If you are a board game enthusiast asking the question of where can I find board games stores near me, then the easiest and quickest place to buy board games is at chain stores, such as Walmart and Target, especially at the games department. However, you may not know of the hidden gem board game stores that may be closer than you think.
In addition to large chain stores, there are also plenty of awesome local mom-and-pop shops that also sell board games. These stores are usually found in most big cities all over the country!
Since finding these stores can be a little tricky, we’ve compiled a list of the best local stores that you can find out there. There are so many cities, so we decided to list only board game stores in popular cities. Hopefully they are in your area, but if not, why not make a day trip out of it and visit the closest board game store near your city!
Chain Stores vs. Local Board Game Stores: Which One to Buy from?
Here’s a brief overview of the pros and cons of buying board games from both venues, so you can pick the one that suits you the most:
Chain Stores
Pros
- They usually offer popular board games at better prices
- More convenient, as they’re found in various places and have a variety of other goods, saving your time.
- Usually open longer hours and on Holidays
Cons
- They usually have a limited range of games (you won’t find any indie board games)
- Employees have a shallow knowledge of the games and can’t give you recommendations
Local Board Game Stores
Pros
- They offer a much wider range of board games that are suitable for all ages and tastes
- Sellers usually have a deep knowledge of the board games and rules, so they can give you some excellent recommendations
- You’ll be supporting a local business in your community
- Many of them organize game nights and you can even play with others interested in the same games as you
Cons
- They can be a bit pricier than large chain stores, but not necessarily
- Less convenient. They usually focus on one type of product, although browsing all the options they offer can be like a trip to a museum if you like board games!
- They can be a little hard to find, but we’ll provide you with a list of the best local stores out there in the following section!
First we will take a look at local board game stores that you might be able to find in a state near you. Towards the end, we will look at some chain stores in case you do not live near any of these local stores.
Best Local Board Games That You Can Find Near You
1. Guardian Games – Portland, Oregon
Guardian Games is one of the coolest stores out there. They have a huge selection of board games as well as puzzles, card games, and more. In fact, it’s quite rare that you won’t find what you’re looking for there.
The staff is also knowledgeable and quite friendly. The store is clean and large, which allows them to organize tens of events and game nights every month!
- Address: 345 SE Taylor St, Portland, OR 97214
- Phone Number: +1 503 238 4000
- Visit their website here
2. Dice Dojo – Chicago, Illinois
Also known as “Chicagoland Games Dice Dojo”, this store is one of the largest in Chicago. The store has a huge range of board games that suit all ages and themes that come at a reasonable price, compared to chain stores.
Dice Dojo has plenty of friendly employees and the place is quite clean and well organized, so you’ll always find what you want with relative ease!
- Address: 5550 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
- Phone Number: +1 773 728 3656
- Visit their website here
3. Mox Boarding House – Seattle, Washington
Mox Boarding House is easily one of the most recommended local stores out there. In fact, some might say that this store is not only the best in Washington but also all over the country.
The board game store is significantly large and can be found in both Seattle and Bellevue, although the Seattle one is the most popular.
In addition to selling everything from classic to new board and card games, the store also has a bar/cafe section as well as a rental service!
- Address: 5105 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 | 13310 Bel-Red Rd, Bellevue, WA 98005
- Phone Number: +1 206 523 9605 | +1 425 326 3050
- Visit their website here
4. The Compleat Strategist – New York, New York
The Compleat Strategist is one of the oldest board game stores out there, although it’s still going strong.
The store is minutes away from the Empire State Building in New York City, so it’s pretty easy to find.
The store offers a huge selection of board games as well as puzzles and card games. However, the only downside of this great store is that the place lacks proper organization.
- Address: 11 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016
- Phone Number: +1 212 685 3880
- Visit their website here
5. Petrie’s Family Games – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Although Petrie’s Family Games store has only been around since 2009, the local shop has become one of the biggest attractions for board games fans due to their amazing game nights and events.
The store offers a wide range of board games with tons of themes, making it a place suitable for all ages.
Keep in mind that their physical store is much larger than their online market, so make sure that you pay them a visit if you’re looking for something specific.
- Address: 7681 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
- Phone Number: +1 719 522 1099
- Visit their website here
6. Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy – Austin, Texas
The “Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy” store is one of the most popular and successful in Austin, Texas, with plans to open a new branch in Columbus, Ohio.
As the name suggests, the store offers a wide range of comic books. However, their board games library is also quite vast! The store also has a large section dedicated to action figures for thematic game nights!
- Address: 2438 W. Anderson Ln, Suite B-1, Austin, TX 7875 | 21151A State Highway 249, Houston, TX 77070 | 1222 East Powell Road, Lewis Center, OH 43035
- Phone Number:+1 512 454 2399 | +1 832 761 0072 | TBD
- Visit their website here
7. Gamer’s Haven – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Similar to the previous one, “Gamer’s Haven” is also a pretty popular name and many stores around the country go by it.
However, the one in Colorado Springs, Colorado is probably the best when it comes to board games.
This store has a huge selection to choose from, but it’s also quite a clean and neat place to browse at.
- Address: 5730 N Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
- Phone Number: +1 719 531 9863
- Visit their website here
8. Games and Stuff – Glen Burnie, Maryland
Games and Stuff is considered by many board game enthusiasts as the coolest board game store in Maryland. It’s also one of the largest board game stores in the Mid Atlantic region.
The store is about a 20 to 30 minutes drive from Baltimore, Maryland. However, a lot of people believe that it’s worth the trip!
The store always has the newest board games out there, which are sometimes available there even before they’re widely available online.
- Address: 7385 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd, Glen Burnie, MD 21061
- Phone Number: +1 410-863-7418
- Visit their website here
9. Madness Games – Plano, Texas
Madness Games is one of the largest stores that you can find in the State of Texas with a ridiculously large selection of the newest and hottest games on the market. In fact, the store manages to get a lot of board games much earlier than other stores.
In addition to the wide variety of board game options, the store also has a lot of tables where players of all ages and interests can sit down and enjoy some quality time!
Moreover, the store also has various sections that sell other items, such as action figures, roleplay games, card games, graphic novels, comic books, and more!
- Address: 3000 Custer Rd #310, Plano, TX 75075
- Phone Number: +1 972-943-8135
- Visit their website here
10. The Battle Standard Tabletop Game & Hobby – East Windsor, Connecticut
The Battle Standard is a great place to look for all the newest board games as well as roleplay games.
One of the best things about this place is that it’s open every day of the week and almost all day hours, making it extremely convenient for most buyers and hobbyists.
- Address: 4 Prospect Hill Rd Unit #1, East Windsor, CT 06088
- Phone Number: +1 860 254 5111
- Visit their website here
11. I’m Board! – Middleton, Wisconsin
I’m Board is a great place to pick a family board game and enjoy a lovely game night. The place has a moderate selection of board games with some tables to play with others. You can also buy a variety of used board games, puzzles, and more at the store.
- Address: 6917 University Ave. Middleton, WI 53562 | 2816 Prairie Lakes Dr. Unit 105 Sun Prairie, WI 53590
- Phone Number: +1 608 831 6631 | +1 608 318 2642
- Visit their website here
12. Games Keep – West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Games Keep is awesome to shop for board games as well as other hobbyist gadgets and games.
One of the best things about the Games Keep is that it offers an amazing buyer’s experience, as you’ll be able to browse a that is neatly organized to help you find what you’re looking for.
Another cool thing about this shop is that the staff is always friendly and quite knowledgeable, so you can ask them for recommendations if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.
- Address: 561 E Gay St, West Chester, PA 19380
- Phone Number: +1 484 905 5533
- Visit their website here
13. The Guardtower – Columbus, Ohio
The Guardtower is another lovely game store in Columbus, Ohio. The store has some super lovely and friendly staff members that will gladly help you with any questions or recommendations you might ask for.
The store is decently sized, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for, thanks to their impressive collection of classic and new board games. The store has multiple branches in the city, so make sure that you check both of them out!
- Address: 3600 Trabue Rd, Columbus, OH 43204 | 5939 E Main St, Columbus, OH 43232
- Phone Number: +1 614 488 4311 | +1 614 604 6996
- Visit their website here
14. Turn Zero Games – Los Angeles, California
If you’re in Los Angeles, California and you want to stop by a board game store where you can pick up some cool board games, Turn Zero Games should definitely be on your shortlist!
Not only does this shop feature a decent selection of board games, but they also offer everything from accessories, events, thematics, roleplay games, and more!
- Address: 3959 Wilshire Blvd Ste A-9 Los Angeles, CA 90010
- Phone Number: +1 213 384 3466
- Visit their website here
15. Sci-Fi City – Orlando, Florida
While the south, in general, doesn’t have an extensive range of local board game stores, Sci-Fi City has a lot of excellent board game choices to pick from. In addition to Orlando, Florida, the store also has another branch in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- Address: 6136 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32807 | 5410 N Broadway Street, Knoxville, TN 37918
- Phone Number: +1 407 282 2292 | +1 865 523 4700
- Visit their website here
16. Games of Berkeley – Berkeley, California
Games of Berkeley is one of the best destinations to shop for board games as well as card games for all ages.
In addition to the store’s nice selections, the folks at Games of Berkeley organize multiple big board game events throughout the year.
- Address: 2510 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
- Phone Number: +1 510 540 7822
- Visit their website here
17. Other Realms Ltd – Honolulu, Hawaii
Other Realms Ltd is one of the most popular stores that offer a large selection of tabletop games, including board games, card games, roleplay games.
The store constantly updates its library of games with the newest additions and editions. Moreover, the store organizes lovely events and tournaments.
- Address: 1130 N Nimitz Hwy C-140, Honolulu, HI 96817
- Phone Number: +1 808 596 8236
- Visit their website here
18. Family Time Games – Indianapolis, Indiana
Last but not least, Family Time Games is one of the largest and most popular board game stores in Indiana. The store is clean, organized, and constantly updated with all the newest board games.
The only downside of Family Time Games is that they’ve recently stopped hosting game nights and events. Yet, it’s still an awesome place to buy new board games, whether online or from the store.
- Address: 8796 Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268
- Phone Number: +1 317 429 9817
- Visit their website here
Best Chain Stores for Buying Board Games
If none of these local board games stores are near you, then take a look at this list of chain stores that are located in most states and have small to large board game sections.
Target
Target is probably your best bet for finding board games near you as there are a lot of locations across the United States and Target has a very large board game section for both kids and adults.
They do miss a lot of the more advanced and strategic board games that you may find at dedicated board game stores, however, it’s still a nice selection if there is nothing else around
Barnes & Noble
I know Barnes & Noble stores are starting to become extinct, because not many people buy physical books anymore. However, Barnes & Noble has a really large board game section and has a wide variety of board games such as party games, classic board games, and more strategic board games.
If I had to visit a chain store to buy board games, then Barnes & Noble would be my top choice.
Gamestop
Gamestop has a smaller board game section as it is more geared towards video games, but you may find some gems by taking a look at a Gamestop near you.
It’s usually hit or miss, so don’t get your hopes up that it will definitely have the board game you are looking for. It may be worth calling ahead to double check.
Walmart
Similar to Target, Walmart has a decent board game section that carries more surface level board games and less of the intermediate to hardcore board games you will find at a local board game store. It’s better than nothing!
Wrap Up
There you have it! a brief list of some of the most popular board game stores that you can find near you. If you are interested in board game stores, then you might also be interested in board game cafes. These are great for meeting like-minded individuals, and playing new games you might have not played before!
