Tell me about your favorite game store

Bumbles · Jun 23, 2009

There's three pizza places within reasonable walking distance, and two more on the way there.

Gah, I really need to stop going there.

Mean Eyed Cat · Jun 23, 2009

My favorite (and closest) game store is Safari Pearl's in Moscow, Idaho. They have a good selection of 4th edition stuff, some 3rd/3.5 stuff, comics, anime, dvds, and a big selection costumes (which is a little unusual for a comic & game store). They have a game room for people to use. The staff is very nice and helpful and they have a friendly dog that usually greets you as you enter the store.

Sometimes, I go to Merlyn's in Spokane, WA. They're bigger than Safari Pearl's, with a nice selection of 3rd/3.5 edition and 4th edition games as well as OD&D, and other RPGs. They also have a nice selection of miniatures, TCGs, comics, and SF/Fantasy books. They have a big gaming area in the back of the store.

When I lived in Portland, OR I always went to Bridgetown Hobbies & Games. In addition to many tabletop RPGS, they also had a big selection of tabletop wargames and accessories. They also had a lot of stuff for modelers. Whenever I'm in Portland, its one of the three places (along with Powell's Books and Things From Another World) that I try to visit.

Fallen Seraph · Jun 23, 2009

It isn't a dedicated gaming store, but since I would just go there to buy my RPGs it serves my purposes perfectly. Is the Silver Snail in Toronto. It also has lots besides games; movie props, toys, comics, anime, manga, etc. Basically just a big nerd pantheon of stuff. It also is extremely clean, two stories tall, nice staff, has good deals, will order stuff for you. All around awesome.

resistor · Jun 23, 2009

I no longer live there, but Source Comics and Games in Saint Paul, MN, is TOTALLY AMAZING. Friendly, helpful staff, the biggest selection in geekery (both gaming and non-gaming) that I've ever seen, and a huge dedicated gaming space. Plus, they have a kick-ass holiday sale, with door prizes, slot machines awarding deep discounts, a huge clearance sale, and free food.

Another game store that I've been pleasantly surprised with was Game Kastle, in Santa Clara, CA. (That's Silicon Valley, to those who don't know.) I've attended a couple of game days there, and they have a super customer-friendly free RPG day policy. The employees have seemed knowledgeable, friendly, and not overly pushy.

pogre · Jun 23, 2009

Eridanis said:
Yay! I get to be the first to put forth Games Plus, in Mt. Prospect, IL. Clean store with a deep and wide stock of games of every persuasion; plenty of gaming space; knowledgable staff who participate in the community, both in person and online.

No other store I've been in is in its league. I've lived in the NYC area, Buffalo, Chicagoland, central Illinois, and the SF Bay Area and have shopped in some nice stores (and some not-so-nice ones), and they are the best.

Outstanding store - although I cannot be a regular there, due to my location, I wish I could. I run in there almost every time I swing through the Chicago area.

Dyson Logos · Jun 23, 2009

Fallen Seraph said:
It isn't a dedicated gaming store, but since I would just go there to buy my RPGs it serves my purposes perfectly. Is the Silver Snail in Toronto. It also has lots besides games; movie props, toys, comics, anime, manga, etc. Basically just a big nerd pantheon of stuff. It also is extremely clean, two stories tall, nice staff, has good deals, will order stuff for you. All around awesome.

While the snail in Toronto is 500% better (maybe even 520% better) than the one in Ottawa, I was always disappointed in it when it came to buying RPGs. But that's probably because I'm one of those guys who loves a lot of different games and the Snail really didn't seem to stock much outside of the top selling lines.

But yes, I'll vouch for friendly, clean and nerdy.

spuppett · Jun 23, 2009

FunkBGR said:
Critical Hit Games

Local shop that offers rpg's, board games, W40k, etc. The main draw of the store? You absolutely cannot beat the atmosphere and effort the owner puts into his store. My favorite game store to ever exist in the Iowa City / Coralville area.

I like this one too. I have one a bit closer to me in the Quad Cities, and I do go to it a bit more, but Critical Hit Games is a lot cleaner.

Piratecat · Jun 23, 2009

I echo what everyone has said about Games Plus! Locally here in Boston, my favorite store is Pandemonium Books & Games in Davis Square, Cambridge MA. Great owner, 10% off buyer reward program ($25 off after $250 bought), they do special orders, usually well-stocked game shelves and plenty of space to play.

Joshua Randall · Jun 23, 2009

My current favorite is Warzone/Matrix in Rocky River (Cleveland), OH. Physically the store is kind of a dump, but it is absolutely packed with games of all types and all eras.

RPGs... war games... board games... mini games... CCGs... I'm convinced there's an unopened OD&D box in there somewhere, right next to some Alpha black lotuses.

The owner is a nice guy, an expert mini-painter who will paint any mini you buy there for a really minimal fee. He's always watching something on his TV, either a "gamer" movie or something about war.

I don't think the store's name is an accident.

One funny thing about Warzone/Matrix is that it shares its strip mall with a restaurant that bills itself as "Cleveland's #1 Somali quisine." I wasn't aware there was that much competition, outside of say Manhattan, for such a niche type of quisine!

I also have to give a shout out to The Rusty Scabbard in Lexington, KY. (They don't appear to have a site, so that's a link to a Google map.)

This is the store where my parents bought me the Red Box, and where I bought myself the 1e AD&D Player's Handbook. As well as tons and tons of other stuff, of course.

My best friend and I used to ride our bikes there, count up our allowance money, and stare longingly at the things we couldn't afford. At the time, we were intimidated by the older gamers (I mean, those guys were probably 18! or 20! LOL), so we didn't hang out there much. But I'd say we visited on shopping trips at least once a week. Happy to see it's still in business!