First experience at a board game shop and it was a great one! This place has everything, including top sellers and staff selections so you really have a good place to start if your starting a collection. The staff there was super friendly and kind to my wife and I. There is also an area where you can try out games and play w friends, pretty cool touch. Will definitely go back for my board game needs. read more

This is a pretty cool spot! There are tons of games and puzzles for purchase in this hole in the wall game shop! At the register, you can purchase a drink (they even had our favorite CA brew over the summer!) and sit at one of the few tables in the back or upstairs and play a board game! It was pretty crowded the day we visited, but we were able to share a table upstairs. Love this little shop! read more

I love this place so much. I come twice a week and the staff and patrons are so nice. It's less noisy than Mox, so it lends itself to learning and teaching games a bit better. They also have a larger game library than Mox Ballard. Additionally, they have a frequent buyer program that amounts to about ten percent off after buying three games, depending on what math makes you feel better about spending lots on addicting board games :) Don't let my last statement be misleading, however: their prices are absolutely market competitive. They have some fun little models and nano blocks and puzzles too. I love them. Love love love read more

Stopped in while visiting Seattle. They have a great selection of games, well-organized by type with lots of staff recommendations. Best of all, they have a large game library so you can play games there, for free, as long as you like. They sell a few snacks as well as beer (including gluten-free) and cider. The staff were friendly and happy to give recommendations for games to try out, including walking us through the gameplay. I noticed a space on the wall for people to post meetups, such as looking for people to play specific times of games with, playtest games they'd developed, or just hang out. Seems like a fun place. read more

This has to be the best game store on the planet, simply because they actually let you PLAY the games! Half the space is dedicated to shelves piled high with all the games they sell, and plenty of tables and chairs for groups of all sizes to come sample the fun for themselves. As a game non-connoisseur, it's nice to be able to get a trial run before committing myself to a pricey game purchase. Who wants to throw down 40 bucks and then find out widget-opoly is the lamest game ever, and all their friends are shunning them for throwing the most boring game night in history? Ok, I doubt such things ever happen, but I still appreciate the sneak preview. Blue Highway also does birthday parties, and rumor has it they even go out to schools and throw game nights with all sorts of educational games to get those little noggins thinkin' and playin'. See, kids? Learning can be fun! read more

I think I'll just start with their motto, hanging proudly below their main sign: "Unplug and Reconnect." That's what Blue Highway is about. I'm a professional geek - I'm finishing up my Computer Science/Electrical Engineering double-major - but man, it's good to just sit down and play a board game, face-to-face, with real people. Blue Highway is stocked with a huge selection of board, card, puzzle, and every other kind of game that I know of - as long as it's a hardware, in-the-flesh, touchable, frobbable game. And they've got a whole pile of games that are available to come in, set up, and play at one of the many tables that make up half of their floor space. Many, many piles' worth, actually - they say 500+, and I believe it - organized nicely on shelves. And don't be scared by the promo above - they're available to grab and play whenever Blue Highway is open. Saturday night is busier, and better for dropping in and joining a game, but you can bring some friends and set up a game any day of the week. The staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. They obviously don't know the rules to all the games - there are a lot of them, and they're complicated! - but they're glad to recommend one or help you figure it out if they don't know it already. And the atmosphere is wonderful - as others have said, it's not a geeky-type gameshop, but also isn't overrun with kids playing Chutes & Ladders. They do have Pokemon/Magic tournaments, but that's definitely not their focus. It's just people enjoying some good board and card games - mostly novel, with some familiars, and an emphasis on Eurogames. It's a great place. They do have a punch card that pays out pretty quickly, and their selection is tremendous. But they really are glad to have you come in, grab a game, try it out with some friends, and leave. I suspect they're okay with this because they know that their games are addictive and you'll eventually succumb to their allure. But when a business model lets them just give you free reign to play whatever you want and relies on you wanting to take that fun home with you, I'd say that's a win for everyone. read more

Love this place. Love it. If you think you're over board games (what with Xbox, Wii, Playstation, etc) then you have got to come here because you will remember that BOARD GAMES ARE AWESOME. I actually came here because I wanted to get a new game to play at work. On Fridays we do a 30 minute team building session and we've always played Catchphrase. We're getting way too good at that game though so I felt that we should have a little variety. The Blue Highway staff are super helpful, but won't get in your way. Spent some time looking on my own, and then they offered to help and gave some good suggestions. And then there's the game cabinet. So they have all these games open for anyone to try out and play, and they'll even help you learn how. Boyfriend and I have since come back a couple of times and spent a few hours of free fun, and ended up buying one of the games. Redneck Life is a total keeper for anyone who has a sense of humor. =) Whenever we have a weekend with nothing planned, Blue Highway comes up and I'm sure we will find more awesome games to enjoy and buy. read more

So I'll contribute to the continuous string of five stars Blue Highway has been accruing. The place is big, nicely organized, with friendly staff and a huge selection of games. These are mostly board games and card games, with some chess and go items available as well. This isn't a discount game store though, all games are new and sold at retail. The best thing is that they have an open version of almost every game that you can try either in the designated downstairs area or up in the loft. I also like that they post their top 10 best selling. Try before you buy has never been so good. read more

Such a fun place! You can play games before you buy them, the staff will even guide you through the game mechanics, and if you like the game they'll offer similar game suggestions. I've only encountered one rude worker who ignored my husband as he was standing in line to purchase a game and later was rude to our group of friends because of a chair that another table had moved in the walkway. We still purchased our game but our friends decided to buy elsewhere. Other then that, everyone we bumped into seemed very friendly and at the end of the night we found a new game to add to our collection! I like this place but I did notice groups of people that essentially come in, take up space to play a game, and never buy anything. That sucks if you're going in with the intent to buy and you can't find a spot. If you decide to visit on the weekends, get here early and you'll be able to find an empty table! There's also an upstairs area where they host birthday parties. Check their website for the details! read more

I have lost track of the number of times I have been here, and I don't live or work conveniently close at all. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, every one of them. The games are well organized and pretty much every single one of them is available to try in the game library. The events they run (we have been to Magic, D&D, and birthday party events) function smoothly and, most important, everyone has fun. It's also very family friendly, with a big selection of games organized by age. I think they have done an outstanding job curating a collection of games that are actually interesting and fun, so parents can enjoy themselves without the mind-numbing torture of Candy Land ever again. It's a beautiful store, run by passionate and smart grown-ups who clearly love what they do. I am happy to recommend it to any of my friends, whether they just need a present for a birthday party or are a hardcore gamer. read more

Where have you been all my life? How did I not know about you? What a GREAT store! If you love board games, you will love this place. They have everything for people aged 5 to 95. I needed a "certain" thingie for a b-day gift with no time for shipping and happened upon this place online. Lo and behold they had my thingie and are four miles from my house. The auburn haired staff woman was awesome. She was friendly but went about her business. But when asked, she had a TON of helpful info. As a result, I managed to buy three additional "thingies" while I was there. I spent over $100 and got a reusable shopping bag as a reward. Woo-hoo! I love that they have a game library of open games so you can check out anything you are thinking of buying. The only drawback is that their prices are not competitive with online sources. They charge $50 for a game which is $30 online. I got great help/advice and was able to try before buying - to me that was worth full retail price. read more

A gaming hall Mecca on top of Queen Anne. Drop by for their game nights, or peruse on your own. Their purchase and library selection is super extensive considering it seems smaller in sq footage judging by its cover. There are also a few tables upstairs. Great location for downtown dwellers, with plenty of free 2hr street parking. read more

Blue Highway Games - Perrty colours @BlueHighwayGames - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was only in the store for about a minute before someone walked up to me and offered help to find something (thumbs up!). I usually don't have anything in mind when I shop and this was a great place to poke around. I was stoked to see that they sell chess pieces separate from boards. It looked like they had a ton of games to choose from. They also had cool puzzle books, brain teasers, mad libs, riddles, etc. I bought an extreme dot-to-dot book. It's definitely extreme. :) read more

Blue Highway Games - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

From Austin and love Emerald Tavern. Couldn't not find a board game cafe while vacationing. They were so welcoming and taught us a few games. Definitely stop in here and spend a lot of money buying a tons of games to play. This is how you make memories people. read more

Awesome place to spend a quiet (...sometimes) weekend! Took my girlfriend to try out some new word games (Jumbalaya & Quiddler) and we spent an evening figuring out how to play and trying to defeat one another. The staff is super kind and helpful, they have a huge library of games to try out before purchasing, and, again, I have nothing but respect for the staff... We had gone on a day where they were hosting a birthday party for a herd of crazy loud boys. Screaming, jumping, fighting, all sorts of mayhem, and all I kept hearing from the staff was patience and composure. Whoas. read more

I consider myself a serious board gamer, but I get annoyed with the general air of condescension I'm greeted with from some game store owners and employees. They are either busy making assumptions about you, or alternatively, trying hard to ignore you. The staff here was polite, asked if we needed any help, let us wander about, never pressured us to buy anything, and answered any questions that we had. Bonus points because they have MANY games available to try out and play, before you buy. Most importantly, it's very well organized. They categorize the games according the number of players too which is helpful in picking a game to try based on the number of people who want to play test it. There was a mix of people sitting around enjoying a quiet game when we went -- couples, parents with kids, etc. Their collection is also very eclectic -- from various kinds of brain puzzles and teasers to a sizable and impressive array of board games. Everything is displayed clearly, and they have different sections for types of games. For ex. co-operative, award winners, children's, family, etc. Blue Highway might just be my favourite board game store in Seattle. It's got the perfect blend of a well-curated game store, along with a coziness that just makes you want to wander around endlessly, and buy, buy, buy. True, you could find the games cheaper online. But, that's not the point now, is it? We left here with Battle Lines (great little game!) and an expansion set to Hive. It's dangerous. Don't say you haven't been warned. read more

I really miss working close to this store, no matter what my pocket book keeps trying to tell me otherwise! :P I'm a huge board game nerd, so it's always nice to be able to go in and talk to someone about the new or upcoming games. They have a very wide range of games. From childrens, educational, travel, casual, to hardcore. The layout of the store makes it easy to identify the different game styles and it's easy to see them all. They also have a gaming area where they host game nights if you want to stop in and try out a game before purchasing it. I ordered a game over the phone and had them put it on hold for me and they were super cool about calling me to inform me when it arrived and even holding it a few days extra for me until I could make it in to pick it up. read more

I'm a game geek and I heart this store. And, it's not just because It has all sorts of innovative, creative, "good" games (e.g. Alhambra, Settlers, Ticket to Ride, and Lost Cities). But rather, it's because they have tables where you can try out the games! I mean, when you buy clothes, you get to try them on. Why should it be any different for buying games? The staff is super friendly and seem to truly love working there. read more

Super friendly and helpful staff. Always willing to help and take reservations for out of stock items. They usually have a great selection. And their monthly e-mail newsletter is great. Prices are MSRP which is a bit more than some online places, but their events and game table keep me coming back. read more

Fun board game shop in Queen Anne. The store front isn't very large but they have all the great games. I love that they have the staff top-10 picks and also top games displayed on the wall. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. They host monthly game tournaments and events so check out their website: http://www.bluehighwaygames.com/servlet/the-template/in-dsh-storeevents/Page read more

I love this place! This is one of my favorite places in Seattle, and I frequently recommend it to friends and acquaintances. Blue Highway Games sells all manner of board games and card games. They have a vast selection of games and we all are finding new ones to try or buy. What makes Blue Highway unique is the ability to try before you buy. In the back of the game store there is an extensive selection of open games that are free to try out at any open table. Recently they started selling beer, cider, and soft drinks, so players can sip and play even longer! They also have a lot of nightly events including pub game night, Cribbage tournaments, game tournaments and more! The staff that works here is such a friendly group of people! All have played who knows how many games and offer great advice picking out games. They are all willing to teach you how to play one of the new games or offer strategies, so we never are afraid of a game's complexity. The owners are around often, and we've even had the chance to play cribbage together. Frankly in this day and age it is probably possible to get some of the games being sold for cheap on the internet, but I've never done it. I'm willing to go out of my way to come here just to support this place whenever I want to buy a new game. I really try not to give out five star reviews willy-nilly, but Blue Highway Games deserves every star. read more

I snagged a couple of certificates for this place so we stopped in to check them out. I called with a couple of questions and was very pleased after my conversation. The staff was super nice, offering to place the game on hold until we arrived. He also said that it wouldn't be a problem to use both certificates at the same time so come on down. The store is nicely laid out without feeling packed, like other game stores. The prices were also as I expected for the area, pretty much retail but shopping here means shopping local. I can justify a purchase now and again. Parking might be headachy but like the Hill, street spots are at a premium. read more

Holly game selection Batman!!! This is the best game store I have been to in Seattle, hands down! They manages to cram a wealth of games into a store smaller than most, without feeling cramped. I think this comes down to intelligent selection more than anything else. They have your classics and their expansion packs as well as the more obscure titles and even a few games we had never heard of before. With all this selection it can be hard to make a decision, so I greatly enjoy their selection of open box games for playing in store. The atmosphere here is perfect for gaming, with mismatched tables spread over two levels, the upper level being a small loft accessed by stairs that squeak just enough to give it character but not enough to make you question your safety. They also sell a limited selection of cold drinks and seem to have no problem with you drinking them while playing their games. It all adds up to a comfortable atmosphere which encourages you to take your time, learn the rules and enjoy a full game or two. The staff know a lot about games and are forthcoming with suggestions and advice. That said, they don't hover, aren't pushy and will let you play as long as you want without pressuring you to buy a thing. Of course, we couldn't leave without a new game! They mentioned they have game nights on the weekends so we will have to return soon to check that out. read more

Blue Highway Games - View from the upstairs gaming loft. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Super knowledgeable and friendly staff. Walked in with five young kids and they were cool with us hanging out for awhile. Amazing selection of games and puzzles as well as marbles for both adults and children. An area in back with tables and games for you to try out. It is very organized. European board gamers heaven! A definite must visit. read more

This place is great and one of the few of its kind (namely a store dedicated entirely to board/card games). I've been here a couple of times and they've always had the games I've been looking for. What I really think is awesome though, is that they have their own game library from which you can choose certain games you'd like to try-out. With it being difficult to really get a good idea of a board game through reviews, it's nice to be able to have the opportunity to play the ones you're interested in to see if you really would like to buy it. The added bonus was that they allowed my dog to come in and sit with me. A testament to how cool this place is, they had no problem with a 90 lb pitt/shep coming in and having the time of his life as people would pet him while I engaged in ultimate combat against demons of the realm. read more

Great selection of games for adults and not just kids. Similar prices to what you'd pay online. But they gave my husband a discount when he bought 4 games. I'd rather support a local business, so thanks for keeping competitive prices! Staff are helpful. Shop has nice ambiance. Will definitely be a repeat customer. read more

As a big fan of board games I was really pleased with their selection. They had a lot of games that I had never heard of with the games that we're all familiar of. Their pricing was normal, not high not low. I have to say that their service was amazing. When I walked in I didn't have a specific game that I was looking for so I was browsing for quite a while. I was blown away by the knowledge of the guy helping me as he was familiar with each game that I asked him about. He would give me the gist of how to play, what games it's similar in style to, and how popular it is. Another thing I appreciated was the area to meet your friends and play board games. They have a great selection of games (looked like 100+) and there is no charge. You can just come in and play games for free. They have snacks and drinks for sale but you don't have to buy anything. It's a great way to try out a game before buying it. read more

This place is awesome! You can come in and play any of the games in their library at their tables for free, and their staff are super friendly and fun! Their game is selection is simply rad, and they're quite knowledgeable about board games! They also know a bit about card games as well as tabletop gaming and even teach classes for each! If you happen to be looking for a group to play certain games with, want to learn about some games, or want to start your own gaming group, they have a poster board in the back for people to post bulletins for such occasions with info and times for meetups! This place has tons of events too so grab a calendar and see what's up! :D read more

Best business ever. My hubby and I have fallen in love with this place ... for so many reasons! We love that you can come and try almost any game they sell (for free!!!), as they have a "library" of games in the back, and lots of open tables. The staff are always willing to help out - explain a game, help you find something, or let you know if they can get a particular game that they don't carry at the moment. Like I said, best business concept ever. Props to these guys... and like their tagline says "Unplug and reconnect" ... we need more of this these days! Thanks for such a wonderful gem! read more

We love Blue Highway Games. I really adore that I can enjoy a bottle of hard apple cider or IPA while checking out one of the hundreds of board games that Blue Highway sells. My favorite thing about this quaint little game shop is the upstairs seating that lets you get away from the foot traffic inside the store. On the down side, being on Queen Anne creates parking issues for those of us who don't Uber everywhere in Seattle. I've been ticketed previously for parking at the Safeway across the street while attending a tournament at Blue Highway. That's a problem for all of the Queen Anne businesses though, so I won't fault Blue Highway too much for that. read more

What a fun place to shop for toys. In addition to an excellent selection for board games of all ages, they had a huge swath of options for playing right in the shop. Very grateful to find a few well priced options to entertain our kids during our stay. read more

Curse you Blue Highway Games, every time I try out a board game here, I want to buy it. =) The board game library here contains hundreds of games to try, so unfortunately, the employees don't know how to play all of them (Eurogames have a lot of rules), but if they do, they will gladly teach you how to play. There are about seven large wooden tables set up ready for some game-play, they fill up pretty quickly on Saturdays. Some fun things that this store offers are one day game tournaments, used game auctions and a college discount on Fridays. My only bummer is that there is no discount for non-college aged folks. I'd like to support this store, but sometimes the online prices are too good too refuse. read more

Sometimes just plain ol' YAHTZEE!! doesn't cut it. Apples to Apples, psh! I even get bored when playing Monopoly after the first 30 minutes. So, when searching for some higher learning games or something a little more mentally challenging I will run over to Blue Highway Games. The store isn't like your typical gamer hot spot (Thank God!), its vast collections of mini travel games, puzzles, stimulating, child learning, as well as off the beaten path - the selection is pretty expansive for this little shop and well worthy of a stop in. Another great factor is the atmosphere. Its neither swarming with kids or hardcore gamer nerds. This place will be in my top choices for future birthdays and Christmas gifting. Neat stuff! read more

Very most awesome. So, cool that you can play the games here. Huge wide selection. Geek heaven. read more

Not sure if they do it every Friday night, or not, but we went with some friends to their game/beer night. For only $3 you could pick from a pretty good selection of bottled microbrews. They have a huge selection of games open that you can grab and play with your friends. The store was good and busy with people playing all types of different things. We played a fun deck builder game that was new to most of the group and were able to play a couple of rounds. The staff was super laid back, I don't think anybody felt rushed to clear a table, but also very helpful if people had a question about a particular game. They even had a raffle for some prizes supplied by one of the breweries, Ninkasi. In the store they have a really big selection of games for any interest, whether it's for families, more complex strategy games, or resource management, pretty much whatever you're looking for on whatever theme you like. It seems like there are lots of really good game stores in this city, but I'd definitely put Blue Highway near the top. read more

Blue Highway is a terrific store. They've got an amazing selection of games, most of which I've never heard of. They have lots of rarer and more obscure games. The staff is really helpful and will help you pick a game that will be right for your and your friends. Perhaps the most impressive part of the store is the back, where they have opened copies of every game in the store that you can sit down and play for as long as you'd like! On Friday and Saturday nights, the store is open late so people can come and get together and play with other game enthusiasts. This is a really fun store; I'm sure anyone could find something that would suit them and their friends. I haven't been for one of the game nights yet; if they are fun then this is a truly awesome store. read more

This place is totally my new favorite find. I'm so enamored of it, I don't really want to tell any of you about it cause I want to keep it all to myself. But that's not very helpful to them now, is it? No. So here's why I like it (you'll need the super secret decoder ring for #3): 1. They have an amazing selection of non-mainstream games. The store is full of games you've likely never heard of and they have a few that you have probably played as well. 2. The staff is super helpful and not weird like you'd imagine a game store staff to be. They also do not smell as bad as your average "gamers." In fact, I have not found them to smell at all. 3. That's enough, isn't it? You don't really want to know what #3 is. It's not actually important or helpful in any way. So just stop reading now and go away. 3a. Blimey you're greedy, aren't you? The super secret thing is - you can go in on Friday and Saturday nights and play their huge library of games for FREE! They have some tables and a cute little loft and they sell soda and snacks. On Saturday night they even have extra staff to help you figure out how to play the games. But don't go. It's really not that great. read more

My boyfriend and I love this store! It has a great selection of Euro games (which we love) as well as a bunch of kids, classic, travel, etc. games. They also have quite a few local selections (if you didn't know we had game developers in the NW). The staff is friendly and generally knowledgible. They have a huge selection of opened games and the back half of the store is devoted to this "library" and open tables to try them out. They host a lot of events, and if you're looking for cheap secondhand games, their used game auction in the fall is VERY worth it! The store is always clean, and very beautiful wood interior to play in. I will admit, my man and I buy expensive games frequently online (they can be 30-50% cheaper, and free shipping when you do a big order...which means a lot when your games are $80 MSRP) but we do try to spend $30-40 every month or two in here, because we want to keep this place in business! My only complaint was this past summer I noticed they had a boule set. I asked the guy if they would keep ordering for the summer or if these were the only sets they had (I was low on cash at the moment). He said they'd keep ordering all summer. About a month later (July) I was ready to buy and they were out, so I put my name on the waitlist to be called when the next order came in. I kept asking every couple of weeks and three times I got the answer that new sets would be in "next week" although I never saw any and never got the call. Oh well! Still a great shop... read more

This is a super cool boardgame store with a very nice layout and aesthetic. It had a nice coffee shop type appeal to it.. The design of the store was very welcoming. They had a lot of interesting games to look at and the store was well-organized to find what most interests you. Probably the best game store that I have been in. The staff is a little hit and miss... in the several times I have visited, some are eager to smile and welcome you readily. Other times, it is as though you haven't been noticed. But once settled in, they always do a great job of leaving you to shop without being overly bothersome. read more

LOVE! A great place to play and learn board games. They have a HUGE selection of board games in their library for anyone to pick up and play. There are several open tables and chairs both downstairs and upstairs. Saturday nights 7-11pm they have staff members available to teach a game for free. This is a great place to meet new people and bond with old friends. read more