to the classics. There's a huge variety to choose from. You won't be disappointed coming here, we can't wait to come back! read more

We went in November, lol. It was freezing outside and the patio was the only option. Luckily, the view was awesome and we had heated seats and a heater.... They all didn't work and staff were constantly trying different things to get it to run. Felt so bad, but had amazing drinks and cards against humanity so its ok! also the nacho fries are not good read more

We had a really enjoyable time at this board game cafe in St. Catherine's this past weekend. We were treated by the friendly owner and were surprised to see the full selection selection of alcohol, tea, great menu and a whole library of board games. We played soMe standards- Life and Yahtzee. However, next time, I would really love too take the owner up on suggest ting a game- why not try something new. For lunch, we had the vegan burger, beet salad and lentil samosas with delicious sweet potato fries. We will be back- this places as so fun! read more

Ludology Boardgame Cafe - Menu- this place is awesome - Cafes Near Me - St. Catharines, Ontario

We are in from out of town and lucky enough to come in during the soft launch. Great selection of games and a good menu, including getting a bowl of candy. My kids were thrilled. I had the Brie and bacon sandwich which was more Brie and ham. It was amazing. Good fries too. My son got the hummus which was also good. I ordered coffee and would have liked a place to get a refill like a lot of places do. I didn't see where to sign up for a random game. Might be cool to have something online so you could schedule a game and meet on site when enough people wanted to play. read more

Ludology Boardgame Cafe - Yummy Brie and bacon. - Cafes Near Me - St. Catharines, Ontario

Adorable concept!! Great date night place! They have a bar which is an added bonus and a food menu which we didn't try. You can select from a ton.. I mean a TON of games and just hang out! We apparently are not very versed in boardgames and played our childhood classics, it was adorable. Perfect location downtown! We will definitely be back!! read more

Ludology Boardgame Cafe - How cute!!! $5 for endless boardgames!! - Cafes Near Me - St. Catharines, Ontario

Checked out this board game cafe with a couple of my friends and had a great time. The cafe has a great selection of games for anywhere to two people to large groups. There are games that are suitable to play with children as well as ones that adults will enjoys. Staff will help you learn any of the games that you are interested in, so don't feel like you can't come here if you haven't played many games before. The menu has a good selection of options including vegetarian and vegan options. My sister has a soybean allergy and some other food intolerance and the staff were very helpful with aiding her in selecting menu items that she could eat and checking the ingredients of the fry oil (they don't use soy). I had the Adventurer's Club sandwich, which I highly recommend. My sister had the Buffalo Chicken Dip, which was amazingly delicious. Our friend had the taco salad and quite enjoyed it as well. Their fries are crispy and nicely seasoned. The cafe also has a wide drink selection including teas, cocktails, beers, and ciders. Overall a very positive experience and I will definitely be bringing more friends back to this place. read more

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Staff is very friendly, the food is great, beverages selection awesome! A place to play games too! Music was great

You can think of Ludology Boardgame Cafe as a games cafe with great food, or as a restaurant with an impressive library of board games to play. Either way, this is a wonderful cafe in Downtown St. Catharines. I have visited for lunch a couple of times, and enjoyed their $10 (including taxes) sandwich of the day with side on both occasions. The decor is nice, service is very friendly and helpful and the food is freshly prepared and delicious! Generous portion sizes too. They also have a full bar menu, so day or night you're sure to enjoy yourself at Ludology. read more

Ludology Boardgame Cafe - Reuben sandwich with fries - Cafes Near Me - St. Catharines, Ontario

Came a few days ago after passing it while on the bus and went to check it out with my boyfriend. The place was way nicer than I expected. For $5 you get unlimited game time but they recommend 3 hours if it's really packed. The board game selection looks small in comparison to board game cafes in Toronto. The selection I found was better. They have your classic party and childhood favourites but also a bunch of games I've never heard of before. I was a bit worried initially as there usually isn't a good selection for 2 player games. But this place had a pretty good amount plus the staff offered recommendations on games we could play as two as well. The staff was also really nice in explaining things on the menu, and offering recommendations. Overall I'd definitely come back if I was in the area read more

Ludology is adorable. We went in today after stumbling upon this cafe while waiting for our friends for lunch. We ordered coffee and hot apple cider and our friends let us know that they arrived way earlier than expected. Our incredibly gracious waiter put our drinks in to go cups, we paid and then headed out. The drinks were delicious, the service was incredible, and the cafe is beautiful. I recommend it! read more

Ludology Boardgame Cafe - tables and chairs - Cafes Near Me - St. Catharines, Ontario

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I've been here a few times now. Twice for food, once for just drinks and games. I like the atmosphere. They have some cool art, especially this awesome painting of a T-rex holding up a swing that I really liked, and the ever-changing beer and cocktail menu in chalk on the wall is neat. There's a good selection of games. I give them bonus points for having Galaxy Trucker which is my all time favourite board game. I've also played Legend of the Wendigo, Zombicide, and Disney Trivial Pursuit while there. Had fun with all of them and want to try some more. First visit I had the baked apple Brie grilled cheese. It was great. I couldn't quite finish the entire thing, and certainly wasn't going home hungry. Skipped dessert that time. Next time I had the Adventurers club sandwich. It's a fantastic take on the classic club. I was smart this time and had half of it wrapped up right off the bat and was able to have some cheesecake with blueberry sauce that was excellent as well. I've had like 6 different craft beers there. Not one that I didn't enjoy, and it was cool to hear about which brewery they come from. Everything is local. Yesterday I had a Black Coal Stout from Railway City Brewing. I loved it. Was disappointed to hear it would be rotating out to make room for other local brews, but I do kind of like the idea of a changing beer menu. I'm excited to see what's next. Food was a good value. The standard Board Game Cafe cover of $5 is applied which is a reasonable amount, I've paid by the hour at other places and found that to be annoying. Here you pay your $5 and play as long as you like. I like that they went that route. Staff was friendly. Dining room and bathrooms were clean. All in all a great experience. If you're a fan of board game cafes (Or have never tried one!) Give it a shot. You won't' be disappointed. read more

This is one of my favourite spots downtown St Catharines. I haven't been since the COVID pandemic started, but before that, the service, food & drinks were all spot on. The owner is super friendly and welcoming. He recommended great drinks and chatted with us about the different game nights that were planned. The prices are very reasonable and the selection of games is massive. It's a very fun atmosphere! read more

Beautiful decore and amazing bar. The random rolled shots were a hit. Don't roll a one! I had the blackened chicken sandwich and it was amazing. Massive order of fries, I could not finish it. Huge selection of games. We tried a few new ones but they have Catan and monopoly so our beginner board game friends weren't overwhelmed. Definitely going to make it more of a staple. read more

Great atmosphere, great food. Some amazing cocktails and a wide variety of board games. Will definitely go back and recommend it to every one. read more

staff was super friendly, answered any questions i had regarding the games, and the drinks, their food is absolutely immaculate, as is their board game choices. they have a great attitude as well as atmosphere, go ahead and try it! would be a great night read more

Awesome concept and execution. Friendly and attentive staff. Special place with best sweet potato fries I've ever had. Game selection kept us thoroughly entertained. read more

I went to the board game cafe the other day and I thought that the service needs improving, the wait staff is not very professional and tend to forget orders or even ignore customers. The restaurant has such a great atmosphere and unique idea but the lack of professionalism of the service dampened the experience sadly. read more