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Riverview Unplugged café open for business

Kristin O'Connor has opened a board game café franchise in the Chocolate River Station called Unplugged. She is hoping people will do just that when visiting her new business in Riverview.

Its intent is to get people to turn off their devices and interact with each other.

"It's kind of a new thing in Canada the last sort of five years or so," said O'Connor. "Just recently the models kind of been refined enough so it could be brought to cities a little smaller in population but can still use something that's a little a bit different from your normal activity evening out."

For a $5 admission fee, people come in and pick whatever game they want to play from the 300 available and sit around a table and play.

"You can play as many games as you want for however long as you want," said O'Connor.

Unplugged also offers some 'game support' from board game gurus.

"They can help you set them up and teach you the rules and help you through maybe the first round," said O'Connor. "They are very helpful and make the place more approachable for people just walking in off the street that aren't that familiar with board games."

O'Connor says they have multiple copies of what may be the most popular games. But she knows there are some of the 300 games that will never get touched like the copy of the "action packed" Biker Mice From Mars game.

"I mean we've gone out of our way to get a really, really varied selection with having no idea what the communities going to want."

O'Connor's says they will keep track of what people are playing and not playing and retire those not being used.

"Maybe we'll bring them back everyone once in awhile, maybe we'll do tournaments and events playing these really awkward, unheard of games."​