Game Crab Boardgame Cafe

by Beatriz Acosta

posted on Friday June 13, 2008

I've never been into video games seriously, unless you count playing Tetris and the old-mold Nintendo cartridge days of yore when Battle City, Circus Charlie and Excite Bike were the coolest things ever (I think I'm revealing my age here).

I was that tomboyish kid who played hide-and-seek and outdoor games with her boy cousins, running around and bringing home scratches or bruises, battle scars of having mostly males as my childhood playmates pretending to be Bioman (and later on, Power Rangers!). Winding down our superhero day would mean staying indoors but still getting rowdy over a bunch of boardgames like Snakes and Ladders, Chinese checkers, and chess. Those were the best stuff of my childhood.

So when I first heard about a board game cafe a couple of weeks ago, opening in the Katipunan area, I got so giddy! Browsing through their website thrilled me as they seem to have a lot of games in stock, and food equally varied, too! I was very excited, really, sort of regressing to my younger years, as I hurriedly told my best friends about it and that we definitely must check the place out. Boardgames and food: this is personally an awesome combination for me.

Game Crab Boardgame Cafe

Gerald Gan and Josef Lee want to start a boardgame revolution. Just like how all our cafes have been a social experience where we meet our friends and spend hours to talk while we dine, the two gaming aficionados want to bring in that culture with the boardgame concept.

Game Crab Boardgame Cafe borrows the boardgame concept popular in Germany, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Canada. "The board games are really big there," Gerald shares, adding that they want to promote the social and educational aspects of the board games aside from PC and Internet Gaming. I agree with his sentiments, as I frequently comment to others how everyone seems to be spending hours and hours in front of their computer, sometimes not even stepping out of the house for days.

"We might be the first full-fledged boardgame cafe in the Philippines," says Gerald. And don't just expect the common boardgames to be in Game Crab. Step inside the cafe and it is an explosion of colors. From the interiors to the boardgames themselves, every space is filled with gaming material for you to feast on. Strategy games, board games, card games, RPG games, tile laying games. Games we grew up with, games that we've heard of, unusual games that sound absurd or hilarious. Grab one of their clearbook catalogues to leaf through their extensive line, or ask any of their accommodating gamemasters to help you out in choosing a game that suits your preference.

My friends Mica and Eric were all smiles as we ooh-ed and aah-ed at every table where the boards were laid out, tinkering at the cards and figures. It felt like I was a little kid at a toy store as the gamemasters explained to us how each game works as we tried out a number of them. The gamemasters really know their stuff and will make sure you get to know the games well. I like how eloquent they were in teaching us the game, as they explained the mechanics clearly and also gamely played with us some board games.

Game Crab offers membership that entitles you to specials and discounts in using their games. Annual Membership costs P150, while Lifetime Membership is P350. Members can enjoy their games for P40 per hour. For non-members, fret not! You can still get your gaming fix at a rate of P45 per hour. Prep time is given for you to understand the game first, as the gamemasters brief you about it. You may also choose to 'pause' your game to let the time stop running while you eat. Also within the hour, you may play as many games as you want! And to not make much of a mess while playing and eating, some of their cards are carefully laminated.

Eat + Play = Yay!

We tried out this card game called Guillotine which has the hilariously absurd objective of collecting heads and gaining the most number of points to win. The objective made the game fun, and we had a hoot looking through all the card illustrations. It's a simple card game that can be played for a short period of time.

Our gamemaster suggested this oddball of a game called Quelf for people who aren't shy to make fun of themselves and are up to do the most unusual challenges. Curiosity got to us so we tried it out.

I can't really explain much of it without sounding weird: you are tasked to do silly stunts, sing made-up songs, or answer pretty laughable questions. Some of the challenges really had us laughing in tears! So if you're game to do almost anything and have a bunch of equally-game friends with you, try this board game as it is anything but predictable and boring.

After having a fill of their games, it was now time to have a fill of their grub! Their menu is very appealing to the student crowd, which suits Game Crab well as it is situated along Katipunan. With student friendly prices, it's a sure-ball hangout place for the young crowds - toss in the games, and you can stay there for hours.

Top picks for the afternoon were the Elvis Sandwich (P50), Buffalo Wings (P65), and the Banana Brulee Split (P55).

Game Crab Boardgame Cafe

The Elvis Sandwich

The Elvis Sandwich is the killer combination of bacon, banana, and peanut butter, the sandwich that's said to have been the favorite of The King himself. The unusual combination of ingredients was actually very good, as the bacon served enough saltiness to the richer taste of peanut butter and banana. A little dab of honey added sweeter taste to the mix of flavors.

Buffalo Wings

Their Buffalo Wings are hot-hot-hot! The wings are served with that angry-red color waiting to be eaten. I enjoyed each of the wing to the bone as I am a fan of spicy food.

Banana Brulee Split

The Banana Brulee Split instantly became the sweet favorite of my friend Eric and I. Being dessert-holic, I liked how the caramelized bananas were also added with bittersweet caramel sauce. The sweetness is then tamed down a bit with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that adds to the play of texture in every spoonful of the dessert. Yum!

After meeting the owners and having great gamemasters accomodate and guide us through some games, we spent hours just hanging out at Game Crab, until there was no sun. I kid you not. The gaming plus eating experience was so enjoyable, we stayed until dinnertime, and ordered more food!

Ays's Combo Adobo (P70) - very tasty to the bone! Another must-try.

Game Crab's Mac 'N' Cheese (P50) - a good value for money. Creamy and cheesy!

Yes, we ordered the Banana Creme Brulee again. And my friend even ordered another one for take-out.

Nothing really beats being with the best of company, playing some fun games, while you're eating affordable yet yummy food.

So if you're young, young at heart, or like me who at times love to regress to her childhood years and let loose, this place will be a haven for you. For those gaming addicts with faces stuck in front of the computer screen, perhaps this will be a fresh social alternative for you. I'm sure parents will find Game Crab a wonderful option as well, because they even get to join in the games with their kids and interact with friends or new people at the cafe. Sharing rounds of laughter and carefree conversations with friends over a boardgame surely trumps internet gaming in my books.

Grab your friends and enjoy the games, bring your younger siblings and the rest of the family - this place has a very positive vibe that you will easily feel. Choose a board, order your food, and game on!

Bring the Game Crab fun with you! Game Crab Boardgame Cafe can cater to children's parties, school org events, company meetings, and other events. They can provide both food and games/icebreakers.