In a town as small as Carlisle, any new business that opens within walking distance of campus is an exciting addition. While we were away on summer vacation, Eclipse Gaming Café opened for business. Located at 57 W Pomfret St. and taking the place of the now closed Spoons Café, Eclipse is worth a try. 

If you were familiar with Spoons, the layout has remained the same — a long hallway to the actual front desk, and many tables open for use. Eclipse Gaming Café features dozens of board games, tabletop games and card games which are all available for public use. 

This author braved the seven-minute walk from campus (mon Dieu!) to check out what the new café has to offer. There is a nice selection of sandwiches, grilled cheeses and a good list of novelty beverages, which are perfect for connoisseurs of silly little drinks. The selections are priced fairly, especially considering that your purchase grants you access to all the games they have available. 

Upon my visit, I tried their refreshing mango lemonade,, and my roommate tried their “Magic Lemonade,” which is colored blue with butterfly pea flower, á la Tumblr recipes circa 2015. We engaged in a fierce game of Scrabble (which this author is not bitter about losing, at all) and tried out their one arcade gaming console. 

I am always quick to recommend places in town that one can go to and do something other than just spend money, and Eclipse Gaming Café is a perfect example of this. It seems like a great environment to get some homework done, start a Dungeons and Dragons campaign or challenge your friends to a game of Catan. Jury is still out on whether you are allowed to bet on card games there, though.