The Arcanist's Tavern: Board Game Café

The Arcanist's Tavern: Board Game Café The Arcanist's Tavern is an immersive tabletop gaming café located on Hackney Road, where enthusiasts can roll dice and explore captivating mysteries in a fantasy-themed environment. The venue features custom tables designed specifically for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and wargaming, alongside an extensive board game library. It serves as a popular gathering spot for both casual gamers and those looking to engage in more structured events.

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!! New Event !!TEETH: Blood CotillionTickets live now!!The pleasure of your company is requested in attendance of The Ex...
26/06/2026

!! New Event !!

TEETH: Blood Cotillion

Tickets live now!!

The pleasure of your company is requested in attendance of The Exhibition Ball to be given at Buckleridge Manor, Terwent Bath, Deluth Vale on Friday Evening, 17th of July, 1775.

Arriving thereupon you are expected to:

Appear Comely

Observe Proper Decorum

Beguile the Young Noblemen with Wit and Talent

Secure the Prospect of a Husband

Strike when their Defences are Lowered

Extract their Secrets by Any Means

Destroy The Blood Shrine

SESSION INFO

Teeth: Blood Cotillion is a dark horror one shot utilising the "Forged In The Dark" system. It is beginner friendly.

Tickets as always available through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

AETURNUM II: QUEST BOARD TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROWThe hunt begins. Looking to continue your journey after completing our ...
25/06/2026

AETURNUM II: QUEST BOARD TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW

The hunt begins.

Looking to continue your journey after completing our new Prologue? Tickets for Quest Board Chapter 0 will be going on sale tomorrow, with Chapter I soon to follow...

INITATION: CHAPTER ZERO

INITIATION marks the beginning of Aeturnum II's year-long NOCTURNE Narrative Arc. The world of Theora is cast beneath the Worldwound's fell glow, the result of a vampiric ritual that is slowly draining the world of life. As a Hunter of the Wayfarer's Guild, you have been tasked with making a perilous expedition to the continent of Tisis - where the Curseblood Monarch and her court awaits. Only by slaying her, can you be free of the infection that is consuming you from within.

Initiation is a repeatable adventure that will be run once monthly, allowing you to dive deeper into Aeturnum II's new mechanics and hone your skills as a Hunter.

Tickets and more info will be available at arcaniststavern.uk/events

!! NEW EVENT !!DREAD: the MountainIn a refuge high up in the Swiss Alps, late into the climbing season, a group of trave...
25/06/2026

!! NEW EVENT !!

DREAD: the Mountain

In a refuge high up in the Swiss Alps, late into the climbing season, a group of travellers comes together with a shared goal in common. At the first crack of dawn, you will rise to the challenge of the peak and face its dangers to reach the top.

But the mountain is old, and it doesn’t look kindly on those who tread on it without care…

Blizzards and avalanches are not the greatest dangers on this climb.

Dread is a psychological horror game in which players pull from a Jenga tower to determine who succeeds… and who dies. You will role play as your chosen character to face the dangers of the game and try to make it alive to the other side.

Tickets available as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

!! New Ticket Drop Tomorrow at 6pm !! Mothership: the Wages of Sin IIIYou are part of a rag-tag group of bounty hunters,...
25/06/2026

!! New Ticket Drop Tomorrow at 6pm !!

Mothership: the Wages of Sin III

You are part of a rag-tag group of bounty hunters, based out of the notorious criminal haven of Prospero’s Dream. Desperate parents approach you for help finding their teenage children. Mysteriously, the parents are all employees of Rosalind Biologics, and their children disappeared whilst enrolled in a gifted and talented programme the company runs…

This is a pair of linked games of Mothership; a retro-futuristic sci-fi horror game (think Alien and Aliens) taking place on the 16th and 30th of July . No prior knowledge of the game is required to play and it’s quick to pick up; d100 roll-under, with a small number of stats and skills. The main thing required is a willingness to throw yourself into an 80s horror movie!

PLEASE NOTE: Your ticket will get you access to both sessions, as these are meant to be experienced together.

These two games will follow an integrated storyline.

Tickets as always through the link in our bio or on Design My Night 🖤

More Dates added for Blood on the Clocktower 🖤In July, we will once again have three Blood on the Clocktower sessions fo...
24/06/2026

More Dates added for Blood on the Clocktower 🖤

In July, we will once again have three Blood on the Clocktower sessions for you to play!

What is Blood on the Clocktower?

Blood on the Clocktower is a social deduction game filled with mystery, intrigue, and strategy. Set in a small town plagued by sinister forces, players take on roles as villagers, outsiders, minions, or the demon itself. The goal is simple: uncover the truth before it's too late - or, if you're on the side of evil, sow chaos and confusion to evade detection.

If you are new to the Game, there is our Beginners Session on the 24/07/2026.

For those who have already played before, we are running Sects & Violets on the 03/07/2026 and Bad moon Rising on the 31/07/2026

Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

One last time...🖤Join us for the last instalment in our long running Candlekeep Series: "Candlekeep Chronicles, the Epil...
23/06/2026

One last time...🖤

Join us for the last instalment in our long running Candlekeep Series:

"Candlekeep Chronicles, the Epilogue"

Ten years have passed since the conclusion of Candlekeep Mysteries.

The perilous books and extraordinary events forged Candlekeep’s brightest research assistants into legends of their own making, either rising within the ranks of Candlekeep or striking out on their own path across Faerun.

Now Candlekeep calls upon them once more...

Join us for a multi-part adventure, as you uncover lost tales from the forgotten depths of Candlekeep. Your work as a research assistant to the citadel's scholars will see you traversing distant planes in search of long buried secrets. Candlekeep Chronicles is a reimagining of the classic adventures from Candlekeep Mysteries.

Please note, this is a multi-part event running on the following dates:

Tuesday 07/07 - 6:30PM
Tuesday 14/07 - 6:30PM

Your ticket will get you access to all sessions for the month.

We would also like to say a very very big thank you to our incredible GM Ruby, who has been running this series for 17 Months in a row now. You are incredible, and we cant wait to see what you come up with next. But first, get some rest💕

Tickets as always available through the link in our bio or on Design My Night 🖤

More Tickets released for TEN CANDLES: A TRAGIC HORRROR TTRPG 💀Ten days ago, the world went dark. It crept in quietly wh...
23/06/2026

More Tickets released for TEN CANDLES: A TRAGIC HORRROR TTRPG 💀

Ten days ago, the world went dark.

It crept in quietly while you slept, blissfully unaware that anything was even wrong. Until you woke up, and the sun hadn’t risen, and never would again.
Now there’s…nothing. No stars. No moon. Even the satellites went down.
Just an endless dark.

Then They came.

10 Candles is a Tragic Horror TTRPG, where everyone dies at the end of the game.
You and your fellow players will role play as your characters, and together you will tell the story of how you gave everything to try and survive.

Tickets available as always through our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

AETURNUM II: PROLOGUE TICKETS NOW ON SALEPrologue tickets for our new drop-in D&D5E campaign are now live! ‘The Herald i...
08/06/2026

AETURNUM II: PROLOGUE TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Prologue tickets for our new drop-in D&D5E campaign are now live!

‘The Herald is coming. Fear the night.’

Discover a living world of intrigue, deceit and accursed undeath. This Prologue introduces your character to the Red Isles, and the vampiric apocalypse ravaging it. As the Worldwound above begins to drain the world of all light, trapping those that succumb to it's influence in accursed stone.

As part of this event you will receive your Hunter's Journal - allowing you to track experience, upgrade your equipment and level up across sessions.

Please note that playing this Prologue is required before joining any other Aeturnum games! You do not need to have played our original campaign to join this one, as the story is entirely new and self-contained.

Aeturnum II is an original D&D5E dark fantasy campaign. As a member of the Wayfarer’s guild, you will be tasked with uniting the scattered remnants of the Isles - forging fragile alliances and confronting the curseblood plague that threatens to consume you from the inside…

To learn more and begin your journey, you can visit our events page: arcaniststavern.uk/events

!! NEW OBOJIMA EVENT !!Shifting Sands - a Obojima short seriesTickets Live, 07/06/2026, 6pmThose who are repeat visitors...
05/06/2026

!! NEW OBOJIMA EVENT !!

Shifting Sands - a Obojima short series

Tickets Live, 07/06/2026, 6pm

Those who are repeat visitors to the village of Tidewater never see the same village more than once. Change is such a constant here that it has earned the colloquial name of “Village of Sand". On this day, change is at the heart of Tidewater, as acolytes declare in ominous tones that the Pearl of Rongol has gone missing. As villagers now turn to you to reclaim the Pearl, the only clue to its whereabouts is the large puddle in the inner sanctum, where the Pearl had been previously kept.

Shifting Sands is an Dungeons and Dragons 3 part series taking place on the 7th, 14th and 21st of July using the Obojima supplement book.
Your ticket will be the same for all three games as these are meant to be played as a series.

Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

!! New Event Announcement !!THE SPIRE: No-one owns the sky! A Thirsty Sword Le***an TTRPG OneshotTickets Live, 14/06/202...
04/06/2026

!! New Event Announcement !!

THE SPIRE: No-one owns the sky!
A Thirsty Sword Le***an TTRPG Oneshot

Tickets Live, 14/06/2026, 6pm

The rain shouldn’t be this loud.

It drums against steel walkways and shattered glass. It pours through broken vents, pools
around flickering neon signs that hiss and spark like they’re drowning. The City smells
different now: metal, ozone, wet soil from illegal gardens blooming too fast.
Seven days of rain.
Seven days since the Spire lost control. They privatised the sky and called it order. We cut
it open and let it fall.”

This is a high-emotion, cinematic session utilising the Thirsty Sword Le***ans system about loyalty, rebellion, found family, and choosing who you want to be when the system is hell bent on crushing you. Expect fastmoving scenes, dramatic choices, rain-soaked flirtation, intense bonds, and the first sparks of a future that could change everything.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a two part Event taking place on the 11th and 25th of July.

Your ticket will get you access to both sessions, as these are meant to be experienced together.

Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

We are once again looking for professional Dungeon Masters to help bring the Arcanist's Tavern to life! If you enjoy rol...
29/05/2026

We are once again looking for professional Dungeon Masters to help bring the Arcanist's Tavern to life! If you enjoy rolling dice and hallucinating, we may just want to hear from you!!

Disclaimer: the last time we looked for GM's, we got hundreds of applications within days, so please be kind to us, it might take us a bit to get back to you, but everyone will get a reply. We are also looking for people who have some experience of running in a professional environment, so please keep that in mind when applying 🖤

For more information and to apply visit: https://arcaniststavern.uk/gm-application

"★★★★ A delightful fusion of art, comedy, and gaming!"-Broadway WorldOFF WITH YOUR HEAD: THE MONTHLY INTERACTIVE COMEDY ...
28/05/2026

"★★★★ A delightful fusion of art, comedy, and gaming!"
-Broadway World

OFF WITH YOUR HEAD: THE MONTHLY INTERACTIVE COMEDY GAME SHOW!

New Date: 8th of June, 08:00 pm

Tickets Live Now!!

Can you save the kingdom from the curse? Find out in this interactive comedy game show, where two guest performers try to rule a 12th Century Kingdom, and YOU decide who lives and dies!

A unique experience at every show – how will you fare, my liege? From veteran performer Sam See (★★★★ (Fest)) and video game designer Stephen Case from RGB Monster (Trust No Bunny, Not My Audience).

THIS MONTH'S RULERS:
Alex Franklin (BBC New Comedy Award Runner Up, BBC Radio 4)

Posey Mehta (Soho Theatre’s resident live comedy D&D actual play, ‘Hot Singles In Your Area Play D&D, Bedford Theatre’s online D&D actual play, ‘Trisha’s Hideous Qu**rs)

MORE MOTHERSHIP ? ABSOLUTELY! Wages of Sin II 11/06 & 25/06 Tickets go live Tuesday at 6pm!You are a newly assembled squ...
24/05/2026

MORE MOTHERSHIP ? ABSOLUTELY!

Wages of Sin II

11/06 & 25/06

Tickets go live Tuesday at 6pm!

You are a newly assembled squad of the Tempest Mercenary Company, based out of the notorious criminal space station of Prospero’s Dream.

After an initial big score, you’re continuing to climb the ladder the only way you can - by putting yourself in extreme danger for meagre wages. Your latest job: hunt down one of the “stars” the illegal s***f series “Kill ‘Em All” and bring them to (a form of) justice…

This is a pair of linked games of Mothership; a retro-futuristic sci-fi horror game (think Alien and Aliens) taking place on the 11th and 25st of June .
No prior knowledge of the game is required to play and it’s quick to pick up; d100 roll-under, with a small number of stats and skills. The main thing required is a willingness to throw yourself into an 80s horror movie!

Tickets as always in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤

AETURNUM II: GENESIS - 31/05 - TICKETS NOW LIVE Our second drop-in 5E campaign of accursed death is about to begin. GENE...
21/05/2026

AETURNUM II: GENESIS - 31/05 - TICKETS NOW LIVE

Our second drop-in 5E campaign of accursed death is about to begin. GENESIS is a full-day immersive prelude event, intended to introduce both new and returning players to the Curseblood Plague devouring the world, setting the stage for the beginning of Campaign II.

Those looking to join Adrestia's champions on their ill-fated expedition, and confront the vampiric queen of Tisis can find more information and tickets at: arcaniststavern.uk/events.

Address

87-91 Hackney Road
London
E2 8FE

To reach your destination on Hackney Road in London, you have a couple of options for public transport and driving.

**Public Transport:**
1. **By Tube:** The nearest underground station is Bethnal Green (Central Line). From there, exit the station and walk east along Cambridge Heath Road until you reach Hackney Road. Turn left, and your destination will be on your right.

2. **By Bus:** Several bus routes serve Hackney Road. You can take buses 26, 48, or 55 to stops along Hackney Road. Check local schedules for the most convenient route based on your starting point.

**Driving/Parking:**
If you're driving, head towards Hackney Road via the A503 or A1209. There are limited parking options available nearby; look for pay-and-display bays or local car parks. Be mindful of any parking restrictions that may apply during certain hours.

Always check for real-time traffic updates and public transport schedules before you set out!

Opening Hours

Monday 2pm - 10pm
Tuesday 2pm - 10pm
Wednesday 2pm - 10pm
Thursday 2pm - 10pm
Friday 2pm - 11pm
Saturday 10am - 11pm
Sunday 10am - 10pm

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The Arcanist's Tavern: Board Game Café on Hackney Road is a haven for tabletop gaming enthusiasts and casual players alike. This immersive café invites you to roll dice and uncover mysteries in a fantastical setting, complete with custom tables designed specifically for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and wargaming.

With an extensive board game library at your fingertips, there's no shortage of options to explore. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to the scene, the welcoming atmosphere encourages everyone to join in on the fun. Regular events like Dice Cult Tuesdays provide opportunities for dice slinging and meeple slaying, making it easy to meet fellow gamers and share in the excitement.

The café also hosts special themed events that celebrate creativity and community, such as cosplay gatherings where you can dress up as your favorite characters while enjoying a variety of board games. These events foster a sense of camaraderie among attendees, making it not just about gaming but also about building friendships.

Whether you're looking for a place to dive into an epic campaign or simply want to enjoy some casual gameplay with friends, The Arcanist's Tavern offers an enchanting experience that keeps you coming back for more.

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