Game On at The Den

By Tia Porter

For students who like coffee and board games, The Den is the perfect place to enjoy both. Purchase’s first board game cafe held a successful soft opening on April 6 in Campus Center South, right behind the Market.

Everett Currier (front right) and his friends playing Pokémon. (Photo by Tia Porter)

“The main goal is to give the students a place that’s for them,” said Everett Currier, an MA in arts management who is working on making The Den a consistent spot for students to gather. “An unconditional hangout space. You don’t need any money or resources to go in and have a place where you can work, relax, or play.”

Every year, Purchase hosts its own “Shark Tank” event where economics students are given the opportunity to pitch business ideas to entrepreneurs and investors for the chance to win a large grant. The last shark tank competition was hosted on Dec. 4, 2024.

Currier and Kirry Kaufer, a creative writing alumni, won the Audience Favorite Prize, which was $1,000, with their pitch to create a new community space called “The Den.”

“I got the idea from a discussion I was having with my partner,” Currier said. “We realized that this school’s largest issue is a fractured community and that to fix that, we need third spaces that promote connection. Our generation is becoming increasingly isolated due to a culture that promotes individual supremacy.”

“A pandemic, laws that limit socialization options, and social media addiction make people never want to leave their rooms,” Currier added. “The combination of cafe food and the fun board games provided made the idea easy to sell.”

Students playing Hues and Cues. (Photo by Tia Porter)

Currier went through many meetings and spoke with different people in Purchase Marketing before the soft opening of The Den could happen. While he was able to secure the space for a few hours, Currier explained that consistent support from the community would be needed to allow The Den to return.

“Support and investment from Purchase College,” Currier said. “Whether it be a student organization or a department on campus.”

The Den was open Friday evening and quickly attracted attention as students walked in to grab coffee or relax while engaging with the community. Currier and their friends built a cozy environment for groups to split up and play card games, board games or simply talk. More than 30 students went in and out of The Den throughout the evening. Many stayed long enough to play a few games, while others spectated and enjoyed the snacks Currier brought in.

Table set up with board games and snacks. (Photo by Tia Porter)

"I love it!” said Rowan Smaldone, a freshman majoring in theater and performance. “It was very fun playing with friends or just watching people play."

Currier hopes that in the future, once The Den becomes a more permanent spot, they will be able to focus more on the “cafe” aspect of the “board game cafe” by bringing in more baked goods and coffee.

“It felt like a really welcoming space where you don’t need prior knowledge to participate,” said Maya Oquendo, a freshman theater and performance major. “In the future, it would be nice to have a few common games like the Game of Life or regular playing cards.”

There were many popular games, including Hues and Cues and Codenames, but also Pokémon and Exploding Kittens. Oquendo stayed long enough to play four different board games and meet other students.

“I do think community spaces are important because they give the chance for more variety of events,” Oquendo said. “It offers a change of pace to the usual repetitive schedules.”

Codenames card game set up. (Photo by Tia Porter)

By the end of the evening, Currier had secured a list of signatures from students who hoped to see The Den return. In only five hours, they had succeeded in proving that there are plenty of students who agree that having another stress-free space benefits the community.

“Purchase is in a rebuild phase,” Currier said, “and right now, more than ever, people need to be connected.”