My Favorite “Local” Game Stores

With the gift-giving season upon us I’m reminded (somewhat selfishly) of places we can go to find presents for the gamers in our lives. While consumers have increasingly turned to online venues for purchases, I still firmly believe our brick-and-mortar establishments have a great deal to offer. Like any gamer I have my roster of Friendly Local Game Stores (FLGS) I like to support, though in my case, they’re not as much “local” as “regional.” The nearest is a 30 minute drive, the farthest around two hours...meaning I usually make a day trip out of a visit. As a result I don’t shop at them as much as I’d like, but when I go I budget a small wad of cash to spend to support their efforts and add to my gaming library. Most were around before the pandemic; they managed to survive adapting to online orders and sidewalk pick-up, implementing careful masking and distancing protocols when allowed, cultivating a generous gaming community, and soldiering on with a staunch persistence. I try making the pilgrimage to the farthest ones once a year; the others I visit when I’m in the neighborhood. All remind me of the qualities for successful game stores and current trends in the adventure gaming hobby.

I’ve rarely had the luxury of living close enough I could regularly hang out at a game store. The closest was years ago, right here in remote Culpeper, where for a year or so I frequented the local comic and game store that hosted Friday night X-wing miniature gaming. I even came in third in a store tournament and won the then-recently released Z-95 Headhunter mini (the fellow who came in fourth was astounded I didn’t want the heavily armed E-wing, but then he didn’t know my attachment to the Z-95 and West End Games). After that store abruptly closed, my town has been without a solid game store. (We have a collectibles store that hosts Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon, but little else that interests me.) The nearest ones are just far enough away I don’t really frequent them; I pop in when I’m around, sometimes for special events, but not regularly.

All my regional game stores share some qualities as other successful brick-and-mortar hobby establishments. They have plenty of space, though some have cramped sections walled in by packed display shelves. Most carry minimal stock for roleplaying games; usually a few shelves with the most popular core releases; compared to board games and various wargames, they have quite a small footprint.

I’ve noticed a general trend, at least in our area, of game store employees defying stereotypes and stepping up in their customer service roles. Most times someone greets me upon entering the store. Someone always asks if they can help me find something. They’re happy to take care of special requests: answering questions about product or pricing; reaching merchandise to high for a short, squat gamer dad; filling me in on restock or special order information; waiting patiently for me to pick just the right pre-painted figures from the display case.

Every store has a large play area with tables and chairs for events, open play, and game demos. From what I gather from online posts, they often hosts events at least every weekend, if not during weeknights; mostly card games and wargames, often official organized play and tournament events, with occasional roleplaying game sessions usually timed to coincide with trendy releases from major publishers. Even when they’re not officially in use, customers talk shop, paint minis, set up quick games, and otherwise hang out there. The open play space and numerous events help cultivate an active gamer community beyond a core of loyal customers. It’s essential to staying in business. The game store isn’t simply a commercial enterprise, it’s a hub of social activity. And I wish we had one closer to home where I could find other players, join and host games, and support sales.

So where do I go to do my adventure gaming hobby shopping? I’ve listed them below in order of proximity to my home in the Virginia Piedmont, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains:

The Game Store, Warrenton, VA: Located in a storefront in a series of interconnected shopping plazas, The Game Store provides a spacious retreat into the gaming hobby. Shelves of merchandise pack half the store, with the other half hosting rows of tables for card game events, several wargame tables, and a few cozier rooms one can rent for roleplaying game sessions. The stock focuses primarily on board games and a number of non-historical miniatures lines, with the usual selection of collectible card games and perhaps the largest and most diverse roleplaying game section in my region. I’ve not attended any in-store events, but the Facebook page often promotes tournaments, preview events, and other games in their play area, and even hosts gaming several times a month at a local brewery. I try stopping by if I’m on my way back from errands and appointments in northern Virginia, even if just to buy an interesting pack of dice.

Your Hobby Place, Fredericksburg, VA: I used to frequent a store called Game Vault along the strip of shopping centers on Route 3 (the main road from Culpeper to Fredericksburg and I-95); but when the owner decided to close up shop, it left a void in that area that Your Hobby Place decided to fill. While maintaining the original store in Martinsburg, WV, the owners opened in Fredericksburg; they have since opened a branch in Alexandria, VA, too. The retail end has plenty of space for displays, including an island filled with new releases, shelves packed with board games, and sections for historical wargames and more fantastical Warhammer fare. Roleplaying games inhabit a few niches in some square shelf units, usually the latest Dungeons & Dragons releases and a few copies of whatever “new hotness” recently emerged from mainline publishers. The play area is expansive, separated from the retail end by a few tables for demonstrations of new releases and, occasionally, a bargain table I usually comb over looking for deals. The staff greets everyone on arrival and asks if they can offer any assistance. I’ve attended a few events here, notably promotional sales celebrations; spin the wheel and win a discount, free soda or snack food, or even a pick from the prize table. It’s also my go-to when we’re doing an expedition for shopping in Fredericksburg or I need something I’m fairly certain they have in stock. My best deal: excellently painted battledroids and some primed clone troopers from a regular who tired of Star Wars: Legion.

Huzzah Hobbies, Ashburn, VA: For me this requires a day trip with a two-hour drive each way (at least, depends on northern Virginia traffic). But it’s worth it. Perhaps the smallest store of all I’ve listed here, it still packs a punch both in available stock and play area. Beyond the new releases display by the entrance one finds shelves stocked floor to ceiling with an excellent selection of board games. Additional areas focus on roleplaying games (primarily D&D), Star Wars themed games (X-wing miniatures, Star Wars: Armada, and Star Wars: Legion), various historical and fantasy miniatures games, and hobby support material like terrain, padded foam carriers, paints, and model supplies. If you know the lines they carry it’s a reliable place to find core game products...and even a few deals to help clear the shelves. I rarely poke my head into the open play area, but I know the store hosts a ton of events, drawing from a vibrant college community nearby. I usually only get to the store on the weekends and it’s always packed with gamer types...all of whom are friendly.

Waterloo Games, Mechanicsville, VA: This is another “pilgrimage” store requiring a two-hour drive to reach (though I sometimes combine it with other activities in the greater Richmond area). It opened right before the pandemic and managed not simply to hang on, but to thrive...enough to have upgraded to new, larger locations....twice. I know owner Rob Eubanks and some of his friends from the wargaming conventions I’ve attended down the peninsula in Williamsburg, which means I get a warm greeting when I manage to make the trip to Waterloo; they’re friendly to everyone who walks through the door, from newcomers to seasoned gamers. The stock leans heavily toward miniature wargames — one of the better stores for Battlefront and Warlord Games material — with some support for board games and other related merchandise. The store boasts plenty of room for in-store play, including frequent events and tournaments; I’ve also attended one gaming flea market the store hosted, which proved an excellent place to find deals on toys I wanted to add to my collection.

Overall I don’t mind hitting the road to reach a good game store; it provides a good break, an excuse to do something with my son, and an opportunity to visit other stores or attractions in the area. My spending here might seem excessive, but that’s tempered by its infrequent occurrence. Besides, I take some comfort that my purchases help support these excellent businesses in some small way. Most gamers have their favorite FLGS; head out as often as you can and support them as you’re able. Don’t forget them when you need last-minute holiday gifts.