Geeks of Chicago, closeted and otherwise, your new favorite hang is here.

For the next few months while waiting for construction to finish up at their eventual Lincoln Park homestead, the forthcoming Geek Bar is popping up in an iteration known as Geek Bar Beta (1941 W. North Ave., Wicker Park). This is not a nerdy spot in name only: It's got all the board and console games (a round of Munchkin followed by Super Smash Brothers on N64, anyone?) one could desire, plus cheekily named drinks (bartender Laura Green's first menu featured Doctor Who-themed sippers) and a stash of comic books for quiet perusal if you're flying solo. This is the type of place where the doorman may tell you "welcome home!" upon arrival and where you may have unexpectedly long, involved conversations with strangers—an easy thing to do since the lights are kept up and the sound stays low for easier gameplay.

The pop-up runs Wednesday through Sunday until the Lincoln Park space is ready to go. Here's what we saw when we swung by.