Adventures in Edmonton: Denizen Hall and a Pocket Full of Quarters

Insert coin. Select your fighter. One player or two (or three or four)? It takes more than one turtle to defeat Shredder. Alas, on my first night visiting Denizen Hall, I did not save April O’Neil, but I gave it my full 25-cent effort. I have no regrets.

For me, much like Vanilla Coke (in Canada) and soft serve made with real cream, arcades are a forgotten relic. Sure, we had Playdium for a while, but it was too big, too expensive, and too much Dance Dance Revolution. Growing up, I loved local arcades even more than Blockbuster Video--I never really got over the death of Popcorn Palace in Sherwood Park Mall.

I attended Denizen Hall on opening night a few months back. Much like many clubs in the city, my opinion is that the volume was cranked to 11. Perhaps my age is showing, but I feel there’s something wrong when you have to shatter someone’s ear drum just to tell them you’re going to find a seat. That being said, I suspect the party crowd loved the volume, and the DJ and band were both to my liking.

I did not try the food but the menu looks well thought out. So I won’t comment on it. The beer selection did not make my crafty-sense tingle, but they had Yellowhead Lager at a respectable price. I did not try the cocktails either, but this is not why I’m writing. I’m writing because…the arcade.

If I had a quarter for all the tokens I sank into the likes X-Men the Arcade Game, Street Fighter, The Simpsons and Golden Axe over the years, I’d have a popcorn bowl full of quarters. I strategically made every birthday a Bullwinkle’s birthday (boo Chucky Cheese) on account of it had the better arcade. To this day, I can pad my resume with achievements such as defeating the likes of Magneto, M. Bison and even Mr. Burns in boss battles.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, Denizen Hall sports an arcade. Not a movie theatre lobby one, but a real one—the kind that makes you feel like you stepped on 1989.

For this, my hat goes off to you, Denizen Hall, because you endeavor to bring back Gottlieb, Bally and Williams, and you will likely consume many of my quarters. Continue? 10, 9, 8, 7….     

Adventures in Edmonton: The Hexagon Board Game Cafe

It was a warm night considering the time of year. I’d met my friend, and two others I didn’t know so well, at Dadeo for a tasty Po’ boy and yam fries. But a hearty supper was just the preview to an even better evening.

We left just as things were getting uncomfortably busy and pointed our compass east. My friend mentioned a new place called the Hexagon Board Game Café and we figured it was worth a shot. After a few u-turns, we found the place which is situated in the less trendy East-area of Whyte. My first thought was that it didn’t really belong on this particular block, and my next thought was “why not (where should a board game café be situated anyway)?”

Upon entering, I immediately noticed the ‘hip’ esthetic. Hexagon’s large vinyl logo acts as a center piece using the same minimalist lines and slim font that I’ve seen in fair-trade coffee shops, restaurant upstarts and craft breweries as of late. The interior has modern light fixtures, a wood floor and tables (naturally), and it’s open concept (of course). Immediately I know I will like this place. Immediately I think that the board game crowd won’t. For one thing, there aren’t that many 50s haircuts in the room. But the popularity of the place, and inclusive vibe, proves my concern is unwarranted.

We ask “how does it work?” and are told we can pick any game from the shelf and find a seat. The cost is $2.50 per hour, per person. That seems reasonable considering many of these games are quite expensive to buy outright, and we can take our pick from hundreds of them. It also seems reasonable compared to the cost of a movie ticket.

We stare at the selection and don’t really say anything. I don’t know what to pick, so I look at my friend. He doesn’t know what to pick so he looks at the other two. They aren’t even looking at the games. Luckily, someone who I suspect is an owner, asks us what type of game we are interested in. “Something easy to learn” I say. “No problem,” he replies, and proceeds to pick out what would be the perfect game for our limited time and attention spans.

After some humming and hawing about location, we finally pick a table. The owner then sits with us, explains the game tactfully, and proceeds to play the first round with us. We learned it quickly, we became competitive, we had fun.

As an added bonus, we had the option of ordering beverages and snacks to pair with our appetites for competition. These were certainly well thought out options—Bloom cookies and locally roasted espresso for example. Being a coffee snob, I wouldn’t say it’s the best coffee in the city, but it’s infinitely better than what I would expect from a board game café. And more than anything, I appreciate the thought and care toward the quality of food and drink Hexagon chooses to serve.

Anyway, we left happy. If you plan on venturing out to Hexagon, a warning that you may want to look into a reservation depending on the evening. It’s popular for a reason.