The Treehouse Board Game Café
BEST FOR
Ages 0-18
ENTRY
from £3
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Sheffield
What it’s like
A café stacked with over 800 board games to work through, charged by the hour rather than by the table.
The point of this place is the wall of games, over 800 of them, and a member of staff who'll dig out something suitable if your lot are stuck between Ticket to Ride and Uno. It's not a soft play and it's not trying to be, so don't expect a frame to climb or a ball pit. What you get instead is a table, a game, and a couple of hours where nobody's shouting about screen time. There's a toy box for the really small ones who aren't ready for rules yet, and games are pitched from age 2.5 up, so a toddler tagging along with older siblings isn't wasted time.
The cover charge is where you need to do your sums. It's £3 a head per hour, dropping to £1.50 for kids aged 5 to 15, and under-5s play free. Before 6pm on weekdays you can just turn up and eat without paying it at all, but after 6pm and any time at the weekend, everyone pays whether they're playing or watching. For a family of four settling in for a typical two to four hour visit, that adds up faster than you'd think, especially on a Saturday afternoon when the weekend rate kicks in from the moment you walk through the door.
Food-wise it's proper café fare, sourdough and bagels and toasties, plus cakes and coffee, and you're not allowed to bring your own except for a birthday cake, which they'll happily stash behind the bar and bring out with candles. One rule that's a genuine faff for anyone with older teens out on their own: under-18s have to leave by 9pm because of the alcohol licence, and under-12s need an adult with them the whole time. Over-12s can wander in unsupervised, but only until 7pm.
It's step-free throughout apart from the downstairs loos, with an accessible toilet on the ground floor and table risers if you need them for a wheelchair, though the front doors aren't power-assisted so you might need a hand getting in. Parking's on-street pay and display nearby, capped at two hours but free after 6:30pm and all day Sunday, or there's a car park at New Era Square if you'd rather not clock-watch.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 5 to 15, though under-5s play free and toddlers get a toy box
- Booking
- Strongly recommended as very busy especially weekends, but walk-ups welcome if tables available
- Parking
- On-street pay & display (max 2 hours, free after 6:30pm and all day Sundays) or nearby public car park at New Era Square with charges
- How long to allow
- Most visits last between two and four hours
- Food
- Cafe-style menu with salads, soups, sourdough, bagels, toasties, cakes
- Wheelchairs
- Whole venue step-free except downstairs toilets
- Dogs
- Policy not stated
- Getting there by bus or train
- Roughly 15 minute walk from Sheffield station, or 5 minute walk from bus stops at the bottom of the Moor
- Parties
- Cakes welcome for birthday celebrations
- Worth knowing
- Children under 5 play free. Half-price cover for children aged 5-15
- Weekday afternoons before 6pm are the cheap window, since the cover charge only kicks in fully after that or at weekends
- Students get half-price cover before 6pm weekdays and all day Wednesday, and over-60s play free before 6pm with a food or drink purchase
- Members play free before 6pm on weekdays and half-price the rest of the time
- It's closed all day Monday, except bank holiday weeks when it swaps to open Monday and closed Tuesday instead
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£3 per person per hour for games, £1.50 for kids aged 5 to 15, and under-5s play free. Before 6pm on weekdays you can just come in to eat without paying the cover charge at all.
Do we need to book?
Booking's strongly recommended, especially at weekends when it gets busy. Walk-ups are fine if there's a table free.
Is it suitable for toddlers?
There's a toy box for really small ones and the games start from age 2.5. Under-12s need to be with an adult the whole visit.
How long do people usually stay?
Most visits run two to four hours, and you can book a table for up to six.
Can older kids come without a parent?
Over-12s can visit unsupervised up until 7pm. Under-18s have to leave by 9pm because of the alcohol licence.
What's the food like?
A café menu of sourdough, bagels, toasties, soups and cakes, alongside coffee and soft drinks. You can't bring your own food, except a birthday cake, which staff will look after and bring out with candles.
Can we bring our own games?
Yes, and if you're there before 6pm on a weekday playing only your own games, you skip the cover charge. After 6pm or at weekends, the cover charge applies regardless of whose games you're using.
Is there parking nearby?
On-street pay and display close by, capped at two hours but free after 6:30pm and all day Sunday. There's also a car park at New Era Square if you need longer.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
The venue is step-free apart from the downstairs toilets, and there's an accessible toilet on the ground floor plus risers for tables. The front doors aren't power-assisted, but staff will help if needed.
Can we get a quieter table?
There's a room with no background music and more sound dampening, and staff try to keep large groups out of it. Mention it when you book and they'll do their best, though it isn't always possible when busy.
What about birthday parties?
You're welcome to bring a cake for a celebration and staff will keep it behind the bar and bring it out with candles at the right moment.
How do we get there without a car?
It's about a 15 minute walk from Sheffield station, or 5 minutes from the bus stops at the bottom of the Moor.
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