Industry City has an assortment of fun things to do, from archery and petanque to distilleries and an entire Japan Village. And now, it has a board game shop and tabletop lounge, where you can play with your friends.
For the uninitiated, Eurogames (your Settlers of Catan and Wingspan) have been having a moment in the past decade or so, but only now are we seeing permanent, dedicated spaces pop up to host gamers.
Brooklyn couple Frank Szelwach and Sara Bender opened Brooklyn Game Knight in the fall of 2023 inside Industry City with more than 300 games, ranging from card games to dice-rolling games and more (role-playing games, too). A giant shelf of games spans the far wall and minis you can paint take up space near the front. You can also shop from indy game creators, pick out new dice sets and grab a game gift for a friend.
“We are a bit ‘punk rock’ in that we are incredibly devoted to independent creators, designers and publishers,” Szelwach says. “It is important for us to support the incredible indie and DIY gaming community. We have shelves dedicated to this and run playtesting events. We believe that the smallest voices tend to have the biggest ideas!”
That’s one of the defining points of Brooklyn Game Knight that sets it apart from other board game spaces … also because it plays host to special event nights such as tutorial nights, Magic the Gathering events, miniature painting, wargaming, TTRPG nights and more. It is welcoming to all folks who just want to play some games.
“We aim to be as warm, welcoming and all-inclusive to everyone that walks through the door,” Szelwach says. “We truly believe there are games and space here for anyone and everyone to geek out together. And whether you are new to games or a long-time gamer, you are always welcome!”
To play, general admission is per player to sit and stay in the lounge to enjoy anything in the library for up to four hours; for the price of one general admission, there’s a smaller takeaway library that allows you to borrow games (one at a time) for up to four hours; and there are advanced table reservations you can make, as well as reservations for private parties and events.
