3&Up Board Game Lounge Review – CLOSED

3&Up Board Game Lounge is now CLOSED

Disclaimer: 3&Up provided my daughter and I with a complimentary visit including snacks to facilitate this review. Ann Arbor with Kids is compensated for sales through Groupon links. Thank you for your support by shopping through these links.

What is 3&Up Board Game Lounge?

3&Up Board Game Lounge is a place to gather with your family or friends to play board games. With a selection of over 1000, there are plenty of options to choose from. They offer children’s games, party games, themed games, strategy games, and much more. They are an “Anti-WiFi Zone” and you are encouraged to go electronics free while there to focus on your group. (Unless you are playing a DVD game like Scene It which they offer one television for).

The staff is knowledgeable about games and able to assist in game recommendations. If they don’t have a game you would like, they will work to acquire a copy of the game – it can take a month.

Our Visit to 3&Up Board Game Lounge

My daughter and I had a great time at 3&Up Board Game Lounge. We played four games during our visit, for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Aside from taking pictures for this review, I did abide by the no electronics rule. I found it easier to set the phone aside at 3&Up than I do at home.

We had a great time at 3&Up Board Game Lounge! My daughter and I got to try a variety of board games. Because we were at a spot with the sole purpose of playing games, I focused on playing games with my daughter and wasn’t distracted by social media, work around the house, etc.

I definitely recommend a visit to 3&Up Board Game to test out games before purchasing them. I know I’ve purchased a few games over the years that have turned out to be a bust or not very much fun. In addition to a fun outing, you can save money by only purchasing games that your family enjoys.

We recommend 3&Up Board Game Lounge to groups of all ages who enjoy playing games. It would be a great place to spend a day off from school, a family gathering, or even a date night or parents night out. The key is to have a group who enjoys playing similar types of games.

After our visit my daughter is eager to return and would like to have her next birthday party there. Of course, her birthday was last month, so she has almost 10 months before we start planning next years party.

Game Selection at 3&Up Board Game Lounge

There were tons of games to select from. The biggest challenge was convincing my daughter to play games that we don’t already have at home (and no, different versions of Monopoly are not different than the version that we have at home). My daughter and I selected a series of games to play on our visit.

All of the games that we played were in great condition. While they have many older games that were acquired second hand, the games that we saw were kept in very good condition. After you finish with a game, there is a “discard pile” and the staff checked to make sure that all of the game parts were still in the box and properly shelved the game.

Great States

For our first choice, I wanted to play an educational game. I suggested a few word or math games, but my daughter picked Great States which was a state based trivia game with questions that could be answered either from prior knowledge or by looking at the map. My daughter and I both found the game very easy. The game is played until someone answers 10 questions correctly, alternating turns. My daughter beat me 10-9 because she went first – neither of us missed a question. We enjoyed the game, but probably wouldn’t play the game again since it was so easy.

Battleship

After I vetoed several different versions of monopoly, my daughter selected Battleship as our second game. It had been years since I had played Battleship, and I really enjoyed it. Battleship may need to go on our list of games to acquire for home. This time it was my turn to win. Of course, my daughter gave me a big clue by telling me that none of her ships were touching. After a few rounds, I gave her the same clue.

The Worst Case Scenario Survival Game

After a break to buy some snacks, my daughter’s next selection was The Worst Case Scenario Survival Game. She really enjoyed hearing the scenarios and trying to figure out what to do in bad cases – how to escape a bear trap, h to avoid dehydration, etc.  We did enjoy the game However, we cut the game short declaring an end point about 2/3 of the way through the path. We shortened the games so that we could try one more game before we had to leave.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Trivia Game

In honor of several friends who are at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida this week, we selected Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Trivia Game as our last game. The game involved trivia questions, collecting charms for answering questions correctly, being cursed for answering incorrectly, and using spells for an advantage. Our favorite spell was the Hermione card which you could use to steal a question. We enjoyed the game, but wish it had covered the entire series and not just the first book.

Atmosphere at 3&Up Board Game Lounge

With several tables located in the main gaming room as well as two party rooms, there was plenty of places to play. They also offer two smaller areas with sofas, one of which has a TV for DVD based board games such as Scene It. We elected to play in the main game room where we were close to the game selection. Our only issue with the atmosphere came when we were trying to play trivia games and the kids at the next table were playing Hungry Hungry Hippos. It became a little hard to hear our trivia questions over the clacking of the hippos and marbles. Fortunately each round only lasted about a minute and they only played a couple of rounds of Hungry Hungry Hippos, so we were able to continue our games.

Groups at 3&Up during our visit ranged from families like my daughter and I, to older teenagers, to multi-family gatherings. With larger groups, I noticed that they split up in different configurations for different games. The games at 3&Up range from preschool games (I saw groups playing Don’t Spill the Beans, Cootie, and Hungry, Hungry Hippos) to family games to adult games to themed games to strategy games. While there were no adult only groups, during our visit, that was probably due to the time of day (late afternoon on a weekday).

Plan Your Visit to 3&Up Board Game Lounge

Location of 3&Up

3&Up is located at 630 S. Main St in Plymouth. They are just south of the main downtown area. They have a small parking lot which was very convenient on a day as cold as it was yesterday.

Hours at 3&Up

3&Up currently has the following hours for summer:

• noon-midnight Monday-Thursday
• noon-2a Friday and Saturday
• noon-midnight Sunday

Admission to 3&Up

You can visit 3&Up Board Game Lounge with either a monthly membership or for a single visit. A family membership is currently $25 for a family of 2 adults and up to 4 children, additional children can be added for $8. An individual visit is $5/person for 90 minutes with additional time available for $3/hour. Admission is restricted to those ages 3 and up. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Groupon is currently offering a voucher for 3&Up Board Game Lounge. There are 3 options:

• 2.5 hour visit for 4 for $24 including 4 drinks and 4 bags of chips
• 2.5 hour visit for 2 for $12 including 2 drinks and 2 bags of chips
• 2.5 hour birthday party package for up to 15 people for $89
•  

Food at 3&Up

Snacks and beverages from Michigan companies are available for purchase at 3&Up. You may also bring in your own foods. Prices range from $1.25 to $3. Snack options include Kelloggs Rice Krispie Treats, Better Made Chips, Austin Animal Crackers, Faygo sodas, Everfresh Juices, and more. My only suggestion would be to add some healthier options – perhaps Michigan grown apples which are available year round.

My daughter selected an EverFresh Juice and Better Made chips while I selected a flavored water from EverFresh and Austin Zoo Crackers.

Parties at 3&Up Board Game Lounge

3&Up Board Game Lounge offers packages for birthdays, scouts, and school groups. There are two party rooms, the Dungeon room which will accommodate up to 15 and the CandyLand room which will accommodate up to 25. The rooms are connected to accommodate up to 40. You can add pizza and drink options to your package, bring your own food, or arrange delivery of food to 3&Up.

There is also a LivingSocial voucher for a party in the CandyLand room (up to 25 people) for $150.

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