Let the (board) games begin

This spring will see the opening of Hexagon Alley, a cafe where patrons can play a wide assortment of tabletop games.

BY TATEN JANES

Lifelong friends Kyle Rieman and Nathen Reynolds have played tabletop games together since high school. They, along with Rieman’s fiancée, Colleen Spurlock, hosted weekly game nights for many years. Eventually, the trio wondered: What if there were a space for anybody in Columbia to play board games together — and perhaps enjoy a cup of coffee while they’re at it?

Cue Hexagon Alley, Columbia’s first board game cafe founded by Rieman, Reynolds and Spurlock. It will boast roughly 300 games for patrons to choose from, such as Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Settlers of Catan and CULTivate, as well as old-school classics like chess and Monopoly. When it opens this spring, Hexagon Alley will be a place for Columbians to gather to play games, enjoy shareable snack boards and order beverages such as coffee, beer, soda and cocktails.

For a $5 fee on any given day, patrons can play games at the cafe for as long as they want. The venue itself consists of multiple gaming tables, as well as two bar counters — one for ordering drinks and another for purchasing games and Hexagon Alley merch.

“I’m real excited to grow a sense of community,” Rieman says. “That’s really part of my passion in doing this: providing a space for people to leave the troubles of the world at the door and come together.”

The lore of Hexagon Alley

The origins of this weekly gaming group are rooted in a shared affinity for games as an escape. “It’s always been a core part of our social circle,” Reynolds says.

“But Kyle was the driving force behind getting people together to play — it’s something core to his social experience.”

During their time at Missouri State University, game nights became a part of Reynolds and Rieman’s weekly routine. The two would pool their money to buy new board games to play.

“I’ve always liked playing games, and I didn’t have a group to do it with for a long time,” says Cailie Carlilie, a friend of the group and regular game night participant. “Now different people

Hexagon Alley co-owner Colleen Spurlock (left photo, center) shows gamers how CULTivate at a pop-up game night at Serendipity Salon and Spa. Spurlock, Nathen Reynolds (top center) and Kyle Rieman are opening a board game cafe called Hexagon Alley. It will give enthusiasts like Shawn Beatty (bottom center), an avid player of the card game Brink, the chance to find others to play with. drop in, so we have a core group, and then there will be new people coming in at random. It’s really nice to meet people like that.”

After college, Rieman moved to Columbia and Reynolds remained in Springfield, but they both continued to host their own weekly game nights with friends.

For years, they entertained the idea of a board game business. “We had the time and opportunity over the course of this last year to put hands to it and see if we could make something out of it,” Reynolds says. In 2022, he decided to move to Columbia and bring his dream to life with Rieman and Spurlock.

The trio’s main goal is to create a safe space at Hexagon Alley. “I really like seeing that games, no matter what people’s philosophies are, tend to bring people around together at the same table,” Reynolds says. “It’s the same as (what) a good meal can do: it provides that sense of community, belonging and growth.”

Community collaborations

In addition to opening the cafe, Hexagon Alley also partners with groups and businesses in Columbia to host and run pop-up game nights.

LGBTQ+ advocacy organization

STAY IN THE LOOP (OR HEXAGON)

Hexagon Alley is located at 111 S. Ninth St. Find more information on its Facebook page or on Instagram @hexagon_alley.

The Center Project has regular game nights with Hexagon Alley. “The fact that they’ve helped with not only the supplies needed for these events but also the manpower to run the events allows us to continue to grow in programming without depleting our resources,” Camaron Nielson, The Center Project’s social media manager, wrote to Vox in a text.

Hexagon Alley will open it doors with enough games to bring players of all kinds to the table. “I think Columbia may be wanting and needing for just a community space for people to hang out and have fun, no matter what age, demographic, walk of life,” Spurlock says. “Just something for everyone.”