Balance Patch Video Game Cafe Brings Communal Gaming to Allston

A gaming cafe in Allston opens its doors to anyone in the competitive digital spirit on Friday, August 18, as Boston Restaurant Talk reports. Balance Patch Video Game Cafe, fresh off some serious renovations, debuts today at 1031 Commonwealth Ave. (right at the Babcock Street MBTA station), stocked with gaming consoles (including Nintendo 64), monitors, single-person spaces, and group gaming areas, plus a food menu to sustain gamers through hours of play.

Co-founders Bryan Rasbury, Nick Johansson, and Peter Lind created Balance Patch to provide “a fun, unique environment for video game and e-sport enthusiasts to hang out with people who share their passions,” the venue’s website reads. Visitors can book time at consoles in hour-long increments, with prices varying for consoles, gaming booths, and couch areas. The team plans to hold a grand opening celebration in mid-September, and down the line, Balance Patch will host events and gaming competitions.

Balance Patch isn’t just a place for gamers to get into World of Warcraft battles or fierce Mario Kart races: It also serves food, as previously reported, including items like sandwiches, coffee, and more.

It joins a handful of other hybrid dining/gaming places in the area, including Roxy’s Central/A4cade, which focuses on arcade games and opened in Cambridge earlier this year, and Bit Bar in Salem, which opened last year with a similar selection of arcade games. Additionally, Knight Moves has board game enthusiasts covered, with locations in Brookline and Somerville.

• Balance Patch Video Game Cafe Is Opening in Boston [BRT]
• Balance Patch Will Give Allston Gamers a Place to Eat and Play [EBOS]