Game stores in the Sunnyvale / San Francisco Area

[Yeoman]

Can anyone recommend any stores with a large selection of d20 books? I'm just visiting the area here.

Thanks!

 

[Scribble]

Can anyone recommend any stores with a large selection of d20 books? I'm just visiting the area here.

Thanks!

Gamescape 333 Divisadero is pretty good.

If you can make it to Berkeley though hit up Games of Berkeley... They have a HUGE selection, and everything is 10% off... which pretty much covers tax.

 

[Arkham]

Game Kastle
19 Washington St.
Santa Clara, CA 95050

gamekastle.com

 

[Yeoman]

Excellent, I'll have to check those out. In fact Game Kastle is about 10 minutes away from where my class is, so I'll check them out today. Maybe Friday I'll drive up to Berkeley.

 

[waxgravy]

Can anyone recommend any stores with a large selection of d20 books? I'm just visiting the area here.

Little farther up the Peninsula, but Gator Games in Belmont is my favorite in the Bay Area.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

Excellent, I'll have to check those out. In fact Game Kastle is about 10 minutes away from where my class is, so I'll check them out today. Maybe Friday I'll drive up to Berkeley.

These guys are just wonderful. They may have items ( stored in adjacent "warehouse" nearby ) you don't see too, just ask ! These guys are AKA FRPgames.com !

 

[Oryan77]

There's Legends in the Vallco Mall on Stevens Creek Blvd. There was Hobby World near Saratoga but I went there the other night and it looked like it was closed down (so I went to Legends).

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Endgame, in Oakland, has the best gaming space I'm aware of. About 10 big tables in a loft that circles the interior of the store. Pretty cool. Staff is cool, too.

GameKastle, in Santa Clara, is also a favorite of mine. They rent an entire office suite for gaming space. (However, the AC, if any, is pretty ineffectual, and it can get hot.) And the people there are really great folks.

In terms of store layout, I really like Games of Berkeley, but gaming space is cramped, and I don't really know the people.

I actively dislike GameScape, in San Francisco. No gaming space to speak of, the shop is cramped, and the staff is surly. God forbid you catch them in a game of Magic, and they have to interrupt it to answer questions or (gasp) ring up a purchase.

 

[johnnype]

Little farther up the Peninsula, but Gator Games in Belmont is my favorite in the Bay Area.

What he said. If D20 is what you're after Gator Games is a good choice.

EndGame in Oakland did not impress me at all with their RPG selection. I think they don't concentrate that much on big names (D20, storyteller) because they realize most people can buy that stuff much cheaper online. Sure, they cary a lot of small press games but that's never been a big interest of mine. The game space is amazing but only good if you're going there to game.
Gamescape in San Francisco has a good selection and a lot of used stuff although I think most of the used books are junk. I've never had a problem with their staff, ofcourse I've been going there so long they think of me as family.

 

[grodog]

http://www.cilibrin.net/rolldice/viewtopic.php?t=52 has the latest news/updates on the stores that are open/closed in the greater Bay Area.

I've shopped Gator Games, Legends, GameKastle, and Games of Berkeley (only once, it was definitely cramped), and EndGame in Oakland (gamed in their then-new corner store for awhile before moving to KS), as well as Gamescape (in SF, when they didn't suck).

Of them all, I still stop in Legends and GameKastle on my trips to CA each quarter or so. Legends because I still like the people, and GameKastle because the people are great and their selection of indie rpgs is phenomenal. Easily the best-stocked game store I've visited in the past year of travel from coast-to-coast.

If you're interested in OOP stuff, Gator Games is also good on that front, but they're about a 35 55 minute drive up the peninsula if you're in the San Jose/Santa Clara area and driving when traffic's not ideal. I miss the old Palo Alto Gamescape---they had very friendly staff and good OOP stock. Sigh....