I try 10 NYC Board Game Stores

New York City’s board game stores and cafes, we’re coming! We travel around Manhattan and Brooklyn in this NYC vlog, to go to as many FLGS as we can in 1 day. There’s full on retail stores (compleat strategist), but also lots of multi-use areas (Brooklyn Strategist, The Uncommon). Board Game cafes also provide drink, like tea and coffee, as well as some food, like sandwiches, so we get to experiment with those and let you know how we feel. Whether it’s through the subway train, car (uber), or straight walking, this is how we got around the city. There is even Eric M. Lang games (like the area control trilogy), and more casual stuff like Catan and Cards Against Humanity. We even get to talk about our favorite stores!
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Table of Contents:
Intro - (0:00)
1. The Compleat Strategist - (1:13)
2. Hex & Co - (3:46)
3. Forbidden Planet (Bonus) - (6:00)
4. Warhammer (Bonus) - (7:25)
5. The Uncommons - (8:14)
6. Brooklyn Game Lab - (11:42)
7. Sip & Play - (12:12)
8. The Brooklyn Strategist - (15:15)
9. Squarrel Cafe - (16:22)
10. Twenty Sided Store - (17:56)
11. Last Place on Earth - (19:15)
Ashton’s Favorite Stores - (20:39)
Outro - (22:21)
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#boardgames #tabletop #tabletopgames

[@captainmofongo584]

There is an area to game at The Complete Strategist. You were right in front of the door/stairwell that led to it.

[@mistuhbear]

!!! I never knew that in all the times I’ve been there lol Thanks for the info, I’ll check it out next time I’m there

[@Shelfside]

Oh snap! Let me pin your comment! -Ashton

[@imissnewspapers]

@Shelfside I thought you were being ironic, the door to the IMMENSE gaming area was right next to you as you said there was no gaming area. I thought you would say “psych” and walk through. You gents should have just asked the staff.

[@deiv343]

I'm from Argentina so i never beeen on those but im opening the first boardgame cafe in my city like in 3 weeks from now. =) wish me luck

[@Shelfside]

best of luck man! Hopefully some of these stores gave you inspo :D -Ashton

[@jasonc2784]

Fantastic!

[@viewersdelight]

What's the name and place?

[@deiv343]

@@viewersdelight The name is "Craft" and its located in the city of Villa Maria

[@gregmay]

Thanks for visiting and glad to hear you enjoyed the stores! -Owner of Hex & Co and The Uncommons

[@ashtonwu7760]

Hey super awesome to see ya here, cheers :)

[@wverms]

Changing "cause I didn't have money in college" to "believe it or not I had billions in college" really caught me off-guard, lmfao.

[@SPQRKlio]

I remember making my first pilgrimage to The Compleat Strategist as a little kid and buying my first ever minis to paint. Wow, NOSTALGIA overload. I'll keep mum about a (different) place that treated our gaming group super-badly, and see how you liked it. I was actually planning to do a tour of the stores of NYC sometime soon, but definitely not all in a single day. Now I can sit on the couch in my fuzzy slippers and just watch from afar...

[@tedchevalier]

Squarrel is the hidden gem of board game cafes in the city. They have an INSANE library of games. If you go digging, they have some rare stuff in there, mostly donated by the amazing community that surrounds it. Right off Atlantic Center too.

[@Shelfside]

Awesome to hear! Yeah didn't have much time to dig much in their collection, but it was big! Looks like I'll have to give it another go -Ashton

[@wheelskis]

Just moved to LA from NYS, so I enjoyed the NYC vibes in the video even more. I went to the Complete Strategist last time I went to the city, and my friend only wanted to stay for 20 minutes, which was tough. There is a lot there, and having only 20 minutes felt like a race against the clock. They did not have At the Gates of Loyan at the time, which is rare and hard to find. However, they had so many games I had not seen in a while as well as tons of interesting looking strategy games that I had not heard of. The shop definitely has some mom and pop vibes. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely recommend if one is nearby. As for LA, it seems like it offers a little less compared to NYC beegee scene, but I still have more exploring to do. I have been playing weekly Geeky Teas and Games in Burbank with a friendly group that also likes to nerd out to mid to heavy Euros (Gaia Project, Ark Nova, and Dune: Imperium are what we have played so far). They have a good selection for sale, as well as a decent library available for $5 dollar unlimited gaming. They had several gaming rooms with a few Warhammer-y like tables and lots of table space with some decent tables and a booth. They have nice thematic art and decorations as well. The staff are also super friendly. I am looking to check out Turn-zero Games (K-Town), which looks a little D&D and MtG focused and Gameology (no showing as Games at My Place, Pasadena). Odyssey Games (Pasadena) seemed to be quite MtG focused with a decent collection when we went, but Geeky Teas and Games takes the cake on BG selection from what I have observed so far. This was a unique video. Thanks for making board game journalism and content!

[@DrFrankenolly]

Nice Persona needle drop, love those tracks and definitely works with the board game cafe vibe.

[@adamlong9728]

Loved loved experiencing your outing. Thanks for making greta videos as always.

[@Shelfside]

cheers man! Got some reviews in the works :) -Ashton

[@Sebastian-zd9et]

Shout out to the Twenty Sided Store. My store of choice for the last 10+ years.

[@spaceshipdiversions]

hey you were in my neck of the woods! I am often at Sip&Play; quality place Glad yall went to brooklyn. I'll check out some of the other spots in the video (wasn't expecting to have a shelfside vid so locally relevant to me, but I'll take it lol) Thanks for another great vid, hope you had a good time! :)

[@richardgalati1323]

I worked in the city for years. I would go to the Compete Strategist 2 or 3 times a week during lunch. Always enjoyed talking to the staff and owner Danny.

[@jamesmorgan1967]

I live just down the street from one of those places in Brooklyn, but my favorite go-to spot is Hex & Co: friendly and knowledgeable staff and great selection of games (though I usually bring my own). Compleat Strategist is a trip and the only place I could find a copy of The Red Cathedral (one of my favorite games) a couple of years ago.

[@idontevenknow9758]

I go to the complete strategist all the time! there is a section in the basement that hosts dnd games. I'm a regular so usually during my lunch break we talk about the latest games and such. Recently we had a whole discussion on Lords of Ragnarok (that new kickstarter game that finally arrived to stores). General conversations about how BIG board games are. Great people run the place and super helpful. They helped me order a bunch of books for Warhammer Fantasy.

[@joshuaregis4200]

What an awesome video. Made my day. Thank you

[@FalcoPunch27]

The other 2 Hex & Co locations are definitely worth checking out!

[@michaelcstachiw]

Nice, I usually hit the Compleat Strategist whenever I'm near Herald Square. Used to pop by Forbidden Planet back in the day. I had no idea the others existed.

[@Rulies]

Loved to see you visit some of my local spots! I wish you would have stopped to talk to some of the owners, most of them are really nice.

[@casualrob]

Every game store I've been to pales in comparison to The Compleat Strategist. I used to work nearby and would stop in there pretty regularly. Their selection (as you saw) is insane and the owner is super knowledgeable and helpful if you're looking for recommendations. Managed to snag a copy of Gloomhaven back when it was new and impossible to find anywhere, but they had one!

[@lamfgames]

This is really cool! I've been to Sin n Play and The Brooklyn Strategist. I need to check out a few of these soon though.😅🤩

[@mikemartell365]

Great walk through. As a teen in the 80s Forbidden planet which was at a different location & Compleat Strategist were my go to places for D&D modules. Now as an adult and no longer living in the city Compleat is still my go to and their preorder service is great. Love @hex&co particularly the OG by Columbia university. I had my sons birthday party there a few years back, the staff is always great and he loves going for their Friday night Magic drafts.

[@castorina1386]

Happened to be in NY this week from Dublin and wanted to visit the Hex & Co. in Broadway after having watched your video: nice atmosphere and kind staff! Thanks for the video!

[@Shelfside]

cheers mate! Glad the vid spurred you on to go there :D -Ashton

[@hisfantor]

loved that! would love to see more cities, more stores, more cafés :D

[@Shelfside]

oh my, ok I'll put it on the docket

[@kimoro9643]

ditto!!

[@frankndice]

Gamestoria in Astoria queens is a great store too. A lot of my collection came from twenty sided too

[@hughjayness2779]

Great video! I'm in RI where there is very little by the way of board game stores ans cafes, so it is very interesting to see wha all these places are like.

[@Shelfside]

Cheers! Yeah hope this gets everyone more in the know-how about the FLGS scene in general :D -ashton

[@blueseqperl]

My last NYC trip I went to Hex & Co (near Columbia University), Uncommons, and Compleat Strategist. It was a great experience. Compleat was overwhelming in terms of their offerings. The staff and customers were really friendly at Uncommons.

[@akmalfikri]

This is a refreshing episode.

[@Copterman]

Really interesting and unique video! Thanks for sharing

[@sebastienvivas9319]

Loved this side adventure!

[@Groegselmaschupp]

Great vid, guys! ahhh, the american way of life: buy buy buy buy buy buy buy😂

[@mrcatchingup]

Thank you for this video. I want to mention my favorite shop in Queens for buying Magic: the Gathering, Gaming Universe Corp at 133-18 lower level 39th Ave in Flushing, at the end of the 7 train. I was unaware of 1/2 the places mentioned in Brooklyn. As someone living in far Northern Manhattan, the trip out to Brooklyn is long enough on public transit I don't visit there often. As much as I rather play in my home or a friends home, sometimes we need to find new players for our favorite games and game shops Sith scheduled events are a good choice.

[@Shelfside]

Cheers! Glad I could share this with ya then. Lots of New Yorkers I talked to didn't know about all of these as well :) -Ashton

[@bossman4799]

I was in NYC recently visiting a friend. He took me to a place he liked (not one of these) and it was interesting to see a lot of other places in NYC.

[@kennethfharkin]

I live on Long Island and very rarely will go into NYC. When I do find myself in Manhattan I make a point of going to The Complete Strategist on my way back to Penn Station. The place is legendary and if you dig you will always find something hidden that time has forgotten.

[@KabukiKid]

Oh yes... you can find surprising finds in there.

[@misterdrgn5155]

I like board game meet-ups where you can just show up and find people to play games. I met my wife at a board game meet-up at a store in Chicago (Dice Dojo). But board game cafes have a different vibe--you go there with a group of people and you all sit together and play a game. That doesn't make as much sense to me. If I just want to play with friends, I'll go to someone's home to do it. Maybe that's just a luxury for people who own lots of games.

[@cheshirect]

The Hex&Co across from Colombia university on Broadway is pretty great

[@AdamJorgensen]

I think I actually visited one of these places way back in 2014 when I was on holiday with my wife. Picked up the first big box Eldritch Horror expansion. It was either Forbidden Planet or the Compleat Strategist.

[@Shelfside]

Oh nice! I would have to assume its the compleat strategist just based on their colection haha -ashton

[@torchlight1785]

That Persona 5 music is always great to hear!

[@Shelfside]

haha, I love it! So catchy and fun. -Ashton

[@JohnSmith-kl3nm]

Great video! I’m curious, who was your cameraman for those shots where both of you were talking to the camera outside and stuff?

[@andrewphillips5625]

Great video! We’d love to have you come down to Atlanta and we’ll show you our store (Level Up Games) and others in the area.

[@Shelfside]

cheers man! Might actually go one day, I got a friend in the area -Ashton

[@CGlied]

I grew up in Brooklyn and when I was a kid it was mandatory to stop at the Compleat Strategist on any trip to the city. I could swear for a fact that the carpet in that store is at least 39 years old.

[@calboy2]

I like this bear and otter love story ❤

[@plungy]

The best thing about Hero Quest is that it's still for sale!

[@kikkoarceo353]

Been going to Complaet Strat for years and surprised how it's not gotten in trouble for being a fire hazard yet lol

[@Shelfside]

hahahahaha I kept thinking, good thing you guys don't have earthquakes in NY -Ashton

[@dukster362]

Love this BG adjacent content!

[@Shelfside]

;)

[@KabukiKid]

As soon as I saw them look up at the Empire State Building, I knew exactly what store they were about to hit. Heh. I haven't been to the Compleat Strategist in years, but it still looks the same. That place hasn't changed since the 80s... 70s? First time I was there was in the 80s.

[@thehohcollective5201]

I bought my first dnd dice ever back in 4e at the complete strategist .

[@frankndice]

Love hex and co. Been going there for years

[@adamliny15]

3:05 Unmatched!!!!!!!!!

[@javidzhang]

What about Queens? aka the best borough? :)

[@mistuhbear]

We actually wanted to go to Gamestoria but just ran out of time 😦 Next time when Ashton comes through to NYC I'll drag him out to Flushing for some good food and hit up that spot haha

[@somefishhere]

@@mistuhbearAshton flushing food review let’s goooo

[@bastianvillebro6420]

Such a cool video!

[@dirtygerm0698]

Awesome trip it looks like!

[@Shelfside]

yep, a tiring one too tough haha -Ashton

[@kikkoarceo353]

Comlplaet strat got a downstairs area for tournaments and such, but reception is horrible down there lol

[@Shelfside]

Just ofund out through anohter comment! Pinned that guy's response :D -Ashton

[@KabukiKid]

I thought that downstairs gaming area got closed... or maybe that was just for COVID? Are they doing Warhammer games there again?

[@BBBreakfast]

Too bad you didn’t see Hex & Co on Bway and 114th. That spot is far and away the best imho. The warm community, the space, even the smell of it…mmmmm.

[@mistuhbear]

If we had time I would've liked to take Ashton to all 3 locations but trying to fit all these in one day was tough! I have yet to go to the upper west side location but I hear the tap lines are pretty nice

[@glowlog]

I wish there was such a thing as a "scene" where I live 😭. Great vid as always.(Also is that Persona Ost?)

[@compleatcommander8923]

Yes!!! It's the Persona OST, Butterfly Kiss

[@Shelfside]

Persona OST so fun! -Ashton

[@compleatcommander8923]

@@Shelfside one of the best soundtracks ever across any medium! Really gets you in a good vibe.

[@daem0nfaust]

Best. Date. Ever.

[@daem0nfaust]

@shelfside Also, I just want to point out that, if you've seen The World's End, this kinda resembles that? A board game store crawl?

[@GoufinAround_]

Games Workshop stores are just Warhammer stores now, nothing changed about them but the name

[@PsychicLord]

Now that you have successfully conquered NYC, time to plan London UK ;)

[@daBasementGames]

Not strictly a board game shop, more of a gamer club, ya’ll should review DaBasementGames in Brooklyn next time you swing thru!

[@Shelfside]

Noted, cheers! -Ashton

[@TheDragonsTomb]

Dang, wish I knew you were in town!

[@mistuhbear]

Don't worry I'll drag him back to NYC sometime down the line lol

[@mistuhbear]

Ashton I’ve been here for over 10 years, not 5 ;) Come back soon I miss you already

[@Shelfside]

That long already!!!!???

[@UraniumMilk]

Each store could have been an entire episode. 🙂 You guys crammed a lot into one day, it must have been exhausting. Reminds me of when I was a kid how my mom and aunt would drag me all over creation on epic shopping trips, and I would sometimes get irritable. I sensed some irritability between you too as well but you contained it for the most part, all that rice and sugary drinks must have caused your blood glucose to rollercoaster. 🙂Fantastic video as always.

[@mistuhbear]

Ashton and I always mess with each other but it’s all love haha 😂 By the end of the day we were both so tired and ready for our nappies 😴

[@Shelfside]

Hahaha it was an exhausting day for sure! Lots of sugary drinks, but it really is all love here -Ashton

[@nicholasschneider6655]

Tater tots is something that adults order in a restaurant/cafe??

[@KabukiKid]

They looked to "blonde" for me... too undercooked... but yeah, I haven't had tater tots since high school, I think. lol

[@fufu1405]

What does it feel like to be the best boardgame channel on youtube?

[@TheLordRossy]

Now do a London boardgame cafe trip

[@Shelfside]

hahaha, potentially :D

[@TheROne1974]

Is that all a city like New York has to offer in term of game stores ? Not very impressive. Strange...

[@KabukiKid]

Hate to have to agree. (I live nearby.) Despite being the gigantic city it is, it doesn't have as many gaming stores as you would expect.

[@Makeybussines]

[@JLH111176]

broadsword