I went in a couple days ago and bought a couple gemstone dice as gifts. When I opened them, one was chipped and they were happy to exchange it, displaying their exceptional customer service. Everyone was very nice, professional, and knowledgeable on any questions I asked. Their store is full of any casual or serious board game you can think of, as well as miniatures, and supplies to paint them. Overall, it's a very nice store with good prices and I recommend anyone go there for any board game related needs. 10/10 experience overall! read more

Stopped by a few times and they have a great selection of games and some mini-figures for Warhammer, etc. It looks like the host games which is cool. The prices seem pretty reasonable, definitely suggest stopping by even if you just browse. read more

Chicagoland Games - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome selection, standard pricing. Lots of game variations! Great, friendly staff! Lots of opportunities for game play, painting classes, etc. Loads of games (huge wall to the ceiling) with board games to try before you buy. read more

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The selection is pretty good. LOTS of singles for deck building. Stocked up on precons and packs. Decent space to find games on the scheduled nights. But a huge red flag for me is the costumer service. My god, is it awful. You'll get someone one day that is super helpful and very informative on any questions you may have. Then there's the ones that look and act like they want to be anywhere else but there. Sighs, attitude, and patronizing tones when giving any answers. MTG is a social experience and some workers here lack the skills to make communication feel good. Half the time, the place leaves a bad taste in your mouth in terms of employee interaction. I'm questioning if it's even worth going here anymore. This sucks because the place used to be very cool. read more

Really incredible shop, so many board games to try out! I have been here a few times just to look around but never purchased anything until today. I did call the shop a day earlier asking if they purchased something and the person on the phone was very helpful. I can see how this place has a super high rating. You will likely meet a bunch of cool people into a shared hobby. Anyway, bought a Warhammer 40k kill team pack for $75, it's currently $63 online (plus I could get an extra 5% off using a store card). Figured might as well support this awesome shop and had an itch to mess with the model kit :) When I had my stuff ready for purchase I walked up to the register and put it on the counter. The employee was hunched over and appeared to be playing a game on his phone. After 5 seconds without him even looking up I said "I'm ready". Without saying anything he began to ring up the items and let me know how to pay with my CC. Then all he said was "you're finished". No receipt was given to me and had to ask for a bag. It was a strange interaction and felt like I was bothering someone who was more interested in playing some trash mobile game. Second guy came over about the time when I had asked for the bag and he really had a much more friendly vibe. He actually handed the bag to me because the other person immediately went back to their mobile game. Maybe phone dude had a crappy day or he just loves his mobile game, dunno. Should probably encourage cashiers to be at least a little more engaged. Obviously I'm excited about the idea of a local game shop and want to support it. But this had me asking myself why bother. read more

Great hangout! HUUUUGE wall o games you can play for free to determine whether or not you want to buy. Or...if you're like me, come spend a day and play with a group of friends. Or make new friends! They've got drop in adventures of D&D on Saturdays. They've got a constant stream of Magic The Gathering tournaments and stuff. Since covid they no longer welcome food or open (non-resealable) drinks, which is fine by me. Masks aren't enforced (which is not so great by me), but "encouraged" (ok, ok) I love this place. I wish their south side location had been as cool and had flourished because the only part that sucks for me personally is how far I have to come to get there. The store is very well kept and has a lot of great games and components for purchase. I don't know what more can be said, this is one of my favorite places in Chicago and I've never really seen any place quite like it! read more

I've been here to buy some games, and generally found something I wanted. I haven't been to the board game night, which has piqued my interest but never made it there. They have a humongous board game library and a large play area--there are entire shops in the Chicago area that have the same amount of space as this store does just for playing, so that's pretty cool. Like many game stores, their major trade is in cards--Magic cards, etc. My understanding is that that's where game stores tend to make the most money, so makes sense, and luckily this place has a pretty large board game selection as well. You'll find things for game lovers along the whole spectrum here, from Root, Vindication, etc. to TTR, Carcassone, etc. Unfortunately, they don't buy board games. That note on their website that they're "always buying, trading, and selling"? That's apparently for Magic cards only. Boo. read more

Huge selection! Was running to board game party and the team was able to quickly help me find what I needed!

They have a lot of games in stock. Prices are fair for getting your board game right away. Staff is very helpful. I wish they were closer to me on the southside of chicago. read more

Friendliest environment ever. If you're intimidated by board games as a lot of people may be, this would be a perfect place to try and break that barrier. You can definitely make new friends here too! ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 10/10 Friendly place. Nice storefront. Nice back area with shelves and shelves of every board game you could possibly want to play. There's a basement too for more private play. Excellent place. SERVICE: 10/10 Staff is super friendly and very helpful. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 10/10 Sadly, it's a little far for me now to go, but I'd definitely go here when and if I could again and again. OVERALL: 10/10 read more

The Dice Dojo is the place for board games, card games and role playings games. There is a board game library that you can borrow nearly any game and play (in store) before you buy. They have an events calendar at their website that includes official tournaments (for games like magic) and all sorts of events for young/old. A great source of community for anyone into tabletop gaming! read more

BYOB and endless games to choose from. This place is a gem! Almost a little overwhelming with the amount of choices... we went with classic Yahtzee but you could easily spend all day in there trying new games. read more

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Great selection. Pricing appeared very fair. We paid less to buy games here that we could immediately enjoy or gift than we would have had we ordered them online. Staff knowledge is siloed so call ahead if you want to know what days the engine building person works or someone who specializes in war strategy games. We talked to a person who loved deck building games and purchased his recent favorite game. He was able to speak in general terms about engine building games. They had multiple copies of Wingspan for $60! They had a Twilight Struggle. They deck game They had a lot of stock. No obvious games playing room nor practice areas. No obvious open table space. They used to have playing opportunities on Saturdays, pre-pandemic. For the pandemic: staff socially distances and wears masks. It's a big open space, albeit with stock on the floor. It was not crowded during our visit and we did not have to navigate around other clients, though we saw them across the room. read more

Woah! This place was absolutely amazing! They have so many games, popular games, expansion packs/ sisters to popular games, and so many hame I've never even heard of. If you are looking for a unique board or card game that you can't find at the big box stores, this is your place. The worst part about this place is that you can get caught in a time warp just browsing all the games. They have a connected room where they sell discounted games and have game days where people can come play. The employees were really friendly and helpful, but not overbearing or hovering. I would say this place is a little more on the pricey side, but hey, who doesn't love to support small businesses. read more

Huge selection of games that one can play for free. Like most places in Chicago, it's a BYOB. I am new to boardgaming and I love this place. There's tons of new and old games, but there's no order to arranging them so they are kinda all over the place and takes a bit of time to find, but they are still good. The games shop is attached to the play area and has shiny new versions of the games. read more

Chicagoland Games - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Super fun place with a huge variety of games, and multiple versions and expansion packs of the same game! They have 3 areas; the store, the board game area, and the wat gaming room downstairs. While most places require you to pay to play, this place allows you to truly demo games for free and for as long as you want. The staff here is friendly and helpful, willing to help you find games but also recommend good games too. If this place was closer I would probably come often. Great vibes! read more

Y'all are insane, but in a good way. Visited the store on a few occasions and it's really an amazing store. From the helpful employees, to the great selection of games to purchase, to the gaming area - we we're thoroughly impressed. Then, we recently decided to purchase a game from the online store this week (during these hard times) and the quality/speed of the delivery was insane. Granted, the game was about $5 more than you can buy from other sources, but I wanted to support local and the way my order was handled sealed the deal for me to support the store regardless of the price in the future. Thank you all. read more

Chicagoland Games - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is not only great for board game hobbyists, but I treat it as a "must visit" for out-of-town guests and tourists. The staff are super friendly and helpful for gift and holiday shopping for game enthusiasts, kids, or even something fun for a friend if you're not familiar with the variety of games out there. I don't do tabletop games myself, but a friend of mine always makes a point when visiting to check their Warhammer selection when in the area. The thing that makes it special though is their open play area on Wednesdays. There wall of free-to-play demo games is stuffed to bursting with stuff you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. The sheer quantity is overwhelming too. The wall's got to be 10 feet high by 30 feet long, and stacked with classics like Catan to just truly bizarre, unheard of stuff. The fact you can just roll up, sit down and grab a game for free can't be understated either. Especially with the rise of these yuppie/Brownliner-y "board game cafes" like Bonus Round. With 1/10th of the variety of games, and pay-by-the-hour models, I can't recommend enough coming here instead if you're looking for a fun night out. Props to them for taking the pandemic seriously and putting a mortarium on their BYOB policy. When COVID eventually winds down though, nothing beats a midweek break by grabbing something from the wall, a six-pack from Edgewater Food Wine & Spirits, and tacos from Taquería Uptown across the street. read more

a really fun store, excellent service, and they let you play games for free (they have board games you can use and events) and are very relaxed about it. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves board games, I think it would be a fun place to take a tourist with those interests read more

If you are a table top gamer, this is the place for you. They have a game room and a wide selection of board games, RPG games, and even miniatures. I visit here on every trip to Chicago. Great staff are willing and able to help you find the right game if you need assistance! read more

What makes Dice Dojo: Chicagoland Games an automatic 5 stars for us is their friendly employees and great customer service. We went there for the first time a few days ago, and upon entry, we were greeted by a cheerful employee. Great selection of board and tabletop games. An entire wall of d&d figurines. Model paints and glues. Neat d&d event going on in the other room that sounded like fun. Couldn't leave without buying a few items xD There was an issue with one of the model painting kits, but they resolved it so well that my fiance and I were both impressed by their customer service. Highly recommend! read more

I'm not a huge gamer of any sort, so I don't really have much to compare this place to, but I do interact with people and the people here are always super nice and helpful! :) That's basically all I need. read more

Chicagoland Games - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My little cousin is turning eleven and asked me to be the Dungeon Master of his Dungeons and Dragons birthday party. I said yes with great trepidation because though I have never played the game I am also the only adult in my family who could possibly pull it off. However, all of my experience with playing D&D comes from watching television shows like The IT Crowd, Community, and Freaks and Geeks, so I was plenty worried. Simply put, I am le n00b with the board and die side of things. I do play an online MMORPG, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with the idea of classes, stats, and weaponry but that's about as far as it goes. So I headed to Chicagoland Games to gain some experience points with my young cousins in tow, feeling totally out of my depth in this totally unexplored facet of utter geekery. The guy that worked there was very friendly and helpful, taking me through some of the finer points of the game before setting me up with a starter kit. He also invited me to come to one of their gaming nights so I could play a bit and have someone walk me through what being a Dungeon Master actually entailed. To me, this is above and beyond the gamer call of duty and incredibly great customer service. Also, as a side note, they have a signed picture of Mark Sheppard on their wall. +10 to nerderity and general awesomeness. By the time I walked out, I actually felt like maybe I could pull this off. Of course then I went home and started reading the manuals. Let's just say I'm glad that I'll be able to go back and get some practice in. read more

Chicagoland Games - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Dice Dojo the gold standard against which I compare all other board game stores. They have set a mighty high bar. Their game selection is unparalleled. More importantly, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. A number of times I've walked unsure of what exactly I was looking for, and I've always been pleased with what I left with. If you're into Magic or D&D, these guys are great too. Again, the staff knows their stuff, and they host lots of competitive tournaments. read more

Chicagoland Games - No shortage of board games to test out. - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yeah, okay, I admit it, I'm a nerd. I've been playing board games, roleplaying games, card games and video games since...well...since I can remember. I'm not ashamed to say it - I first played Dungeons & Dragons when I was about 8 years old, way back in 1977. Yep, that's about a year after the game came out. I love you Gary Gygax. Does that make me the wise old man, the irreconcilable nerd, the creepy old guy or the tech guy? I don't honestly care. Games have brought me a ton of fun and a ton of friends for most of my life. Seriously, some of my best friends. That sounds even more nerdy than I planned, but blame it on the beer, I am seriously grateful to D&D and other games for some of the best people I know. So, fast forward to now. I move to Chicago and after figuring out the minimal basics of life (where I will live, where I get food, etc), my next priority is "where is the nearest game store?". Naturally, I check Yelp. Sort by highest rating and by closest. And what do I find? Chicagoland games. Yep. The original "Dice Dojo". As a gamer, I love the dice. As a jujutsu instructor, I love the dojo. I gotta go! So I show up - super convenient to the Red Line L train, and a bunch of bus routes. I wander in and start to browse. The staff asks if they can help, but back off and leave me alone when I tell them I'm just browsing. Nice. Sooooo many options! They have a game space where various folks are playing just about any game you can envision. I have yet to take advantage of that, but you can bet I will. They also have the retail space. And that is my playground. All the games I love, and about a million I have never tried. I am in heaven. I only wish I was independently wealthy and had infinite time. But I am not, and I don't. So, for now I will have to be satisfied with the new and old games, and the awesome staff and customers. So many things to try, so many games and books, and so many new friends to make. Dice Dojo, please never change. read more

Really great store for Magic! The event space is large, clean, and the bathrooms are well taken care of. The prize support for pre-releases and drafts is very solid and the promo support is fantastic too. The judges who are available are always on point and the events are well run. The foil/junk rare bins available are great, but I haven't bought any singles from them (yet). read more

I game. A LOT. I spend my extra money on games. A LOT. Three of my friends patronize Dojo weekly for MTG. I know the Dojo owners from a while back in Evanston ceramic classes. Yet here is why I don't go to Dice Dojo, (aka Chicagoland Games), very often, and likely won't come back again soon...: Saturday Night, 7~ish PM; I was greeted when I entered and asked how I could be helped; - so far so good. (Twice before I was not.) I then asked if Dojo purchases MTG cards? (I already know they do from my above friends who play MTG every week, so I was prepared with a binder of things I'm looking to sell or get store credit for.) "Yes, I do." was the reply. Okay, good sign... "Do you have a Buy List?" I asked. "No." was the reply. Okay... Red Flag. (Every store online keeps a buy list, and apps exist for them too: - CoolStuff, CardKingdom, Cardshark, TCG, Channel Fireball, Card Titan, Troll & Toad, Ebay, MTG Goldfish, MTG Familiar, heck - even Past Times has one...) "Do you know which cards Dojo is looking to buy?" I asked. "No." was the reply. (A D20 in my head rolled a 2...) Okay... Red Flag. (Even a Yu-Gi-Oh player should know which hot MTG standard or Modern cards are low in stock at the store...) "Which card (singular) do you want to sell?" I was asked. (That Red Flag just keeps waving, but I paid the meter in full when I parked outside... so I stay just a little longer...) Then I pulled out my binder, followed by a wide-eyed look of shock, a loud, exasperated sigh, and a whine that it would take "at least an hour" to figure out value(s) of card(s) to purchase. "That's why I asked if you have a buy list." I suggested again, hopeful. "No, that's not how we roll." (Your Imperial Pysker rolls a 9. Roll again...) This, followed by a suggestion that I leave my binder full of random decent cards I have admittedly yet to inventory, at the store, over night... (I almost laughed. The guy listening in did too.) Instead I said: Um... Yeah. No Thanks. I'll take my binder now. You can come back tomorrow (Sunday) at 10am and an un-named guy will be here who can help you! (You try to flank, take the AoO, and go to 0 hp. Your first roll to stabilize fails... Maybe you should play Mage Knight.) I didn't look back on my way out. Instead, I went and played MTG at a coffee shop with my friends and told them all about my experience. They confirmed that this is "sadly normal", and that they have had challenges purchasing things, much less selling them. I now know why my friends sell online only, as every store in the Chicago area seems to be totally lacking in basic people and business skills when it comes to buying MTG singles. (Dojo is not alone in this category... maybe they should stop purchasing cards...) Guess I'll go to any one of a dozen online stores to sell them, complete with buy list, grade ranking details, shipping info, and store credit vs. cash options. Last time I did, I used CardKingdom.com - their customer service is also good. C read more

I met a bunch of people online recently who suggested we meet here to play some true crime-themed games (if you're brave, I highly recommend this method of making friends), and even before I arrived, I was in love with this place. You're allowed to bring snacks and alcohol, you can play ANY of the games on the wall in the game room, and you're allowed to bring dogs. That last part may be circumstantial, but there were at least two dogs present the day I was there, and it made everything that much more thrilling. I really enjoyed Chicagoland Games because it was unlike any place I've ever been to, and because every single person was friendly. It is my understanding that you can purchase any of the games you play in the game room, but there is also a separate room with brand-new, unopened games as well. The bathrooms are clean and the place doesn't even smell like old, dirty games like I thought it would. *Just being honest! :)* If you're looking for a unique experience for a group, or a way to make new friends, this is a super-cool, colorful, clean place to try out. Honestly, you could even go here for an inexpensive/basically free date. read more

Great selection and friendly team working. Looks like they have a nice gaming space in the back of the store and a regular schedule of activities. read more

Updating my review - The one (minor) downside I had about this game shop was the tight quarters... well, now that they've moved to the roomy (and gorgeous) new location around the corner on Broadway, I have no complaints! read more

Gem of Chicago for tabletop game players! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! -A large space for FREE game play (excellent for groups!) -Floor-to-ceiling shelving of carefully maintained thousands of board games to choose from (familiar and more niche) -Excellent comprehensive adjacent store with games, cards, figurines, sleeves... all you might need for your own game library and maintenance -Very friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating, organized staff -Extensive calendar of events and tournaments, encouraging community (so, if planning a larger gathering, refer to events calendar and call ahead to confirm space for your party) -Bring your own food and drink, which is great with convenient stores, cafes, and take-out-friendly restaurants in the area -Convenient hours & located right on an el stop (Red Line Bryn Mawr in Edgewater) read more

Amazing way to discover new games, connect with friends, and do something other than eat or drink. The long hours mean it's a great option for a weekend afternoon, a night after dinner, for a short visit, or for a few hours' stay. So wonderful that you can bring in food and drink-- almost too good to be true! Such a welcoming environment, really inclusive, and the kind of place every city, every town needs more of. read more

A lot has changed since the last review I wrote, and I feel it's necessary to update my review for the Dice Dojo. The community there still, in some regards, leaves something to be desired. Lots of very loud people, lots of inconsiderate people, lots of smelly food and music from cell phones in very small areas - but the customer service of the Dojo has really changed for the better and they deserve credit for this from someone who was unapologetically averse. It's clear that they started focusing on customer attention and helping people. It's not perfect, some staff members are more helpful and welcoming than others, but I generally don't mind coming in to buy things here or play games with friends anymore. I can count on the people at the Magic counter to give me friendly chats and conversation around the game if they play (not all do, which is fine) and generally, if you're into something, someone on staff has some knowledge in it and can help you out. Happy to add some more stars to this review. read more

Chicago is blessed with a world class gaming store in Chicagoland Games. Or is the Dice Dojo? I'm a little unclear. Regardless if you are interested in any kind of tabletop game they have it. It's seriously one of the best and most diverse inventories I've ever seen. They have card and counter wargames, more than I've ever seen outside of a convention. They have minis. Card Games. They have things I've never heard of and a big cabinet of dice by the checkout counter to keep up with their name. Half of the store is given over to a massive playing space, one wall of which is full of loaner boardgames for organized play nights. The space was packed at the time and it's BIG, enough to have a decent sized tournament in. Good selection of small press roleplaying games as well. This is pretty much a one stop shop place for any Chicago area gamers. The location right by the red line cannot be beaten either! read more

I went back in to get a deck box and was happy walking out this time around. Addy took a decent amount of time explaining certain aspects of MTG to me as a returning old player, and was attentive to my questions, the questions she hadn't already answered before I knew they were questions. The guy behind the counter was also willing to glance through my first modern build and give me a few tips on how to improve it. Both of these things are what I remember from going in to game shops back in the day when people cared. After this experience I'll be back for the Sunday modern night at some point. That being said I'd really like to see some consistency in customer service, which is the role of the retail employee. Been there, done that, and still have a few polos and name tags. You simply can't be rude to customers, and if you don't like something that's said, figuring out a way to address it is exactly the job so you can maintain the relationship and build on it. If you end up butting heads with the general public, perhaps that's not the right place for you. Perhaps it was a one off, but 1/3 ain't good. Time will tell and I will update as I expect to return at some point sooner rather than later now. read more

I just moved to Chicago and didn't know anyone to play board games with. I heard about this place and love the open table Wednesday. Everyone's nice and inviting and I've always had a good time. I recently got into mini painting and the staff was super helpful in what I needed. Great place, I would recommend it read more

The staff was very friendly and super helpful with finding ever on my nephew's Xmas list. I'm not a gamer, but if I was I would hang out there . read more

Great new game store in Chicago! Gamers Paradise was a huge loss to the community and this is the best thing we could have hoped for! This isn't a Spencers Gifts with games, this is a game store with space to play and people to play with. The guys who own the store know their stuff and stock the shop with everything from Scrabble to Kingsburg. They have RPGs, CCGs and Minis too. Also, they're sanctioned for tournaments and have top Chicago players to compete against. All in a all a great game store for Chicago - we needed it. read more

When searching for good gaming stores With boardgames and Minis galore Plus magic and books, and cool playing nooks: Dice Dojo. You need nothing more! read more

Here tonight for my second time ever playing Dungeons and Dragons. Nice big side room for gaming, very friendly and encouraging staff! The events are every Monday night with occasional bigger events. read more

Chicagoland Games - View of the main room (vs. the gaming room) - Toy Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois