Calgary Hidden Gems: The Hexagon in Kensington

By Rodrigo Verney, June 29 2023—

Calgary is a beautiful city filled with potential and new places to discover. However, just like any other piece of gold, it has to be thoroughly mined to find the big nuggets. Luckily for us, Calgary was built under prospection as a fine piece of land wanting to be discovered. That is why we present this new column dedicated to finding the best places in town and sharing them with the whole student community. Enticing the newcomers and blowing the minds of those who thought that they had the city on their palms. In this edition, I will talk about one of my favourite little places in one of the most beautiful areas of the city: The Hexagon Game café at Kensington. 

Whoever had the idea that they needed a place in which they can sip their coffee and play some board games would have been amazed at how much The Hexagon expanded on the concept. The cozy board game café can be found at 1140 Kensington Rd NW, right on top of the Mexican food place Blanco — a great place to head into while pausing from one game to the other. After climbing up the stairs, you will be met with a small shelf of RPG books and novelty board games next to the main counter. This visual alone is sure to break the lock on your inner nerd and live that youthful excitement you can’t get anywhere else. 

If you can get past the incredible selection of RPG dice and books on your way to your table, you will be met with a wall of five game shelves with over a thousand board games for you to look at for hours as you struggle to pick a single one. At four dollars per hour per person, you can do so for quite some time before it starts weighing on your pocket. The cozy atmosphere and the variety of games will guarantee a great experience no matter the group. 

There are some house rules that you will get to know on your first time there. You will open a tab to keep the time you spend there in check. After ordering an item from their lunch menu, you will be able to drool over the game wall as you pick which board game you are going to yell at your friends over. It is a one-game per table rule but don’t worry, there are many versions of the same game most of the time. If not, there are usually the same themes, so you can still invite your friends for some spooky games over hot coffee. 

The people are nice, the games are fun, and the coffee is hot. What’s there more to say? It’s a place that talks to everyone. You can find your good time. That is the beauty of games, from a calm strategical player to your favourite RPG group it is always a new experience every time just a train ride away.