By John Lynds
For the past few years ‘Trivia Nights’ at local bars have been all the rage. The game nights bring locals into their neighborhood watering hole for games, food, prizes and a bunch of laughs.
There’s one Mission Hill bar that opened last week that takes the weekly game night theme to a whole new level.
Tavern of Tales, located at 1478 Tremont St., Boston, between the Roxbury Crossing and Brigham Circle T stops, is an interactive board game experience.
The bar opened Friday, Dec. 6 and aside from pub fare and libations Tavern of Tales offers six different immersive, sound-enhanced game-play adventures for patrons.
According to Tavern of Tales’s website each game experience has been carefully selected and designed to be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike, offering a unique story line for players every time they sit down. Private game rooms seat up to five players with game masters on hand to explain the rules, establish the lore, and embody the characters. Plus they’ll handle set up and clean up, so that patrons and players can focus on their adventure beyond the board.
Currently there are six different games, Eight Minute Empire; Forbidden Island; Mysterium; Robots on the Line; The Resistance; and Tokaido.
For example Eight Minute Empire at Tavern of Tales is a war game where players take the mantle of a variety of countries including Japan, England, France, China, Britain, and Germany. As you take control of your country, you can hear live commands happening in your country’s native language as you enact each action!
“You’ve risen to power as the head of your faction, but unfortunately, your enemies have also become the leaders of their respective factions,” reads the description of the game. “This shall not stand! As ruler, you’ll need to manage the troops; conquer and improve your territory; and gather resources to make your empire rich. Build an empire strong enough to crush your foes once and for all.”
Tavern of Tales CEO Nicholas Chen said after gameplay, guests can meet in the Tavern café to swap tales of victory and defeat over drinks and appetizers and record their progress in Quest Logs, which unlock discounts and rewards through different gameplay achievements.
“We wanted to bring gameplay to life, starting from scratch to create intricate, vibrant sound experiences that allow players to immerse themselves in a completely new way,” said CEO Nicholas Chen. “That spirit is embodied in everything from the staff we hired and the game experiences we designed to the very space you can experience them in.”
Chen added that the first six games are only the beginning, with plans to expand the carefully curated library to more widely-known games accompanied by trained staff, offer holiday versions of gameplay, and even introduce original games of their own.
Tavern of Tales also offers a menu of bar snacks like pretzels, flatbread pizzas, funky twists on tater tots, specialty cocktails, beer and wine.
Tavern of Tales is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays. The bar is closed on Monday.