For expats seeking authentic connections in Indonesia, board game cafés offer a unique opportunity to step outside the typical expat bubble.
Written by Pontus Rosen
As a Swede in my 50s now living in Jakarta, I’ve discovered that the best cultural connections often happen in simple settings. While expats may tend to gravitate towards international hangouts and expat-heavy venues, Indonesia’s growing board game café scene offers something more authentic, I believe: a chance to connect with locals who share your interests, regardless of language barriers. It turns out that a good game of Settlers of Catan does wonders to break the ice!
The Gaming Renaissance
Board games are experiencing a global resurgence, offering an escape from our screen-dominated lives. Indonesia has embraced this trend, with board game cafés emerging across cities like Jakarta and Surabaya, as well as further afield. These aren’t tourist attractions or expat hangouts —they’re simply local spaces where shared interests are all that matter.
Beyond the Expat Bubble
From my experience at my local board game café in Lebak Bulus, what makes these spaces special is precisely their lack of expat focus. As a foreign visitor, I’ve found my ‘outsider’ status surprisingly advantageous. It forces me out of my comfort zone in the best possible way, creating opportunities for genuine cultural exchange through shared interests rather than forced interaction.
A Personal Experience
My local board game café, Papan Hobbies Cafe & Co-Hub, exemplifies this welcoming approach. It opened its doors only five minutes from my house last year. Housed in a converted home here at the very end of the MRT line, it is complete with a swimming pool and private rooms. It feels more like visiting friends than a business. The owners, a husband-and-wife team, have created something special. While Rio, the husband, brings his passion for board games and a collection of more than 2,000 games (which *must* be some sort of record), Winda, his bubbly and extroverted wife, contributes her culinary expertise, making it a perfect blend of gaming and comfort.
Their motto, “Play, Think, Have Fun,” reflects their vision of creating more than just another hangout spot. They say they wanted a space where people could train their minds, practice negotiation skills, and build character—all while feeling completely at home. This philosophy shows in how they actively support new connections. When I mentioned wanting to play Dragonbane, a Swedish tabletop RPG, they eagerly helped connect me with other interested players, leading to regular sessions that blended English and Indonesian at our table.
The staff, particularly the game masters, share this commitment to community building. They’re always ready to recommend games or to help integrate newcomers into existing games. This welcoming attitude, combined with their enthusiasm for gaming, makes it easy to forget you’re an outsider.
Community Building
I’m a fairly social guy, but when new to a place, I can be shy, especially given language and cultural differences. It helps that Indonesian board game cafés, like most Indonesians, love modern connectivity. Many use WhatsApp groups to help members and patrons coordinate game sessions and stay connected. This makes it easy to find players for specific games, hear about upcoming events, or join ongoing campaigns or tournaments.
The Broader Scene
While my personal experience centres on my local café in Lebak Bulus, the board game scene extends across Indonesia. Surabaya’s TableToys Board Game Library has more than 1,000 games and has grown to include its own publishing division. TableTop Board Game Cafe on Jalan H. Misbah in Medan offers free gaming on weekdays. Downtime Board Game Cafe in Kuta Utara claims to have been the first of what are now many board game cafés in Bali. Morse Board Game & Cafe in Jogja specialises in helping visitors who arrive without someone to play with. Jakarta offers venues like Dots in PIK, DICE in Kelapa Gading, and The Bunker out in Tangerang. Each space has its own character, but all share a commitment to bringing people together through games.
Tips for Breaking In
- Embrace Being the Outsider: Don’t seek out places with lots of other expats. The whole point is to break out of that bubble;
- Start Simple: Games like Ticket to Ride (a card game about railways) or Pandemic (where you save the world from a virus) use universal mechanics that work well for mixed-language groups. Simple games about familiar concepts make it easier to scale the language barrier and learn new Indonesian words and expressions;
- Join the Digital Community: Most cafés have WhatsApp groups or social media presence. Being active in these spaces can help you stay connected with the community. Active WhatsApp groups can also act as daily workouts in practising (very informal) Indonesian!
- Try Local Games: Many cafés stock Indonesian-designed games that offer playful insights into local culture. Ask to try one!
- Be Patient: Building connections takes time, but shared interests in games can accelerate the process.
Why It Works
Board game cafés succeed as cultural bridges precisely because they’re not trying to be. Unlike formal language exchanges or cultural programmes, they create organic opportunities for connection through shared interests. When you’re focused on colonising Mars or winning world conquest or solving a murder together, cultural differences become less important.
For expats seeking authentic connections in Indonesia, board game cafés offer a unique opportunity to step outside the typical expat bubble. I carry my membership card proudly and I hope these cafés see an uptick in foreign visitors as a direct response to this article. However, their true value lies in being places where games, not nationality, age, or job title, determine who sits at your table.
Cafés mentioned in this article are on Instagram:
- Papan Hobbies Cafe & Co-Hub, Lebak Bulus and BSD (@papanhobbies)
- TableToys Board Games Library & Cafe, Surabaya (@tabletoys)
- TableTop Board Game Cafe, Medan (@tabletopbgcafe)
- Downtime Board Game Cafe, Bali (@downtimebali)
- Morse Board Game & Cafe, Yogyakarta (@morseboardgame)
- Dots Board Game Cafe, Jakarta (@dotsnation)
- DICE Board Game Cafe, Jakarta (@diceboardgame.id)
- The Bunker Board Game Cafe & Store, Tangerang (@thebunkercafe)