The Lost Dice Board Game Café & Bar | Adelaide | Review

Swap screens for strategy at The Lost Dice, where more than 650 board games, tasty food and a quirky resident ghost make for a fun family outing.  Plus, discover where else to eat and play in Adelaide.

Review by Carla Caruso

In an age of home cinemas and flashing video games, board games might seem, well, a little boring to kids. But they could be just the antidote they need.

When the weather calls for indoor fun, there’s nothing quite like gathering around a board game. Once play begins, it’s amazing how quickly everyone gets caught up in the action – and how fast the hours fly.

Our family of four recently embarked on a marathon Simpsons-themed Monopoly game that stretched over a few days, with one of our young sons emerging as the ultimate property mogul, outdoing us all!

Sometimes, though, it’s fun to take board games beyond the lounge room. And The Lost Dice Board Game Café and Bar on King William Street in the city is the perfect place to do just that.

My book club recently met up there (one of those clubs where you rarely talk about actual books), and I was as intrigued by the café’s concept as I was excited to catch up. I left vowing to return with my kids.

The heritage building also has something I love: a resident ghost. As the website explains:

“William wanders the rooms and stairwells of 111 King William Street, still in his suit, checking in on the goings-on in the building and making sure no-one is causing too much trouble.

“He used to work in the building, long before we were here, back when it held the Australian Mutual Provident Society, and has decided the building is his to take care of.

“He along with a few of his unnamed friends, who supervise the upper floors and the old safes, make sure that everyone at the Dice is behaving and having a good time.”

Now, onto the venue itself. The Lost Dice spans three levels and boasts more than 650 games. Whether you’re into classic board games, Dungeons & Dragons, trivia nights or tournaments, there’s something for every age.

You can drop in or book online, with regular events including dice-making workshops, magic shows, quiz nights and Blood on the Clocktower evenings.

The ground floor is always open for walk-ins, so you can eat, drink and play without interruption.

The menu gets into the spirit with dishes like ‘Jenga Fried Tofu’ and ‘Fried Troll Fingers’ (hot chips). I tucked into an eggplant tagine burger while my friends enjoyed the tofu and soup of the day.

Families can opt for a casual pass while dining, which includes up to five hours of unlimited gameplay, or even bring along their own games. There’s also a selection of board games and other merchandise available to purchase on-site.

Of course, you can also simply dine in. Our group became so engrossed in conversation that we never actually played a game. But I’ll definitely be back with my kids to do just that.

As The Lost Dice puts it on its website, it’s a place to “take a break from the digital world and enjoy some quality time” in its cosy analogue space. Board game geeks, unite!

More places to play

While The Lost Dice is Adelaide’s only dedicated board game café with a full restaurant and bar, you can also play board games for free or purchase one to enjoy in the café at Game Lobby in Mount Barker.

Alternatively, join tabletop gaming events at Table Top Warfare in Gawler, Prospect or the CBD.

For regular community game nights and events across Adelaide, check out the Adelaide Board Game Group on Facebook or via its website.

What we love about The Lost Dice

• A cosy indoor activity for any weather
• A welcome break from screens
• A fun activity for families and groups
• A chance to meet new people and try something new in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere
• Food and drinks can be ordered to your table, so your game isn’t interrupted

Things to consider

• Stairs at the entrance may make access difficult for some visitors.

Location:

111 King William Street, Adelaide

Find The Lost Dice on Instagram and Facebook. 

See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide

For more information and all enquiries, please visit The Lost Dice website.

All photos by Carla Caruso and James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide. 

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (July 2026).

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