Frequently Asked Questions

We opened at 119 2nd St, Suite 300 in Coralville on April 12, 2025! Come check us out!

The Iowa City are is lucky to have multiple well-established gaming spaces, and Diversions is excited to join such a thriving community. We set ourselves apart by prioritizing table space for gaming, providing a welcoming/less intimidating space for non-gamers and casual gamers, and curating events which emphasize community and connection over competition or cliques. 

Additionally, as a Queer-, Disabled-, and Neurodivergent-owned business, Diversions aims to curate a welcoming space for those communities, which you can learn more about on our Values page. Diversions also supports and promotes the Gaming Safe Space initiative, which aims to build spaces "where anyone can come and be their authentic self without fear" -- a goal Diversions works towards in all our practices.

However, Diversions is just one option for folks looking for gaming spaces, and we encourage folks to check out the other Friendly Local Game Stores in our community:

• The Hobby Corner

• Critical Hit Games

• Geek City Games and Comics

• Tempest Games

• First Turn Games

Diversions offers a few different ways to utilize our space, depending on what you're looking for.

Free
Diversions has tables in our cafe area that free to use and don't require a Gaming Pass. Whether you bring your own games, are chatting with a friend, or need a quiet(ish) place to do some work, our cafe tables are available to enjoy during our open hours! Additionally, Diversions offers some events, both in-house and outside our space, which are free to participate.

Gaming Pass
Looking to game at Diversions? Our Gaming Pass pricing is listed here, and a gaming pass is required to use any games from our library or to use any of the tables in our Gaming Hall. 

-- Using a Gaming Pass: Once you arrive at Diversions, grab a name tag and walk up to the front counter to check in. We'll note down your name and the time you start gaming, then we'll keep track of your time and any food/drink you pick up. When your gaming session wraps up, stop by the front counter to check out and we'll get your tab settled.

Lucky Llama Laire
Elevate your gaming experience by gathering your crew in the Lucky Llama Laire, Diversions' private gaming room! Enjoy a premium gaming table (that seats 6-10 people), reduced outside noise, and a cozy, tavern-like setting for an immersive experience. Reservations recommended -- read more about the Lucky Llama Laire here, 

Public Events
Diversions collaborates with numerous community partners to present events in-house and outside our space, and the cost to participate in these varies. We aim to keep information updated on our Event page and our Facebook event pages, but please reach out if you have questions about cost for a specific event!

Private Events
Need a venue for a special gathering, or interested in having some of Diversions library at your event? Diversions might be the right fit! We typically handle event requests on a case-by-case basis, so reach out to us and we can discuss your idea!

In short: Our two most valuable resources are the space we have and the extensive library we have collected, and it would not be sustainable for us to offer access to either of those for free, as one of them (our space) is easily our largest overhead expense. 

A slightly longer answer: We trust our community understands that running a business isn't free -- between rent, utilities, inventory, insurance, payment system fees, accounting/legal, and maintenance, our monthly overhead is ~$6,000 each month. Additionally, that figure doesn't include any employee or owner compensation, cost of inventory, or necessary upgrades to our building or systems. We make an effort to limit our expenses by doing much of the work ourselves to run Diversions, sourcing used equipment and gently used games, and benefitting from the generosity of like-minded professionals who have offered their expertise for reduced rates -- but a minimum ~$6,000/month is no small amount. 

Our goal will always be to keep our space as accessible as we can sustainably maintain. That means finding the balance between the gaming fees/retail prices and keeping prices reasonable for folks who wish to enjoy our space. If we offered gaming space for free, we would compromise our most crucial underlying goal: To still exist and serve our community for years to come.

If you, reader, are concerned about the expense of gaming at Diversions (or the expense of renting the space or making a purchase here), we encourage you to reach out to us to discuss how we can work with you to find a solution. We still want to be an accessible space, and accessibility requires flexibility and a willingness to learn, which we don't expect to forget. 

Easy, peasy -- just look at the bottom of our website, you will find the links to our social media profiles in the footer. 

Alternatively, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok — just search for the username diversions.ic on any of those platforms and we should pop right up! You also can find our profile on BoardGameGeek.com under the username diversionsic.

Membership benefits are intended to be for an individual, either with an individual sign-up, purchase, or gifted Gameologist status. We love the enthusiasm of sharing, and we may roll out a 'family' style membership in the future!