Fantastic TCG store in Blue Bell! The space has a huge space for retail and even bigger space for tournaments, events, and games. They have good deals on their MTG precons and their singles are competitively priced.The staff here is incredibly nice and attentive when I visited for my first time. Thank you so much for being awesome! read more

The employees were nice and helpful, the cards were for fair prices, lots of selection, what else can you ask for?

I've been going here for years. Amazing staff and a great selection of games. Some of the customers smell really bad, but that's not the stores fault. read more

Been to this location a few times and keep coming back because not only is there a good selection but Kyle and Owen are awesome. They are super knowledgeable and just overall good dudes! read more

I have yet to stop by any of these stores where employees don't act like you've got three heads if you're not a regular. Every time I go it's so off putting I just wind up leaving and telling myself I won't go back. It's a real shame because it always just feels like a bro hangout rather than a shop for everyone. I just like games... read more

Update! I went back to buy dice. I walked in the store, made eye contact with the clerk, and said, "how you doing." Blank stare. I laughed a little and thought about the Yelp review update I was going to leave. I looked at the dice on display and asked him if they had any 10-piece sets (pretty standard for Dungeons & Dragons/Pathfinder). His response was a barely mumbled version of "this is all we have." Shaking my head, I walked out, saying "have a good one." Got a fully checked-out unintelligible mumble. Cool store, guys. read more

I came in with my 7 year old son because he wanted to start playing Pokémon in addition to collecting. The Pokémon league was really well attended (although I think he was the only kid) and Pokémon Professor Elliot helped him to learn how to play. He was so patient with my son, and he had so much fun. The person at the register was so helpful when we walked in, the whole day was such a great experience. We'll definitely come here any time for more cards. read more

Definitely a good card shop to check out! One of the first card shops I've ever been to and they're friendly! They sell singles which is definitely good for those who need em rather than buying random packs of cards! I'm getting back into YuGiOh and this place is a must stop by! read more

Hobby shop is the best description of this place. If you we're looking for comic books or graphic novels, this is not the place for you. They go hard on all things card game based. They also have a good amount of painting tools for replicas. Disclaimer: Magic tournaments on Friday nights can get a little wild. read more

This review is for the Wilmington, Delaware location. I have never visited the other locations. Alternate Universes is primarily a TCG shop, that is to say, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering, and Pokemon. They do sell some board games, and other misc items, but it's clear when you walk in that the trading card games are the primary focus here. I'm an avid fan of MTG, and absolutely love the fact that they sell foreign Magic cards, which can help spice up any decks you may have. I've visited plenty of times to just pick up a pack or two of these. The prices are pretty fair, and you can sometimes get a steal on certain cards. $4 for a booster pack, $5 for a foreign pack, pretty standard. Oliver is extraordinarily helpful, and friendly, and a huge reason why I returned several times for Friday Night Magic. Not a big fan of the other staff members, as they can be impersonal and awkward. Don't try asking for help if it's not from Oliver, the other staff members will make you feel dumb. I would give this a higher rating, but I am not fond of all the patrons. Most of the regulars are cut throat, impatient, or otherwise cruel. Watch out for the older (30+ years old) guys and the younger kids, they will not only get angry if you're a newer player, but they will be rude, touch your things, or try and rip you off in trades. There's a father-son combination that I found to be particularly mean. You're best served learning to play elsewhere. I am convinced that several of the players here cheat, and sneak cards into drafts so that they can win more booster packs. With that said, not everyone is like that, and you can meet some great people here. AlternateU offers the best prize support in the Wilmington, or Newark area for Friday Night Magic. They offer 'pity packs' - one booster pack to all players, if you win or not, which is unique for the area, and makes you feel like you didn't waste money. I've hit on the pity pack more often than the drafts I've worked with! Parking is relatively easy, but you'll find yourself walking a long distance sometimes. The store itself is a bit dated, but is clean. They are able to fit lots of people, but you might find yourself sitting almost on top of other players on the pre-releases and other popular events. Overall, I had some good and some bad experiences here. I've only ever visited this and Days of Knights, and I preferred this place only because of the foreign booster packs, the prize support for Friday Night Magic, and Oliver. read more

I gave Alternate Universes only two stars because it felt like I was walking into a "backwoods" hobby store. The decor was aged and looked like it was pulled together from garage and basement resources, and there really was little to no variety among the things for sale for the average gamer. If I were to bring my gamer girlfriend with me, she wouldn't have even walked in the door. The plus side was that the clerk working there was very attentive, he immediately put down his cards and ran to check up on me, which was great. The downside was again the fact that this place really only sells a few things: 1. Cards. (Magic/YuGiOh/Pokemon) 2. Things to put cards in. 3. Obscure war miniatures. 4. Paints for random miniatures. 5. Heroclix. 6. Obscure board games that could be purchased everywhere else (like Big Bang Theory themed party games, etc.) I had to do the awkward "walk in, take it all in, and walk right out" routine, which took under a minute. Having been to places like the Games Keep in West Chester, and Showcase Comics in either Granite Run or Bryn Mawr...this place is lacking big time. read more

Alternate Universes offers a great place to play tabletop and card games. It looks like they have a good amount of miniatures terrain, so I assume it's also a great place to play miniatures games as well. The store has plenty of table space, beverages for purchase, plenty of parking, a restroom, friendly staff, and restaurants in walking distance. While their selection of board games isn't as large as Games Keep in West Chester, it's growing. They offer a mix of classic hobby board games like Dominion as well as some new and popular titles like Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game. (Sorry, I know it might be lame to list two examples which are both deck builders, but that's what I happen to remember. I don't even like Dominion.) I understand the owners have been very receptive to suggestions from their customers regarding which games to stock, so don't hesitate to go in and ask for something specific. As I said before, the staff is always very friendly and accommodating. I'm a tabletop gamer and I don't play collectible card games or miniatures games, but they seem to have a decent offering of assortment of collectible card game stock and accessories and some miniature game stuff as well. read more

I love when I get to write glowing reviews of places! Last night I ventured to AU probably about a half hour before close, which as a retail vet I was sure wouldn't bode well on a holiday weekend. Couldn't have been more wrong! Sometimes I can be a little nervous about going into game stores when I'm new to the game I'm looking to invest in but this staff was absolutely wonderful! The game in question was Force of Will and if you have interest ask for Eric. He was so helpful, funny, knowledgeable and not in the slightest bit condescending. Honestly dude deserves a raise. Especially for me sitting through cards well after close... oops. But honestly he's obviously passionate, hilarious, and knowledgeable. He helped explain some useful cards for building a dark deck, as I mentioned interest in, and filled in the knowledge gaps from the internet on the two starter decks I had already procured. He even brought out his personal stash binder for us to peruse, and purchase we wanted to. We were also happy to find out about their FoW events on Friday that well absolutely try to make it to. read more

My favorite gaming/hobby store in the area! Best part is the friendly and knowledgable staff! The player base has a great range from serious to casual players, across tons of different games. I play Magic and attend prerelease events here, but I've seen people playing yu-gi-oh, Pokemon, force of will, and warhammer-esquire tabletop games. Also tons of board games. Like any game store, pick the crowd you're comfortable with and have fun! Between the staff and players, you feel welcomed here. The store is a little old but a good size, and can hold at least 50 people comfortably. There's also an online store, and they have two other locations in Holmes, PA and Wilmington, DE. read more

Great card shop with what I would say is a good selection. I also like how they will buy back cards since I am trying to unload some old Pokémon cards for newer playable sets. Two of my three interactions have been great with fair pricing and good conversation with managers and employees. Following each interaction and trade in of cards I was sure to purchase some from here since they were so good to me. However my last experience the clerk was not very talkative or friendly. It felt as though he rushed through the transaction and frankly ripped me off for value. After this experience i left feeling quite sad. With the mixed reviews I wanted to add my piece that some of the negative reviews are probably due to a bad apple. read more

My godson loved this place.. He is 10 and loves Yugioh cards... I was surprised to find the store full of grown men playing this Yugioh cards... Bizarre.. The store also smells like gym socks.. My godson assures me this is the spot for cards and I was able to make him very happy and only spent $20... So I gave them 4 stars... read more

The guy who runs this store is really great...he's really knowledgeable and helpful. This store sells mainly cards and card related items, and hosts card events multiple times a week. The atmosphere is laid back with no pressure to sell you things you don't want and the guy running it knows his stuff and makes himself available to help newbies and anyone else who needs it. its not the biggest or fanciest store in the world, but what they do, they do right. prices are competitive also. read more