A large and clean game store for all your play needs. Atomic Empire is a game store for all physical gamers, be it trading cards, board games, wargames, or pen and paper games. They have a selection of games to try out and plenty of sitting space for you and your friends to test out and have a good time. They offer a wide variety of singles on their website. By buying them and picking it up in store, you save on shipping, giving them the selection of an online retailer with lower costs. Their prices are most comparable to TCGPlayer, minus delivery fees. Atomic Empire also carries a limited selection of comics and graphic novels, a nice to have for sure. They also sell plenty of gaming accessories from dice to paint to playmates to deck boxes. Unlike many game stores I've been to, Atomic Empire is pristine. High ceilings and proper ventilation provides constant fresh air. Bright lights and clean floors provides a welcoming atmosphere. It's a pleasure to take your time and browse a store that's so well maintained. Atomic Empire is excellent to game in or simply hang out at. read more

Enjoyed walking around the store with my partner, who plays a role playing game there on a regular basis. Lots of games and related supplies for sale, and a large game playing area. Nice staff, too. read more

Great gaming store. It's actually quite large inside. They have retail space as well and tables set up in the back for gaming. We came in with my son and daughter in law. We are not gamers but they are and they frequent this place quite often. If you can't find it here --- you probably don't need it !!! Plus it's next door to Li Ming's and who doesn't need some Asian food along with their games. read more

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These guys are awesome! What a huge store though most of it is devoted to the gaming community. What a cool spot where people can go in and play games, to join each other's company and slay the dragons whatever. Pretty good comic book selection area also, plenty of racks and things to look at and will organized by publisher. They also have an incredible mail order comic program, too, even allowing you to go on and select specific covers. Great business, good people and really what you would want to see from someone operating in this industry. read more

Atomic Empire - Hobby Shops Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Ashely was very helpful and they have literally anything you could want or need. The place is very organized and it's easy to find what you're looking for. read more

Put in an order and it gave me a shipping timeframe with the last day it could arrive on was the day before I left for Gencon so i put the order in. Checked the status on Monday and it still as not shipped, called customer service and though she was nice, the best she could do is cross her fingers and hope it gets here before I leave. She told me they had two call offs on Friday and that's why it was not shipped on time. I'm sorry, even with call offs you need to make sure to fulfill your orders. Did not meet their shipping deadline and no help with customer service. read more

This place is fairly amazing and huge on the inside. Lots of comics and collectibles. Bonus for the gaming area in the back. Staff is friendly. I noticed some of the staff floats around asking customers if they need help. Can't say enough the size of this place and their large inventory. read more

Cafe, immense gaming space, classic and new games galore! This exciting space makes me drool over the gaming scene in Durham. Poke me! Am I dreaming? On a Sunday afternoon, look at this gathering. It is pure magic! Look at my Lab Dice! They are to die for! read more

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Best Game Store in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. It offers drinks beyond the boring/unhealthy/childish sodas that other game stores are stuck with. read more

Female answering the phones was less than helpful, and by the end of the call seemed to be gleeful about her nonwillingness to assist me. I know lots of people have great experiences here, but all I've seen in my two trips and this phone call is non existent customer service. Sad... Take your money to a decent shop like The Gathering Place, East Coast Games, or Battle and Board. Unacceptable... do better Atomic read more

nice staff. huge selection of retail and plenty of space to roll dice. plus having a beer tab there is cool

If you're interested in gaming of just about any kind, this is a place you should visit. Not only do they have a large range of games and gaming supplies for sale, but they have an area where you can meet with friends to play games that you either bring yourself or buy and play together. They have food and drink (limited on both, but enough to mention), props and building materials so that you can creatively create whatever gaming situation you can imagine. They recommend masks, and the staff is masked, and they clean regularly, which means they care about their customers. If you're someone who wants to play regularly, they host several different online registration/reservation/meetup services, to help you find like-minded folks with whom to play. read more

They have no many games!! It was a bit intimidating when I first visited but I'm comfortable enough to walk around now lol They have cool yard sale going on in the back sometimes. Games, plushies, and more! I've gotten Pokémon themed deck of cards and a pikachu plushie bag for less than $7! Often times people are playing and trading in the back. They occasionally do host game nights too! I found that the prices for board games are cheaper than buying online or other store. I've only looked into the gamess I was interested in though. read more

- Atomic Empire has excellent customer service. - Events are well organized and begin promptly. They have assigned seating and a judge present at events. - They have the largest selection of merchandise of the hobby stores in the RTP area. - They have a great singles selection. - It's very spacious. read more

I realized an online pre-order I made through atomic empire used a card that I had recently closed out. So, I called them to update my card information, but the woman on the phone was so condescending in the most oddly polite manner that I have ever seen... I let it slide for part of the conversation but when she continued to talk down to me, I decided to just cancel the order all together. I ended up going on to Reddit to see if anyone else had in recent issue with their customer service and discovered there were more than a few others who had recent complaints. Live and learn, I guess. I won't be purchasing anything else from them or directing any of my players there. read more

This review is for Online Ordering, I have never been to the actual store. I have ordered online maybe 5-7x and every time the shipment is late, currently my order is 5 days late and at least 4-5 days away still as it appears FedEx still uses horses. The prices are very competitive and they have a great selection of games and accessories, and I realize once it is shipped it is not their problem, but this is the only place I order online and always have shipment problems. I am in California and nothing gets to me in less than 10-14 days :/ Just sharing for others I am not putting all of this blame on the store but something is off with online shipments. read more

I do have a suggestion for future issues related to general customer service. I'm a customer.. I had nothing to do with a lost shipment but was greatly impacted by your response to the problem.. First, the items I ordered and payed for were a month late before I brought it to your attention, I'm sure you would never have noticed on your own.. Second, after I brought it to your attention.. it took another week for you to issue me a refund, again delaying the solution. Third, now I have to manually re-order the books myself as opposed to you guys making any attempt to correct the problem on your side. I admit, that your service is convenient... and that comic books aren't critical, but there are many many other choices online and locally to receive similar service. It would have been nice if you had just acknowledged that the order was lost and included the missing books with my next order automatically. Instead, I had to send you 9 emails... you just don't seem that interested in the business aspects of your business. Just a suggestion.. take it for what it's worth. I see you have a good reputation online and at the BBB, but I'm not sure how accurate that is given this encounter. As a follow up, I went back to my account and verified that I was slated to receive the missing items... it looks like there are issues missing from the last time I received a shipment. I've cancelled my account. read more

I had no idea what to expect when walking into AE. My bride and I were intrigued so we decided to give it a gander. I was thinking it might be a hobby shop, and in a way, it is, but it is more of a collectibles and gaming shop with a snack/coffee shop and some merchandise that goes along with the major themes. Board games lined up one wall - games I've never heard of. Comic books are in another section near the games, and the merchandise is another section altogether. I agree with the sentiment that the way things are displayed can seem a bit strange, but there still seems to be some method to the madness. I'll have to come back here with my daughter so she can check out what they have for her comicon cosplay adventures. read more

Such a fun space! You walk into an amazing comic book/collectible/game space, and in the back is a bar and tables for some crazy WoW/Magic like games. What a great place to spend some time. Staff are always super friendly and helpful. read more

Order an item over their site online. The box was discolored and taped up on the sides like it was part of a window display. Nothing at all like the perfectly pictured item on their site. Nothing a collector would want, so I gave it to toys for tots and buy the item elsewhere for the holiday season. read more

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This review is just after one online order with them. Ordered some short boxes as they had a great price on their site. It was so great that I did that online chat with them to make sure the item was in stock and for the price that was listed. That was confirmed. Order placed, shipped in about two days, I received my shipping confirmation with tracking information, received the order about 4-5 business days later and the product was very well packed with ample tape on the box and filler to secure the contents (I didn't want my boxes all banged up). Perfect transaction and order. No complaints. read more

Atomic Empire - Pack of 10 comic short boxes. Look at all the packing material they used. Excellent. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This company took my money in December for items that were listed online as "in stock." Now it's May and I still don't have my items. They contacted me to tell me that they will now send them if I pay them. I already paid for the items. They now insist that I did not despite my having a receipt and an email from their customer service indicating that I paid. Upon hearing that I have the written proof of purchase, the customer service stopped responding to my attempts to contact them. This company is nothing but absolute thievery, and you should NEVER ORDER FROM THEM. read more

Unfortunately, I can't rate this place with no star. In my several dozen or so visits, I've had one good experience. During that one particular visit, I entered and it was fine. Nothing went wrong, nothing felt "off". It may have been because there was a board game tournament going on. These d&d players were doing d&d stuff or whatever and the staff must have been distracted. Every other time I have been made to feel unwelcome by the faculty or perhaps other customers comfortable enough to speak on behalf of the store. A perfectly good comic store ruined by entitled man babies. read more

I believe I was sold an scale and violet obsidian flames 36 booster pack bundle box with resealed hair strainer used to shut the packs

Ordered a rare board game from these folks as a Christmas gift and it arrived ahead of time, really well packaged and in perfect condition. Other people were price gouging for the holidays and these guys didn't. Now will see if I can convert a friend into a Eurogamer :) read more

Solid selection of board games. But, most everything else you'd expect, too. Current comics? Check. Back issues? Check. Miniatures? Check. Gaming tables? Yep. Paint and supplies? Check. Helpful staff? Certainly. Local brew beer? Absolutely! What more could you ask? Next time you're in Durham, drop by. read more

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Let me tell you about this place: it has everything. EVERYTHING! New issues, old issues, trades, supplies, gaming stuff, treats and snacks, beer (you read that right), awesome bathrooms, friendly staff, it smells good, it is super spacious and it has natural light. It is clean. It is family friendly, even baby friendly. It is everything! read more

Atomic Empire is a one stop shop for your gaming needs. They have a wide variety to choose from and often have live events from beginner to expert. It's a great place if you're new to the area and looking to network and become part of a regular group for Magic, D & D and more. The staff is super friendly and they have a few beers on tap as well. Go check them out! read more

If in high school you were more likely to see the inside of a locker than a girls crop top, you'll be accosted by a dewey sense of nostalgia just setting foot into this place. The aroma of nerd paraphenalia is strong, scents of Magic and Warhammer, subtle hints of pokemon, a distinct frisson of Dungeons and Dragons. The sheer volume of nerdy products at this place is mind boggling. Boardgames, card games, comics, trade paperbacks, action figures, dice, and probably a bunch of stuff I don't remember. You'd be hard pressed to find a nerdy need left unsatisfied. They host tournaments for magic, pokemon, have board game nights, comic subscription plans, deck protectors, card boxes, dice, dice bags, expertly crafted and painted environments for those figurine table top games, and if that weren't enough they serve beer too. Less obviously advantageous is the location. Burger king, taco bell, El rodeo, Li ming (an enormous and impressive asian market), and target are all within 500 feet, meaning you could practically live in this nerd Mecca. read more

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Cool selection of games and comics, including boutique board games, indie RPGs, and even a section highlighting local designers!

I found this place since it's next door to the big Asian supermarket. It's a big place on its own! There's a lot of game tables in the back half of the store. I've gotta investigate it further! read more

I warn you first, I'm not a gamer, but my husband is. I play what he brings home for us to try. Very friendly and helpful store people. Lots of browsing items and fun to see the Dr. Who coats. This is somewhere I could comfortably go with a list or an idea and get help to find a gift. read more

Atomic Empire - Hobby Shops Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place is better as a hang out than an actual store. This is a cool place to snack and lounge but the comics were kind of expensive as well as some of the collectibles that were commons. The cosplay stuff that they have in stock is pretty neat too and I've never seen D&D stuff sold in a store but the Funko Pop boxes were damaged and minimal to choose from. The comic section did have a deal Area too which was nice and had variety but they were still about 3-5 dollars each for older comics. They should try to work on their prices a bit and be more caution about box condition for collectibles. read more

I came in just to browse some board games, but they had a few games in stock that I've been looking a long time for, so I happily got one. Person at register was also happy to explain to me how pricing works if I wanted to sell some of my old Magic the Gathering cards. I will definitely come back the next time I am looking for a board game. read more

Having ordered a booster box from across the country, I was quite pleased with the packaging. My box arrived blemish-free, was fantastically secured within the box by the filler material, and included the buy-a-box promo card. I even called them to thank them for the quality of the packaging. A+! read more

This is the premier gaming stop in the RTP. The staff are super friendly and are super-helpful--I was kind of stunned by other reviews alleging unfriendly behavior. In non-covid times, they have a large play space that is host to lMagic tournaments, D&D (5e), Pathfinder and Warhammer. They sell a complete array of adult and nonadult refreshments, so you can quaff beer while your barbarian slaughters orcs. They also have a rack in the back with several tens of games to let you try a new came before buying one. The selection of games is amazing, with many role playing titles plus 100s of board games, war games and card games. The mini section is gigantic with fantasy, war game and sci fi minis. I love Atomic Empire. I think you will love it too. read more

I ordered something a month ago, and I never got a shipping confirmation. Thinking that was odd, I logged into my online account and saw that it was already past the last expected delivery date. They didn't say a word to me and I had to track them down and wait for them to fumble some response about their next shipment coming "next week" and that they'd ship it to me after that. Another week went by and nothing. I asked them again and they switched up their story and said they don't know when they're getting the next shipment. I asked for their supplier contact in which they ignored my question so I demanded a refund. What a headache. They take your money and do not communicate with you and are unapologetic about their lack of communication. They are oddly candid about their lack of concern. Skip this place. read more

I ordered an ALIEN Chestburster coffee mug from them that was on sale on their website. Mug came on time to Kenner, LA from NC per the timeline stated in the comfirmation email. Absolutely no complaints. Mug came packaged well with lots of protection on the inside of the box. 100% satisfied and I'm drinking a cup of Community Coffee out of it at my office as I type this. I would defnitely order from this great company again. Thanks Atomic Empire! read more

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This is a review for their online services. I was able to find 4 volumes in the Archie Married Life series that I had missing from my collection easily on Atomic Empire's website. My local comic book store couldn't even find/order these for me, and I was dreading that I'd have to cough up $50 or more a piece for some of them on ebay. While they didn't have every volume in the series, they had the ones I needed and the prices for them were what you'd expect to pay for a newly released graphic novel, not the sky rocketing prices some people are asking online because they are oop. That said, yes perhaps the communication is a little off because I didn't received an order confirmation email, but when I ordered, I made and account and in that account section on their website you can actually see that, yes your order was placed and is being processed, etc. This is enough for me to know my order is being taken card of. I did receive an email four days later saying my order was being shipped and it was the complete order, no missing volumes, no issues. Today my books arrived just fine via usps and I am very happy with my purchase from them and would be happy to order again from them in the future! read more

Great selection of comics, board games, puzzles, miniatures, paint supplies for said minis, etc, plus tables for playing and a super friendly staff. Fantastic place. read more