Where to find local game shops with lots of RPGs?

[aramis erak]

Seriously though, Powell's Books in Portland is only three hours away - last time I was there (about ten years ago) they had tons of RPG books. Can't remember much in Seattle, but haven't been in a decade.

Guardian Games in Portland is a better choice, but Powells DOES keep a large selection.

Did a quick google for D&D Adventurer's League Seattle...
got the following:
https://www.meetup.com/Seattle-Dungeons-and-Dragons/

Also, from them, I found the D&D AL play
DELRIDGE Uptown Espresso and Gameporium
3845 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA
Fridays, 7P to 12A

You're best finding a D&D AL group, then asking them... because most hardcore AL players will know of two or more weekly sessions, and often 2-5 stores and their scheduled AL nights. But you can also find players for other things.

For example, I'm a bit burned out on 5E (I know, around here, that's borderline blasphemy)... so I let people, including the store, know that I'd be doing Star Wars with an open game in place of the AL table I'd been running. (We finished Hoard.). I get the same table, half the same players, and 3 more besides, including one new guy, and got myself invited into a Dresden Files game.

And I also have, from the same meetup, spun off a non-public Star Trek game, too. This in a town where the general advice to gamers has traditionally been, "Get used to D&D and Pathfinder, because no one over 18 runs anything else, and the under 18 crowd might also do Rifts...." (This was from a store owner...)

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Thanks for all the advice!

Seriously though, Powell's Books in Portland is only three hours away - last time I was there (about ten years ago) they had tons of RPG books. Can't remember much in Seattle, but haven't been in a decade.

I was there in March and their selection wasn't as large as I'd like. It was probably about the size (larger than some, smaller than others) of what I was used to for just about every local game store back in the 90s.

Second, you need to take a trip to Lacey (a suberb of Olympia) and check out Gaby's Olympic Cards & Comics. Not only is this the most awesome incredible selection of new and used RPGs you have EVER laid eyes upon BUT is also run by one of the sweetest coolest people on the planet. It's also the best game store in WA, THE US, North America, All of America, The World, The Solar System and quite possibly The Universe (although many entries were submitted we've never heard back from the award show organizers...).

I also happen to know the owner of the 2nd best gaming store - The Game Matrix in Lakewood, WA. It's on the way! Smaller selection, but good playing space and knowledgeable staff (my childhood best friend is the manager...).

I shall put those on my list, since a friend and I are making a trip to Portland later this month.

However Card Kingdom (Seattle) - The Mox Cafe (Seattle, next door) - The Mox Boarding House (Bellevue) are all in the area. Also, super nice stores with a better selection of board, card and miniature games than RPGs. Also swanky play space AND delicious food/beverages.

I was actually at the first place recently, and I found their selection rather small. Not as tiny as some place, but really just dabbling. The atmosphere at the place was really cool though, and they have a lot of other stuff going on like you said.

Guardian Games in Portland is a better choice, but Powells DOES keep a large selection.

Guardian Games--that sounds like the good one I went to in Portland. That's what I'm talking about. Several 8' tall packed bookcases. Almost grabbed a used copy of original Torg (since it was only a single softcover rather than the full deal, I decided against it.)

It doesn't seem like there is terribly much in stock size between Guardian Games and Powell's books, but I'd love it if I could find more in that range.

You're best finding a D&D AL group, then asking them... because most hardcore AL players will know of two or more weekly sessions, and often 2-5 stores and their scheduled AL nights. But you can also find players for other things.

Good thought! I should go to an organized play event and ask people what the best places to shop locally are. A friend and I played Adventurer's League for the first time at a convention in Februrary, and we'd like to occasionally do it again to play those characters some more. Outside that though, I'm not looking for another group--I already DM 1.5 games (I let/encourage my players to guest DM in one of the campaigns, so I can play my character in and they can have a chance to run just about any adventure concept they want), and we usually have another weekly game going on (generally something other than D&D).

For example, I'm a bit burned out on 5E (I know, around here, that's borderline blasphemy)...

It's only blasphemy if involves replacing 5e with another version of D&D. Playing completely different games is a sign of spiritual enlightenment. ;-)

This in a town where the general advice to gamers has traditionally been, "Get used to D&D and Pathfinder, because no one over 18 runs anything else, and the under 18 crowd might also do Rifts...." (This was from a store owner...)

Wow...I'm glad there is always online play (both of my current groups are online, though almost everyone knows each other in person in one of them, and the other is just starting up based on the request of the one player in it I do know in person). I'm just too individualistic to fall in line with whatever games happened to be offered.

 

[aramis erak]

Wow...I'm glad there is always online play (both of my current groups are online, though almost everyone knows each other in person in one of them, and the other is just starting up based on the request of the one player in it I do know in person). I'm just too individualistic to fall in line with whatever games happened to be offered.

Online play is a suboptimal choice for me, despite running an every other week game via skype.

I've found a fairly active bunch of gamers in Corvallis...

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Online play is a suboptimal choice for me, despite running an every other week game via skype.

It definitely is. I much prefer in person, if I weren't so picky about playing with people I already know or their friends.