In a move that signals the growing popularity of analog gaming in our digital age, London’s beloved board game café DRAUGHTS has announced plans for its third and most ambitious venue yet. Set to open in Spring 2025 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the new location will join East Bank’s emerging cultural powerhouse alongside institutions like the BBC and V&A East.
The announcement comes as DRAUGHTS celebrates its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of transforming London’s social gaming landscape. From its humble beginnings in 2014, the brand has grown from a novel concept to a cultural phenomenon, proving that traditional board games can thrive in the age of smartphones and virtual reality.
“What we’re creating at Olympic Park is more than just another venue,” says DRAUGHTS founder Nick Curci. “It’s a testament to how social gaming has evolved from a niche interest to a mainstream entertainment option.” The new space certainly reflects this ambition, featuring a stunning 4,110-square-foot layout spread across two floors, with a covered terrace offering panoramic views of the London Stadium and Waterworks River.
The location is particularly significant, being the first retail tenant announced for Stratford Waterfront. Mark Camley, Director of Stratford Waterfront Retail Management Company, sees DRAUGHTS as a perfect fit for the area’s vision: “Their unique concept complements our mission to create a vibrant, diverse cultural destination.”
What sets this new venue apart is its scale and setting. With indoor seating for over 150 guests and additional terrace space for 40+, it’s designed to accommodate everything from casual gaming sessions to large-scale events. Like its sister locations, the Olympic Park venue will house over 1,000 board games, ranging from classic favorites to modern strategy games.
The expansion reflects a broader trend in entertainment, where people increasingly seek out social experiences that combine traditional pastimes with modern hospitality. DRAUGHTS has been at the forefront of this “competitive socializing” movement, creating spaces where entertainment and community naturally intersect.
For East Bank, which is rapidly emerging as London’s newest cultural district with tenants including the London College of Fashion and Sadler’s Wells, DRAUGHTS represents a different kind of cultural attraction. It’s one that actively encourages interaction, conversation, and playful competition – elements that have become increasingly valuable in our post-pandemic world.
As London continues to evolve, this expansion suggests that the future of entertainment might not be found in more screens or virtual experiences, but in returning to the simple pleasure of gathering around a table with friends, rolling dice, and moving pieces across a board. DRAUGHTS’ new Olympic Park venue promises to be not just a place to play games, but a destination where memories are made and communities are built, one roll of the dice at a time.
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