Roll the dice, pull up a chair.
800+ tabletop games, wood-panelled booths, and a barista who knows their meeples. Burelaxoni is where Carlton comes to play — open late seven nights a week.
+61 3 9939 1236A games hall with the soul of a corner pub
We opened on Cardigan Place in 2018 with three shelves of games and a very patient coffee machine. Today our library spans 800+ titles, from 15-minute fillers to eight-hour campaign epics.
A curated wall of 800+ games
Every title is colour-coded by weight and player count, so you can grab a five-minute party game or a heavy euro without hunting. Our Game Guides re-teach the rules at your table whenever you're stuck.
Made for lingering
Deep leather booths, reclaimed-oak tables sized for sprawling boards, and warm lamplight that never rushes you. Order a Carlton-roasted flat white or a local pale ale and stay as long as the game runs.
A club, not just a café
Weekly leagues, learn-to-play nights and a designer-in-residence programme mean there's always a reason to come back. Regulars get first dibs on new releases before they hit the wall.
From front door to final turn
Reserve your table
Book online or walk in. Tables are AU$8 per person for the whole session — no clock-watching, no per-hour surprises.
Pick from the wall
Tell a Game Guide your mood, group size and how long you've got. They'll pull three perfect matches off the shelf in under a minute.
Learn in five minutes
Never played? A Guide teaches the rules right at your table and checks back on your first turn so nobody's left guessing.
Play, snack, repeat
Swap games as often as you like. When you're peckish, our kitchen runs sharing boards and toasties until 10pm.
More than a shelf of boxes
800+ games, sorted so you can't get it wrong
Our floor-to-ceiling library is organised by weight, theme and player count, with staff picks refreshed every fortnight. From Azul to Twilight Imperium, if it's worth playing, it's on the wall.
- Colour-coded by complexity and player count
- New-release corner updated every second Thursday
- Free rules re-teach from a Game Guide, any time
Loved by Melbourne's tabletop crowd
“We came in as a couple who'd only ever played Monopoly and left three hours later obsessed with Wingspan. The Guide read us perfectly and never made us feel like beginners.”
Priya S.
Fitzroy, VIC · March 2024
“Booked the big private room for my son's 12th. Twelve kids, four games taught back-to-back, zero meltdowns. The snack boards were the real MVP.”
Daniel R.
Brunswick, VIC · January 2024
“The Monday euro league is the best AU$8 I spend all week. Proper ranked play, friendly regulars, and the flat whites keep coming until close.”
Mei-Lin T.
Carlton North, VIC · May 2024
“As a designer I've playtested three of my prototypes here. The crowd gives sharp, honest feedback and the staff genuinely care about the hobby.”
Owen K.
Collingwood, VIC · February 2024
Questions before you roll in
Do I need to book a table?
Walk-ins are always welcome, but Friday and Saturday nights fill fast. We recommend booking online for groups of four or more, and it's essential if you want one of the private rooms. Bookings hold your table for 15 minutes past your slot.
How much does it cost to play?
Access to the full 800+ game library is a flat AU$8 per person for the whole session — there's no hourly meter. Private rooms are AU$25 per hour on top of that, and food and drinks are ordered separately from our café menu.
I've never played modern board games. Is that okay?
Absolutely — most of our regulars started exactly there. Just tell any Game Guide you're new and they'll pick something approachable, teach it at your table in about five minutes, and check back on your first turn. Wednesday is our dedicated learn-to-play night.
Can I bring children?
Yes, families are very welcome until 8pm, and we keep a shelf of kid-friendly titles near the front. After 8pm the room becomes 18+ so our evening league players and the bar service can take over. Under-16s must be with an adult.
Do you serve food and drinks?
We do — Carlton-roasted coffee, local craft beer and wine, plus a kitchen running sharing boards, toasties and dumplings until 10pm. Everything is designed to be low-mess so it won't smudge the cards.
What are your opening hours?
We're open Monday to Thursday 11am–11pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–1am, and Sunday 11am–10pm. The kitchen closes an hour before the venue each night, and last game hire is 90 minutes before close.
Find us on Cardigan Place
Two minutes from Lygon Street in the heart of Carlton. Drop us a line to book a table, plan an event, or ask about this month's tournaments.