Self-isolation has many going stir crazy in Vernon. You can only binge watch Netflix for so long before your eyes grow tired and you feel ancy. One local business has got the cure for boredom.
Board games.
The Boarding House Café on 31st Avenue has more than 100 games available to keep Vernonites of all ages entertained through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, they offer delivery.
Boarding House owner Marilyn Courtenay opened the doors to her gaming café Dec. 23, 2019, and selling games has always been a part of her business, but since the pandemic, Courteany noticed more customers.
“At the beginning of all of this, people stocked up on games to increase family supplies,” Courtenay said. “They want something to do while they’re at home and there aren’t that many retailers that are still open that are selling them.”
Courtenay’s tip for shopping games for kids is to pick one that will be easy to understand by the little ones while the older kids will still enjoy it.
“If it’s something too advanced, the younger ones lose interest,” she said, noting if it’s too easy, the same situation unfolds for older children.
Her recommendation: the Magic Labyrinth.
Good for children ages six and up, this maze-type game follows magician apprentices navigating their way through a maze while having to avoid invisible walls. Each magician apprentice is joined to a magnetic ball; you hit the wall, the ball drops and you have to start over again.
Meanwhile, Courtenay said there’s lots of games she’d recommend for adults including Ticket to Ride. Other options for two players for smaller adult households include Getaway Driver and Raptor.
Courtenay said orders can be placed over the phone, or in store. She is also offering curbside delivery, home delivery and in store pickups.
The Boarding House Café is open 9-5 p.m. every day, except holidays.
Courtenay said she hasn’t noticed any issue with social distancing within her store since the province announced the need for physical distancing.
“I have a big place here,” she said.
Besides board games, shoppers have also been coming in to pickup Courteany’s baked goods.
For more information, visit the Boarding House Café’s Facebook page, website: boardinghousecafe.ca, or call 250-545-0117.
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