My brother is a big gamer, and I also enjoy board games, so my family swung in here while having lunch in Downers Grove. There were lots of board and card games of all sorts, as well as dice, miniatures and paints, and a gaming area for community games. I appreciate that the rules for the space are clearly posted on the wall behind the register, so the expectation for everyone is established (I would imagine it makes it easier for staff to enforce as well, because they can just refer to the sign). The clerk was very friendly and gave me some info about a game I was interested in (a collaborative version of "The Fox in the Forest"; my fiance and I love the original version), which I ended up purchasing! Glad to support a local business! I'll be back for more games. read more

Fair Game - Bought the cooperative version of "The Fox in the Forest" here; my fiance and I already love the original! - Toy Stores Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

I'm not a "regular" patron of Fair Game, but it's a shop I love to pop into every couple of months to pick up hobby supplies like paint, brushes or the occasional model kit. Every time I've ever stopped in, I've been treated kindly & with respect by the staff working there - which is *not* a given when you're a solo guy with tattoos shopping alone, trust & believe that. A really helpful & nice gentleman named Jackson showed me the "buy 1, get one 1 free" deal they were running for some of their paints. He made the process of shopping for/choosing different colors or different formulas really easy, & honored the deal fairly! He was helpful & cool. Anyone who is into wargaming, table top miniatures etc KNOWS that any kind of buy 1, get 1 deal on high end paints like Citadel, Vallejo or Army Painter is an insanely good value. Also, there has always been some kind of community gaming event happening whenever I've stopped in; which tells me it's *clearly* an important hub for the TCG/TWG community. As a hobbyist, grateful to have the store around. (PS, if you stock the new GW Aeldari kits for Lhykhis, Baharroth, or Swooping Hawks, I'd buy them) read more

Nice range of products. Price was better than other outlets even when including the delivery charge, and delivery was fast. Would definitely recommend. read more

I am an Online Customer but wanted to share my experiences with these guys. I ordered multiple paints from them and they shipped them out quickly and with very fair pricing. Unfortunately, they had 1 incorrect item in my shipment but upon contacting they promptly got back to me and shipped me the correct paint. I will be using this store in my future orders as they have everything I look for in a store. Good pricing, quick shipping, and good customer service. read more

This is a gem of a game store! The selection is extensive. Kyle, was quick to be of service to answer our questions and make suggestions for our gaming interests! read more

Great store for buying Pokémon cards and other things. The employees are all very knowledgeable and helpful. The store is very welcoming and there are tables set up for those who want to sit and play. read more

Very kind, patient, and knowledgeable staff. Game nights are great. My 12 year old has finally found his people and looks forward to coming to play every week. read more

We visited this store a few times and today stood out, yet again, as an awesome experience. We were with another family and we had 3 kids under the age 5 with us, plus a 14 year old. You would think some might be scared of us with little ones coming in, but nope. Kyle did an awesome job introducing us to many games, played with the little ones and even brought us over recommendations he thought they'd enjoy after seeing how they did with other games. After quickly giving us an intro to a new game, he'd speed off and balanced his time with the many other customers in the store perfectly. We are a big gamer family. Forget Amazon! It's all about the experience and passion that this store exudes in its collection and joy for games. I'm definitely doing my purchases here from here on out, even if it does take me more time to get there. Love to see people enjoy their job and enjoy helping others. Keep up the awesome work Kyle!! If you start stocking Magic Puzzles, I'll be sure to buy puzzles from you too :) read more

Usually very helpful. Went in today, Employee trying to help someone with games, had to tell them every game he played how many of his friends are still playing it and went on and on. I had the police come to my car because I waited at the checkout for over 15 minutes. Very disappointed read more

Not only is this a super-cool store that has geek cred galore and games for the entire family... it's also run by some of the awesomest guys around. My husband is here every week for a gaming group and also drags me in regularly when we're visiting Downers Grove. Every. Single. Time he eyes this enormous banner with a map of Westeros, the Game of Thrones kingdom. (Ahem, A Song of Ice and Fire, to be more accurate.) Fast forward to Christmas and I'm in serious need of another gift for my sweetie. I think, maybe the guys at Fair Game can tell me where they got that thing and if it's reasonable, I'll buy one myself. Josh at FG e-mails me back promptly with a bunch of info: He had this thing custom made several years ago, and it's not for sale. Fair enough, I wouldn't expect him to part with a unique item like that. But. BUT! He goes on to explain to me where and how he had it made... and then offers to order me one himself and have me pay him back! I picked it up no problem after a few covert phone calls. Long story short, I won Christmas and possibly the Wife of the Year Award. All thanks to Josh and the very existence of Fair Game. These guys have customers for life. :) read more

Fair Game - This is how I won Christmas. All finished now. - Toy Stores Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

A Place For Us. I'm talking about gamers, card players, geeks, nerds, and people who generally excel at statistics. Oh, and the women that love them (shut up - I'm not a gamer. Not really. Not exactly.). I had ten minutes before my hair appointment, so I took my son on a stroll of the nearby businesses. The Fair Game storefront drew us in like a vortex. Did I mention my son is seven? After looking around a bit, the nice guy offered to give advice, and took us to a beautiful round table, next to a floor-to-ceiling shelf stocked with GAME SAMPLES. Oh...forget wine tasting and nibbles, shoes, heroin, I have a new craving. He demonstrated a few games, meaning he got the boards and pieces set up and played them with my son. We tried three, ranging in price from $15 - $42, and they were all new titles to us. Also found out they do open game nights - Friday nights I think, but check with them - $2 per head, but through the end of January 2011, open gaming is free. They sell drinks and nibbles. And they do birthday parties. My birthday's in June, by the way. Nice people, cool concept. A place to browse and discover. And nary a video game, which I appreciated. P.S. Thank you, my darling young one, for choosing the $15 game. read more

Fair Game - I stole this from their website - Toy Stores Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

If you are looking for a game that's not your run-of-the-mill type then Fair Game is your place. They are more geared towards role playing & card based games and have quite a selection - none of the typical game night board games here. They do have an excellent selection of junior games, too, if you are looking for a kid-friendly game. They have open game nights as well so check out their website or call for details. We came on a Saturday afternoon & the place was packed with gamers having fun. We scored a carbon edition of Hive that we've been looking for (carbon = black & white version) & a new card game called Plague - designed by someone from Naperville. The staff was all very friendly & helpful - offering up opened boxes to check out & explain to you if you wanted to know more. I overheard them helping others looking for gifts & as read more

We were in the area, stopped by on a Sunday. Great selection of board games, tabletop, model paints/accessories. I liked that they had a huge wall calendar of their store's hosted events. There was a dad and his two kids in the shop, and the employee provided friendly and helpful service to all of us. Would recommend :) read more

Fun Store! I don't think I would have yelped for a store like this if my brother had not given my husband and I an interesting table top board game for Christmas. This store has a very nice layout displaying unique board games (more strategy than party and classic family board games). It was fairly busy for a Saturday afternoon but according to the calendar, it seems as if they have an activity every day of the week. I was a bit intimidated with their wide selection. My husband, more familiar with these stores said that they welcome customers to play their games, but I was a little timid to use a full table for just the two of us. Although, we didn't buy anything this trip, I'm excited to go back. I have my eye on some games and I'll be reading up on a few game board reviews until I return! read more

This is what I picture as the perfect FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store). Every time I come in I am greeted. The guys are knowledgeable about every game they sell and can probably tell you a story or two about their experiences with any game. Their selection is impressive given that games line the outer walls and not the middle of the store. Their store collection of games is quite good and great for kids who want to play. Unlike many other game stores that aren't so friendly, I see kids come in and out of this store freely and they seem to belong and are welcomed just as much as adults. One thing about game prices. It goes without saying that you CAN find the prices cheaper on Amazon or other online stores. Know why? Cuz the store has to pay for employees, rent, power, etc. You aren't buying just a game but you are also supporting the store. Even though I buy most of my games online, every time I go there I buy one thing just to support the store. It's worth my extra money to see such a great store keep it's doors open. Please do your part to help keep this gem open. read more

This is a terrific game store. It'll cost you little bit more than buying on Amazon, but it's well worth it. Everyone that works there is very knowledgeable about games and will be happy to answer any question you have. They have pointed me in the right direction many times. If you love games or just want to buy a game, this is the place to go in Downers Grove. read more

The owner and worker at this store is very RUDE. Instead of a rant, I will just tell you. Don't expect a welcoming environment, except from the community of magic the gathering. The community that shops here is accepting and helpful. The owner is caustic. He will make off-hand and mean comments right to your face. If there are 15 minutes to closing he will tell you to GET OUT! However I will not give this store 1 star because it is a beautiful store and you can play any game off the shelf on one of the comfy tables for free. (Please buy something to be respectful though. You don't want to be on that man's bad side.) read more

In town recently to visit a friend and we stopped in here - what a cool place! Tons of games to pick from, friendly service, and prices not much higher than Amazon mean you need to give this place a try. I saw some familiar games and several new ones I hadn't heard of, which is always a treat. Good for holiday shopping or just picking up something fun for yourself! read more

great spot if you're into card games, board games, or tabletop / wargaming. good selection of paints from valejo, and a mix of misc items for various tabletop games. big focus on hordes, and warmachine. probably a few others but that's what interested me. they seem to have weekly netrunner, and warmachine / hordes gaming that's open to the public. nice family run spot that's helpful with questions you might have about the hobby or games themselves. i had a much more full experience playing a demo game of hordes here, than when i went into the games workshop store that closed down and was offered a demo game on 40k. GW spent MAYBE 5-10 mins max, i got a half hour where i could ask whatever and really get a feel for the game here. seems very family friendly if that's something you would consider. i'd suggest going to check it out if you play any of those kind of games or ever wanted to check them out. read more

Fair Game - lots of privateer press items and vallejo paints. good stock of reaper figures too. - Toy Stores Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

Finally! I get a FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store) in my town. My wife and I recently visited Fair Game to check it out. It's a cool little store with games for everyone. They have games for kids, adults, and role-players like myself. The staff is super friendly and helpful and take an actual interest in finding the right game for you before you spend any money. The staff exceeded any expectations I had. They also host game nights throughout the week. I recently joined in on a session of Gamma World and had a really good time. I'll definitely be coming back often. read more

Seemed like a cool enough little game store. Just came in to look around and check out what Chicago had to offer for gaming while here on business. Nice and roomy the store has a great vibe and caters to board gaming and well, just about any other kinds of gaming really. They have a calendar of events that includes some games I have never heard of before as well as some Magic, Netrunner and I think D&D on various nights. They had about 6 people hanging out when I went in there and they were all introducing themselves to one another as they got themselves ready to play in a tournament or something. Overall seems like a pretty cool and unique little shop with some helpful people and seemingly cool customers. read more

Looking for Monopoly, Clue, or Uno? You won't find them here, and that's a good thing! This store specializes in Euro, Strategy, Family, and Collectable Card games. The staff is very knowledgeable and will even sit down with you to test out a game before you buy it. I went in there one day and asked for a game that I could play with my family and friends where we could work with each other instead of against. The salesperson gave me many options, asked me the right questions and when I took the game home to play it was perfect. The selection is huge and ranges from hardcore strategy to light fun party games. I highly recommend Jungle Speed, Wit's and Wagers, and Apples to Apples for fun party games to play with your friends and family. Check out Dominion, Cosmic Encounter, and Smallworld for games with more depth but are still a blast to play. If you don't find what you are looking for the staff will do its best to order it for you. They host a variety of game nights, including an open gaming night on Fridays starting at 7pm. The space is well thought out and comfortable. The games are reasonably priced, but expect to pay more for these games than you would for more common ones like Monopoly. They are worth the price though. All in all they succeed in their goal, to get people away from the TV or video games, and play a game with friends and family. read more

We love this store! The people who run it are very knowledgeable about games, and are willing to share that knowledge. You definitely get the feeling you're dealing with game lovers. They have great recommendations for all ages and abilities. read more

The store is located along the main thoroughfare in downtown Downers Grove, very clean and well-organized. The selection is decent, seems more of the well known and classic tabletop games. Some space is set aside for younger skewing games which seems nice for those shopping for kiddos. I've visited several times, and almost every time the employees have been very courteous and helpful, happy to answer any questions or help you find something you are looking for. I can only think of one time we were in there and got fairly ignored, and it was a bit of a hassle to interrupt the convo to pay at the register. I'm not too experienced at playing board games, and every Saturday evening they have volunteers set up and teach people how to play different games for $5 a person. The specifics seem a little lacking if you are kind of out of the loop. I showed up to play with my family and learned that they have people reserve spots in advance so there wasn't much left to play. That seems like a great way to handle it, so not everyone shows up to play the same game. It's just something I didn't see on the Facebook page where I saw the game night, or on their store webpage. Unfortunately, we often can't get the family together like that on a Saturday, but hopefully some time when we can again, we'll make another attempt and reserve in advance! read more

The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their products. I came in with basically no knowledge on magic the gathering and they were able to recommend me some different decks that would be good to start off with. A group had come in before me to buy some cards and the staff apologized to me for the wait and gave me an extra magic the gathering card to make up for it even though it was really no problem. I would highly recommend this store. read more

Really a terrific game store - Staff couldn't be friendlier - my son and I go regularly and have been turned on to many a great game just because they take the time to ask about gaming preferences, styles, etc. Great ambience, the kind of place you can linger without salesman pressure. Also a big selection of open box games, so if you want to read through rules, check out game boards etc. before buying you can. This store is singularly responsible for getting me back into the gaming hobby - highest recommendation read more

Love the place but my only complaint is I wish there carried a larger selection of games, although compared to many places I have been they still have a nice selection of games. Love playing warmachine on Thursdays, but I am still primarily a boardgame fan. Great people and extremely friendly. read more

Oh how far we've come from the days of plain ol' Monopoly and Life. Who knew there were so many different kinds of board games? Well, my fiance and his friends know, since they play board games almost weekly. Games I had never heard of, but learn a lot about after hearing him talk about them all the time. His birthday was fast approaching and I was in search of a gift. I knew a board game would be a great gift, but I had NO idea what to get him. How to choose? Where to go? Oh hello, Fair Game! I had this place in the back of my mind after reading Renita M's review a while back. Sounded like THE place to go for your unique and (sorry if this offends anyone) nerd board games. I did have some idea going in of what I was looking for since I know what he plays and the type of games he likes (who says I'm not paying attention!). I walked in and asked the nice guy behind the counter for some assistance in picking a board game. I rattled off some board game names I knew he played and he did a great job of showing me games that would be right up my fiance's alley. He showed me three solid options, explaining each of the games so I could better judge what would be the best fit. I walked around a bit, looking at their selection. They do have quite a bit of stuff, and some familiar favorites. There were some kids playing a game at a table and some older kids in the back discussing something or other. Looks like a good place for gamers to come and hang out. I finally decided on a game that was suggested to me, paid, and was on my way. The game was a bit expensive but I think these types of games are just expensive to begin with. My fiance seemed to like it and noted that it was the type of game he likes to play. Hopefully he plays it enough so I can feel like this was a true victory. read more

This place was very disrespectful. Me and my man came in because we were interested in buying some things and wanted to come take a look. When we came inside we politely asked to use the bathroom. Employee there asks "are you a customer here?" We respond yes but then he tells us "no you can't use the bathroom" in a very rude tone. We came inside as customers and we walked out with empty hands. We just wanted to use the bathroom while there and buy some things. read more

It seems like game stores have a very short lifespan, but I think this one will be around a while. It's unusual to have a staff that is as friendly and knowledgeable about as many different types of games. The discussion when from from Apples to Apples, to Magic The Gathering, DnD, Backgammon and on. A great selection of games, game supplies, and plenty of tables for playing and demo'ing. The staff was very knowledgeable very friendly. They helped us pick what we needed and recommended some other packs as well. read more

Great service, very friendly. Came in just to check out the store and see what they offer. But wow, they have a very wide selection of board games and other things. They don't have as many trading card variety as other stores, but I felt very welcome and appreciated the friendly service and assistance I was offered. Definitely will be coming back in the future. read more

There's not a whole lot for me to update about the store, itself. What this update is about, is how absolutely amazing the guys who own this store are. In the store there is this awesome tapestry-style map of Westeros hanging on the wall. It's beautifully detailed with the house emblem of literally every single house ever mentioned in The Song of Ice and Fire books positioned appropriately on the map. I'd been drooling over this thing for months, but found out from Josh, one of the owners, that it was a unique item. Alas. My wife knew I loved the map, but didn't know it was unique. So she emailed Josh asking where she could get one for me for Christmas. Josh offered to see what he could do to get another one made. In the end, he was able to order another one and only asked that my wife reimburse him the cost. Without making a cent of profit, Josh was willing to go above and beyond to get one of his regulars something he knew this person would really enjoy. That is a special kind of shop with special kind of owners. I was loyal to Fair Game before, but you'd better believe they have me for life now. read more

I found this store by doing a charity event. I should say this is less of a store, and more of a community. Both the staff and the customers were super nice. Anyone is willing to teach you a new game and will ask you to join in one of theirs. We need more places like this in the chicagoland area. I hope to go to more events here, despite being an hour from my house. read more

They have all the games that are getting more and more popular. My husband and I are avid board game fans, and have even gone to conventions. Fair Game is great. They have a lot of the "non-mainstream" games, and have magic tournaments and all. The best part is that the store is able to be rented out for private game nights. Here, you are allowed to play all the games in their player library with your friends with ample room and even BYOB. Best. Party. Ever. Highly Recommend. read more

Good selection of games of all types. The owner has always been very attentive and helpful when we've gone in. "Ask me questions any time. Please grab me even if I look like I'm busy". Nice to have this place in DG read more

Your go-to if you're looking for a creative, thoughtful, interesting (non-video) game. Decidedly *not* what you'll find at Target. We've purchased birthday gifts for friends, and games for our own family, and also hosted our son's 8th birthday party here (which was great fun (and easy)!). LOVE that the staff is knowledgeable--they've provided solid recommendations for us. Also appreciate that they truly want to provide games that bring families together. Not necessarily the cheapest games out there, but if you're looking for something unique, fun, and thought-provoking, check it out. The staff is happy to explain games, and you're welcome to sit down and take games for a test-drive. A great addition to downtown DG. read more

Awesome game store. We were here for international tabletop day and they had some great events. Everyone was helpful and the staff were great. Awesome selection of games too! read more

Hands down best place to buy and play games. Knowledgeable and friendly staff with a large selection. Check it out for some good family fun! read more

Great selection of games and the person working the counter was knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I went in with a broad idea of what I wanted and he steered me to exactly what I needed. I'll definitely be back. read more

This is a great store with a superb selection of unique games that reflects the attention to detail given by the owner. You must go visit this place. There is a distinct feeling of fun as soon as you go through the door and for me there was that immediate connection with my inner child. As for the staff, it is rare to find people with this much intimate knowledge of their product line and who listen to the requirements of the customer to make informed suggestions. This is a real gem in the burbs, I can highly recommend this place. read more