Date: July 15, 2008 10:37:07 PM EDT
To: inyc@timeoutny.com
Subject: Clubs/bars with board games?

Could you guys at TONY help me out with ideas for where to go for a night out with friends if we want to play board games?

Maria Chu-Delosreyes, Long Island City, Queens

Mark bar
Three words: bag of porn. Wednesday is bingo night, and the winner can score either a drink ticket or a selection from a grab bag of smut. If bingo (or Ass Masters IV) isn’t your thing, ask the friendly bartender for game pieces for the Scrabble, Candy Land or backgammon boards that are secured in tables around the room. 1025 Manhattan Ave between Freeman and Green Sts, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-349-2340, themarkbar.com)

Common Ground
This lounge carries an impressive selection of games, including Scattergories, Life and Scrabble (the favorite among the youngish mix of suits and East Village hipsters when we went was Connect Four). Got a hankering for some grub? On weeknights until 8pm, upscale appetizers and gooey, cheesy panini are buy-one-get-one-free. 206 Ave A between 12th and 13th Sts (212-228-6231, commongroundnyc.com)

Camp
Relive the sticky, sweaty days of summer camp—complete with s’mores and games such as Trivial Pursuit and Jenga—at this log-cabin-esque Carroll Gardens drinkery. The bar also hosts Wii bowling tourneys on Tuesday nights, for the more actively inclined; grab a beer and get playing. 179 Smith St between Warren and Wyckoff Sts, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-852-8086)

Dive 75
Tease your brain with Boggle, Scrabble and Upwords at this laid-back pub, and sate your appetite for suds during its excellent happy hour—domestic drafts (including Anchor Steam and Ithaca Beer Company’s fruity Apricot Wheat beer) are a pittance at $3. 101 W 75th St between Amsterdam and Columbus Aves (212-362-7518)

Commonwealth
Sunday Scrabble tourneys are sadly no longer at this Park Slope beards-and-flannel haven, but the board is still available for playing—just ask the bartender. Make a selection from the indie-rock jukebox, grab a beer (pints of Brooklyn Lager are $5), and start triple-word scoring. 497 Fifth Ave at 12th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-768-2040)

Stain Bar
Sure, you can play Trivial Pursuit or Chinese checkers at this gallery–performance space–bar; but the homey front room is large enough to accommodate Twister, if that’s your kink. Down a few quaffs from the New York–centric wine and beer list first to help you limber up. 766 Grand St between Graham Ave and Humboldt St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-387-7840, stainbar.com)

Lighthouse Tavern
Head to the spacious back room, where sports dominate on the flat-screen TV, and a smallish assortment of games, including Scrabble and Chinese checkers, awaits. (Avoid the Yahtzee box, which is missing its pieces.) 243 Fifth Ave between Carroll St and Garfield Pl, Park Slope, Brooklyn ( lighthousetavern.net)