I have been to this store a few times over the years and have always had a good experience. My family and I went in this last weekend and browsed for a good hour or so (the store is massive). We are casual gamers so it takes us a while to figure out what we want. I'm not the type to go into a store and start asking for recommendations because I enjoy browsing and reading about the game and reviews for them. My wife ended up finding a game that she played as a kid and had fond memories of. We decided to get that game. On the way to check out I found an older version of the same game. It was the exact version she played as a kid. While we were discussing which version to get, the store owner came over and recommended the newer (cheaper) version because it had better rules. We went with the newer version. While checking us out he told us about a few additional rules he had made up for the game that we could use to make it even more interesting. I appreciated the recommendation and advice. I was impressed with the new location, the service, the selection, the prices, and the used/marked down game section. I will definitely be back again. To the guy who went to a board game store to ask about a Quest 2 VR rig and complained about a lack of service... I mean... what do you say to that? You are not the sharpest tool in the shed? The fact that they didn't take advantage of your low IQ tells me they are honest. read more

I am a huge fan of board games and this is like the ultimate place to shop for them! What is there to like? 1. So many games! There's a wide selection here! 2. Staff is friendly, easy-going, and very helpful. 3. There's tables in the game room, where you can play board games (if they don't have game events booked for the day). Overall, game lovers will definitely love this place! =) read more

My 14 year old son wanted some D &D stuff so we came in last Saturday. There was a big game event going on in half the store, but the regular part of the store had two employees who appeared to be chatting with customers like they were friends. The air was stuffy and smelled like a middle school locker room. Nobody greeted us or asked if we needed help. In fact they seemed to be avoiding us even after they finished with their conversations, though my son was bursting with his birthday money, eager to buy, and the store is small. The D&D book selection seemed small, and I'm not sure if there was more in the gaming room or in another area we were missing. My son spent over a hundred dollars here but due to the lack of friendly service I'm not sure I'll bring him back. Overall I felt like we were intruding, like we'd walked into somebody's living room and crashed their party. read more

So I rarely buy stuff. I'm more interested in seeing what's popular/what sells, getting ideas, and so on since I'm more into the art/manufacturing side than actually playing games. But I dropped by to see if they had a set of dice to buy. They didn't have it. No dice! (pun intended). There was a cashier with dark hair and glasses who was extremely talkative (in a good way). She gave me tons of great advice, interesting facts, and mentioned certain items that were in high demand. Another cashier (tall blond/light brown haired guy) jumped into the conversation to explain his experience with dice trays (which was helpful). I got a lot of great information from the two of them. I think the manager should commend them on great service. I don't know why so many people have a bad experience here. I didn't. I don't require above and beyond service to feel validated like some folks seem to crave. But I felt they were pretty helpful for someone who openly admitted they were probably not going to buy anything. But I do want a particular set of dice. I may come back and get it here if the price is reasonable. This store has a decent selection of games and accessories. There also is a gaming area in the back. read more

Great selection of miniature gaming, random board games, and Dungeons and Dragons stuff. -The employees are unprofessional, unhelpful, and rude though--they are all most likely just friends of the owner or people who just go there too much so they ended up working there. I don't play any of the miniature games but I'm sure this place is solid for that stuff since there always seems to be around 10 people playing those. I'm giving this place two stars since I've been to so many better places in other areas, but for San Diego, I'm sure it is a three star place. Like the reviewer before me, they definitely charge MSRP and their uncommons are $1 each--$1 each is pretty bad for things that are worth 10 cents. read more

I hate writing reviews for my favorite game stores, but if I'm going to I want to explain myself. I am not a regular, but I am a local and I've purchased and bought games from this shop in the past at their old location. The employees are generally very helpful, but that's always a gamble sometimes. I had many great experiences. At the new location, I came in back in March to browse the new stock of board games and to pick up something fun. I wasn't asked for help, but that was okay for me- I was browsing but would have kindly taken some assistance in buying a new board game by the employee on duty. They didn't offer, but like I said- it was okay for me at the time. Well, to my surprise I looked up to see the store owner in my face asking if I needed help. I was intimidated as hell by his tone, and I'm not one to turn down help, but I kindly said no-thank-you...I judged his tone correctly, because he went to the other wanderers in the store to ask the same thing with the same gusto before returning to his employee and loudly saying something to the effect of them being lucky we didn't need help and "See how easy it is to not be fired!" Maybe the employee wasn't being very proactive, but do I remember the employee not talking to me, or the loud angry owner? I was still browsing when over the loud speaker the owner pipes on with a bit of humor that his regulars may have appreciated, but it was to the effect of "if everyone can buy something so I can make some money, that would be great." Like, I get that it was probably playful humor, and he is a businessman. But I was browsing through games and had barely been there for a bit. Already uncomfortable with his outburst at his employee, I felt extremely unwelcome. The find on one of his shelves luckily made my visit very good. I happily came up to him to pay for it. Trying to shake my nerves a bit, I asked about the parking situation, which from the front looked to be limited. He snapped at me and told me how easy it was to park behind the building. I explained my confusion and apologized, telling him he probably heard the same thing from other people. He was upset and angry, and it took me a while to calm down after the fact. So they did have more parking, which I realize now- but I'm not an idiot and I'm not trying to make his job harder. I wanted this info because I wanted to support his store, and I can't change the fact that so many people didn't understand the parking situation. When I read reviews like this I always think "Oh, that person is too sensitive" or "What kind of person takes time out of their day to vomit forth such silly indignation" - Well, in this instance I felt ostracized. I was in a pleasant mood and I don't go into the store feeling bad or vulnerable. When you yell at your employees in front of us, tell us to buy something or get out, and make me feel like an idiot, why do I want to come back? For the record, I'd take twelve employees who aren't doing their job over anger. And if I had been approached without the stunt to shun your employee, I would of asked you "Hey, show me some of the new board games! I'm ready to buy something fun for my friends tonight!" But I was scared, and offput, and I can't imagine ever walking into that store again or feeling welcome. And I'm terribly, terribly sorry I have to write this review and that it took a week to put out there. Like I said, the community surrounding it has been great, the employees seem nice, I caught this guy on a bad day I'm guessing, but my understanding and compassion can only go so far. I want a pleasant, welcoming environment for my local hobby store. This was not it. read more

Used to go to this store a lot in the past to play Warhammer, D&D, and MTG. The events they hold are nice. Wouldn't necessarily fun as its kind of 50/50 on how the crowd is. I have had some really great memories playing tabletop games there with friends and at the time when I would go it was really because it was the only place that had big table tops and terrain for epic warhammer games. I only ever came here to play games which is why it gets two stars since they have a lot of the materials you'll need to make a senario. Apart from that I would never recommend this store to anyone who was looking to purchase anything that had to so with tabletop, boardgames, MTG, or anything else you might think of. They are ridiculously overpriced. You can get anything they have online for a lot cheaper.....sometimes $20 cheaper on certain items. That's just bad business to rip people off like that, but sadly people pay those prices simply because they don't want to wait for it to ship. The staff are not much better. There are two people there who are great and very professional. The rest are just lazy and severely lack customer service. Slow to help you out and not much help when you ask questions regarding information on many things. Also the place is general just has a very boring atmosphere. With all the money they make off of robbing people you'd think they would paint the walls, get some new carpet, liven up the place a bit, but they havent. So save yourself the time and go to the many other great locations in San Diego that offer the same services, but who actually make the experience fun and make the customer want to come back. read more

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GAME STORE! They are an important part of the nerd community, and GE is one of the best. I come here to buy all of my D&D hardcovers, and they always have what I'm looking for. read more

This was a great unexpected find - sometimes it pays to get lost. The staff were friendly, but equally important the folks inside at the gaming tables were open and excepting of a stranger who wanted to chat with them while they played. They allowed me to watch and take photos of their battle. They were a great bunch of folks. The battle spread out over the table that I watched was epic. They had some amazingly detailed models which of course are my favorite. It is the creativity that draws me to gaming as gamers are crazy creative. The store has a ton of games in all genres: trading cards, dice, board games, turn based, etc. G.E. hosts gaming events as well as supports open play which is a great strategy. And with all of the places close to eat near by it's a winning combination. read more

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I stopped by wanting to purchase a few items and was amazed at the overpricing. I usually desire to purchase from local businesses rather than large companies like Amazon; however, when looking to buy the D&D Player's Guide, I noticed a large price difference. Game Empire sold the book for nearly $50 while Amazon sold the same book for $21 (yes new not used). Who do you think I went with? On another note, when I stopped by, no one offered to provide any assistance or welcome me into the store. As cited by another reviewer, once I entered the store, I felt as though I wandered into a strangers living room. Very cold environment for someone who enjoys these kind of games. On a positive note, Game Empire does have a a great selection, it seems they have quite a few events going on, and the new location looks nice. While these are positive attributes, I do not think I will be back. read more

Not so familiar with boardgames, I went into this store looking for some recommendations. I received some from an employee, but I didn't feel like it came from the heart. Cue employee #2. JOHN. This guy. Spouted off all sorts of knowledge. Passion. Enthusiasm. Recommendations. Spent quite a bit of money and left. Keep it up John, that passion will carry you far. read more

Staff is always super nice and helpful. They always have a good stock of sleeves and supplies. Plus it feels nice to help out a small business rather than just lining Jeff Bezos's Pockets lol read more

My favorite parts: 1) the wide selection, all kinds of manufacturers and different types of games 2) No smell. Let's be honest, there's a myth about pimple faced greasy haired introverts lurking in the corners of game stores. Its Time The Myth Died! This place is fresh and clean. Embrace the Geek! 3) Friendly, helpful staff who know their product. ++ Don't forget the awesome bookstore next door, too...Aways a 2 shop visit to this plaza! +++ read more

Game Empire - Checkout - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

This is my go-to store in San Diego. Lots of merchandise. All of the latest games available from euros to wargames to RPGs to miniatures. Most appealing to me is a sizeable used, though a bit pricey second hand section of old board games and RPG materials. One nit though was I asked about Munchkin promos and was denied because I didn't buy anything Munchkin, though I did drop about $50 on other stuff.....Every other game store is happy to throw in a promo when I buy stuff from then. Isn't the point of a promo to encourage someone to buy something vs. rewarding them to buy it? Staff was otherwise great and knowledgeable! read more

Fairly good store for getting your fix of various gaming systems. Whether you're looking for Warhammer, Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, Warmachine, or even stuff like Malifaux - Game Empire will have something for you. Also - They have a great section of used books and miniatures, you can score some pretty valuable stuff cheap. The owner is a gamer, very helpful, and will take trade-ins of just about anything for store credit. Their new location is better than their last store, and the selection keeps getting better! read more

The store is decent, they have a lot of product but most of it seems outdated, which is never a good sign. The owner is no prize either, he's not necessarily unfriendly, but you can tell immediately he doesn't care. If you are desperate or need something fast, go here, you might find something cool, albeit for a slight mark up. But... if you buy booster boxes and/or packs here.. what are you doing?!? Ask if they give discounts on booster boxes and see if you get this speech: "No discounts on boxes, 10 gold coins are still 10 gold coins" which is hilarious because this is the only shop I have been to in my life that doesn't mark down boxes. Heck, one amazing local shop around here even gives you a discount for buying just 3 packs! So how do you explain that? Gold coins? Or Greed? If you don't like getting ripped off, this is not the place to be. read more

Game Empire is a great place to stock up on board games. The new location is pretty spacious and the staff is knowledgeable. Two of my kids play Warhammer, and this place offers a great selection. The old location was more than a little stuffy, the new place has more room to move around, and better ventilation. I'm a fan of Ticket To Ride, and they always seem to have a new version. They stock a fairly wide selection of games, Pandemic, and Catan were recommended by the staff, and I love both. Great place to pick up board games. read more

Love this store! Everyone who works there is so friendly and there is an awesome selection of unique games! Me and my husband are always on the hunt for good two person games and love coming here to find new ones! While we have never used the space in the back to play games, I love the energy in the store when people are back there playing while I'm shopping! read more

The BIG Negative: Just have to get this one out of the way, because I've had both of my experiences with this guy. The cashier working nights seems like he hates his job. I saw some family go into the store looking for a specific game called "Rox". Sweet little 7 year old asking for this. Cashier doesn't even look their way because he's too busy doing whatever he's doing on his tablet, does a dinker little search for the game and is just like "We don't have it". Then he just goes back to doing whatever he's doing on his tablet. The dad and daughter are just sitting there speechless that this massive store with hundreds of different types of boardgames just flat out turned them away with a 2 second effort search. Luckily, this store is filled with passionate customers who are more engaging than this cashier has ever been with his life. The customer tells the daughter father duo "What's the game like? Maybe I can help you find it?". Why couldn't the cashier be as enthusiastic about his merch than the customer? I thought the dude just hated MtG (I stopped by to pick up a pack, but quickly left after the dude showed annoyance with me asking MtG related questions), but I guess he just hates his job overall. VERY sour experience that won't leave me wanting to come back. This has been twice in a row. For the positives: If you want it, this store has it. Game empire has a MASSIVE variety of table top games and a passionate customer base to boot. Seems like theres always a group of 20-30 people in this building playing tabletop or MtG whenever I walk past it. I will say though, some of there asking prices are CRAZY up there on certain games. Searching Amazon will definitely give you prices way cheaper than what they offer on some games. But going into this store to view the inventory is definitely worth it. All in all, I can't recommend the store due to the cashier with an attitude and some pricing, but maybe stopping by during the daytime will yield a better experience for some. I wish I can rate this store higher, but given the two experiences I've had, I'd have to pass on this one. read more

This is one of those game clearing houses. They stock as much as they can which means they don't know that much about anything they've stocked. Also, it feels like the play space is probably the same square footage as the shopping space, except the shopping space is cramped and poorly arranged. As a gamer, I can appreciate putting the emphasis on the play space, but that doesn't make it terribly convenient to shop, either. As to the service, the guy at the counter was nice to me and seemend competent. But I didn't really have any questions for him, either, so I can't say it was a terribly useful interaction on which to base a rating. read more

This place rocks. Definitely check it out if you're in the area. Great collection, awesome staff.

It is hard to find a game store that manages to stay open these days. Tabletop and card game enthusiasts don't have a lot of places to go here in San Diego. Especially with many stores in this town shutting down recently. Despite that, Game Empire remains open. And its no surprise why. A massive area to play games, with isles packed full of game supplies. You can find everything from the mainstream Dungeons and Dragons core books to indie games like Eclipse Phase and Krosmaster. Where the store really seems to shine is in miniature building and supplies. The Warhammer/Warmachine crowd seems to be pretty visible at this store. Not to mention the painted model display case some some incredible statues inside. They also have a great section of older books. Found a copy of an old White Wolf book there in have been trying to track down for a while. The store also hosts a number of events, including most notably Friday Night Magic and Warhammer on Sundays I believe. Don't quote me on that. Where the store shines through though is definitely the staff. The owner's wife always seems to be helping out a kid learn how to play magic or understand the rules of something. The owner, Cliff, is always working hard to make sure the store is running. And the employees are always helpful and happy. Not to mention knowledgeable. I picked up the Eclipse Phase book from the store the other day and was helped by an employee named Morgan who was very friendly. Much better than some of the people who I've dealt with in game stores. Definitely sold me on coming back again. coughcoughcrazyfredcoughcough So definitely come in to Game Empire. You get a point on your rewards card whenever you stop in the store anyways, so why not check it out today? read more

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Wow, that is how I feel. If you read my other reviews I almost never give a 1, but this place deserves it. It deserves it so much I want to go change the other 1s to 2s so that this place stands out. My girlfriend has never been exposed to the non pc gaming scene. She played WoW for a long time and was *the* top hunter on our server. So, she is not devoid of her sweet/nerdier side. We yelped gaming stores that were open after 7pm and this place popped up. We drove up from Hillcrest to buy some MTG decks so I could teach her how to play with newer cards. I stopped playing after 8th edition and had no idea about the newer cards, trends, styles, or anything at all. We just wanted to talk to someone for a bit, but a couple decks, some d20's, and tokens. Nope... There were two people working there (I used the term loosely) when we came in. One left the counter to sit and watch a WH40k game being played. The other stood there, blocking the MTG counter, talking to someone (a friend/regular I assume) talking about how he was not getting enough hours at his other job (if he works there like he does at GE then I cannot be surprised). We tried to peak at the MTG cards, but could barely see them through the two of them. After the friend returned a product he had purchased from the store they finally moved to the counter where the register was. So far we were there for at least 20 minutes. NOW the other employee comes over, just to see what was going on at the register and then he left. Finally we got some attention from the gentleman behind the counter. I asked if they had any precons or anything I could teach her from. I saw an entire box of RTR starters behind him and he said they had nothing. I know the RTR starter set sucks, but being lied to is even worse. We didn't ask if it was good, just if they had one. So much for that. He said he didn't know anything about MTG and blew us off. At least he sent us to a *BETTER* shop where we felt like someone cared about us. Thanks for that at least. We spent over 30 minutes there for them to tell us to go away. I don't know why. I don't even care. This was the one shot I thought I had to introduce my girlfriend to a large part of my childhood. She had other bf's who played but never took interest. This was something special to us. We wonder why there are fewer gamer-girls, this is probably why. Stores and people like this who exclude people and make them feel like shit. I am mad. She was sad. I ended up going to another store and spending $60 there instead. Not a large sale, but we built a relationship with the other store that made us want to come back and spend more money. In the end I am glad they screwed us over because we found nice people, a good store, and my girlfriend was willing to give the nerdom of MTG another try. tl;dr - don't ever go here if you want to be treated like a person, unless you are a regular, friend of people who work/are regulars, or just want to be made to feel like you don't matter. read more

I'd been to Game Empire a few times looking for board games, whenever I ask for something they didn't have I got a dismissive "no" and no offer to order it or suggest a different place. Just a "no" but I figured they get a lot of questions like that. I never negatively reviewed the place based on that poor service alone, but my most recent trip was not just a disappointment, it was an insult. I had just finished up 4 days at Comic Con where I re-discovered my love for the card game Magic the Gathering. At Comic Con I asked other MTG players where in town I could go to find tournaments, I was suggested a few, and I asked about Game Empire and most people were reluctant to recommend them, now I know why. I stopped by around 7pm one day when I was in the area and went straight to the front counter where they sold single MTG cards. The problem was, the person running the counter was putting together a plastic model of something and had all sorts of pieces out on the glass display case and was much more interested in what he was doing than answering any questions or at least moving his project out of the way so I could view/purchase cards. I asked if they ran MTG tournaments and he said "not really, sometimes...." and that was that. I asked how much a box of MTG Boosters was (these generally retail for $90-$120) and he said "Around $150" I said "really?" and he said "yeah you pay the full price per pack times 36" I asked "why" and he said "we have no problem selling our boosters." I picked up two booster packs, mainly to show that I was a serious customer, and left. I will never return, not for a board game, not for MTG cards, and not for a tournament. The place doesn't care about customer service and has successfully driven a new and eager customer away for good. read more

I have called here twice now with very basic questions (like "do you have ____ in stock?"), and the best answer I can get is "we should" or "probably." After heading there after a "we should," they not only did not have the product in stock, but they NEVER CARRY IT. Unreal. The employees won't get off of their ass to check anything. Everything is also expensive. I don't mean "it's not Amazon" expensive--I mean it's pricier than I've ever seen elswhere expensive. I would say go to Pair A Dice Games in Vista or At Ease Games in Mira Mesa over this place any day. I won't give Game Empire any more of my money, that's for sure. read more

This place smells like, and I'm not kidding, ballsack. It's always packed with piles of rank mouth-breathers. Mediocre selection of board games, all overpriced. Seem to have lots of miniatures; not my thing. Worst of all, the staff here are rude and assholeish. After having been here maybe 4 or 5 times, I will now NEVER go to this place again. I use thoughthammer.com or boardsandbits.com instead. read more

Have you ever rolled a saving throw? Do you carry a Get Out of Jail Free card in the hopes it will work in real life? When your best friend accidentally knocked over the supermarket's giant display of cans did you yell Jenga? Well then, Game Empire has what you need. This place has board games, card games, puzzles, chess, checker, and dart sets...you get the picture. If you're not finding it on the Target shelf, go to the Empire. Also, if you have ever wanted to see geeks and nerds in their natural habitat be sure to stop by during the evening hours. Game Empire devotes half of its space to gaming tables. You can watch as America's future programmers and engineers play Magic:The Gathering, or fight battles with miniature robot figurines. read more

Although you may find yourself to be the only girl in this store, you'd have to come dressed like an orc to get anyone's attention. Everyone who comments on this place is right; there are 2 worlds here. If you go in the back of the store you pretty much leave Earth. The front of the store, however, was quite surprising. My boyfriend and I had been hunting for a new board or card game, and we had been to a couple of book and comic stores before we were directed here. He has this card game called Pimp (please Google it- it'll have you laughing so hard you cry and it's even better when you're playing it) and we were looking for something like it. I was dumbstruck by all the games when I entered the shop. They have everything from your ordinary classics (Scrabble, Yatzee, Scategories, etc) to My Dwarves Fly and Order of the Schtick (which we ended up buying). Unfortunately the games aren't cheap, but the selection is astounding and the employees are very helpful. Although I didn't find Pimp for sale in the store, I did see a pack of used Pimp cards in the back of the store along with a bunch of other used games for people to play, that is, if you're willing to brave the WoW addicts and Magic heads... read more

Stepping through the door to this store was like stepping through a porthole to a new galaxy...one that consists of any and all hobby games you could imagine, complete with the people who play them. Gamers, nerds (as I'm sure they are most commonly referred), larpers, shut-ins, wowers, basement dwellers, socially challenged, and whatever other adjectives there are to describe these folk may unite under one roof to satisfy all of their gaming desires. This is essentially a gamer's paradise. Not your average gamer's paradise either...I'm talking about Magic cards, sci-fi, and everything foreign to this "non" gamer. I guess because I'm not big into this sort of thing I can't quite understand the allure and marvel of it all, but I can definitely appreciate it. We purchased a couple of board games here for our family to play, and I have to commend them on the uniqueness and selection of their products. We literally happened upon this place by chance, and I have to say that if I ever were to find myself searching for an unusual game, this is definitely going to be my first stop. read more

Eh. I feel such ambivalence toward this place. So, first off, let's divide Game Empire into two pieces: the front room, and the back room. The front room: this is where basically all of the merchandise is. It's expensive -- were D&D books seriously $30 back when I was a kid? If so, damn, sorry for that, Dad -- but they have a pretty wide selection of stuff. I'm sure there are some folks out there who are total serial gamers, but to me, a lot of this junk just isn't interesting. Magic, D&D, and Warharmmer $40k are the staples. I can accept Pokemon and Star Wars stuff as well, but things like Settlers of Catan is where I draw the line. The staff are typical jaded know-it-all gamer nerds. There's probably some authenticity there. I can imagine this job being soul-sucking. The back room: here be dragons. Seriously, this is the play floor, and every time I've ventured back here, the people playing have been nothing but rude rude rude. Whatever. Didn't mean to interrupt your Civil War tabletop game. read more

Ever want to feel unwelcome? Then stop by your local Game Empire! I live right next to this store and I'll stop in from time to time to get a refresher on all things nerdy, and in all those times I don't believe I've ever been greeted by a single employee. When you first walk in they'll give you a quick look, and then start pretending you don't exist. It's seriously uncomfortable browsing around here; they do a good job to make you feel like you're interrupting their time. The prices are pretty outrageous to those that always check Amazon first, but nothing surprising for a brick and mortar shop. Markup exists for a reason, and it's more than likely why Game Empire has been around for years and years, and probably won't be going anywhere for awhile. Which is fine, it serves a good purpose and has a pretty decent selection. But no one wants to return to an establishment where they feel unwelcome, especially if they know they can get anything and everything offered there at a significantly lowered price on Amazon. So if you have a nerd party coming up and you need a last minute purchase, this is where to go. But if you've got a day or two to spare, just pay the extra for one day shipping - it'll still probably be cheaper, and you won't be supporting a business that doesn't appreciate its customers. read more

Let me start this by saying I am not a table top gamer. I am one of the few known as Girl Friend of the table top gamer. We stopped in here this past weekend since we were in the area. We generally utilize a shop closer to home and will happily retreat back there. As soon as we walked in I realized it was a Release Weekend. Once we fought our way across the line looping through the store we could look a bit for what BF wanted. They had nothing of interest. I perused the rather sad board games section and we left. I have been frequenting game shops for quite few years as a bystander and this was one of the worst by far. The staff was oblivious to customers, even with a tourny going and lots of browsers, and the shop smelt of unmentionables and BO. read more

WARNING: You really need to be a nerd to appreciate Game Empire. There isn't a way around that. And not just any nerd, a tabletop nerd. Let's get real here: Magic, Warhammer, and other RPGs. If you are some random person looking for something non-specific, don't bother. The front half is merch. The back half is gamer territory. Friday nights are mostly Magic, but throw in other things at random tables. Why I Go: -Magic on Friday nights -Magic singles behind the counter for cheap -Munchkin games -New nerdy friends Why you should go? You'll figure that out. But if you are a tabletop gamer, swing by. You probably won't be disappointed. Oh, and for everyone bitching about the smell in there? Go in smelling good. That helps. Being a girl, I tend to go in smelling like perfume. read more

Ok, first off, I'm a big nerd. I'm in my 40's, I've been around a long time, I have a very well paying job, nice car, property and live well. So I'm not living in my moms basement, which honestly, I don't have a problem with if that is your life choice, but people can be so judgemental...so I'm just writing this from my perspective. Game Empire has been around quite some time and dare I say, has been the King of Game Shops in San Diego for over a decade. Everyone would shop there, game there, etc... But it's all changed over the last couple of years. Maybe because I'm older, I'm noticing it more and more, but the 'King has no clothes'...there are a lot reasons NOT to shop at this place now. Which to me, is sad, because I like to support the brick and mortar independant stores. Pros: They have loads of games and selection. From RPG's, to minatures, probably the largest selection of GW products in San Diego, chess sets, board games, gambling items, etc... Parking is fairly good there. Eaten establishments nearby for the hungry gamers. And a Starbucks! BONUS! COFFEE FREEK that I am... Large gaming area. Cons: Customer service. The stuff you read in the negative reviews below are true. They seem to care more about their own modelling/painting at the front desk, then servicing the customer. I've seen them standing in the gaming area which someone waited at the register yelping 'Hello?' 'HELLLLLLOOOO???' They don't seem to very knowledable either. I've seen others and had friends get the 'I don't know' answer from employees there. And sometimes I've interjected or approached the person afterward and told them where to go to get what they're looking for. Pricing. They seem to be consistently above retail. I've heard the owner complain that he has overhead and employees to pay. Well, so do all the other brick and mortars and they seem to be fine charging regular retail prices. So, take it for what you will. You want to support Game Empire and pay a little more, more power to you. As gamers go, everyone has their favorite places to play and shop at. I still buy things from time to time here because I play there once and awhile so I'm a *firm* believer in supporting the place you play at. But in the same breath, I'm also not happy how downhill this place has gone in recent years, especially when it comes to customer service and pricing. read more

If you want board games, this is you place. They also have a room where people can play games. My son goes there to play Pokeman. We see grown men play battle type games. It would be a great place for the Big Bang Theory character to go and play D&D. If you like board games this is your place. read more

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I have recently become re-addicted to Magic the Gathering thanks to Comic-Con 2010 and I've been searching all over San Diego for the best places to get boosters or just even single MTG cards to complete my collection. Using Yelp, I found Game Empire --- but to my dismay, I received BAD experiences, period. I have gone here multiple times as of late, and each time I do, I just feel like I shouldn't go anymore. My main reasons for these feelings are: - The workers there are non-attentive to incoming/new customers - They give off the vibe that unless you're in the "in" crowd, they don't care about you, whether or not you buy something - On the times that I have shown up, I wanted to ask questions about MTG singles they had, or even just general pricing, and they were just too busy (doing something other than actually working) to give me a minute of their time Don't go here. It's not worth your time. read more

I hate the fact that this is the only gig in town for gamers. Alas, I returned to Game Empire for some dice. (I'll be purchasing online from now on) Again, the treatment of customers at this place is just deplorable. Even while peering through the glass counter at the dice selections below and being directly in front of the staff, I failed to get any sort of response or acknowledgment from Jerk#1 (staff) goobing with Jerk#2 (presumed warhammer regular) I try a wave, a point to the dice under the glass counter... I get a look. (OMG Progress!) Then Jerk#1 proceeds to ignore me! Fail! Fail! Fail! I roamed the store for another five minutes, tried again to gain access to what I wanted, failed again, and left empty handed. Here's a thought. If you're going to employ losers who completely lack any sort of customer service skills, don't put the crap we gamer girls want behind glass. I'm done with this hole for real this time. Here's to giving Game Empire the finger. read more

Other than overpriced Game Towne, this is the best place I've found for games in San Diego. They have a big play area with lots of open games to try out. They also have a good selection of strategy games, card games, and puzzles. Added bonus: if you find yourself waiting for someone here you can play magnetic darts in the puzzle room. read more

Decent selection of games, large tabletop area, and a fair selection of miniatures. Staff is highly goony, so don't expect much in terms of customer service or even basic courtesy unless you first spend two or three years loitering in the store every day to earn the dubious title of Regular. read more

I'm updating my review after having experienced some of the other game stores around the city. Unfortunately whenever you support a local game store you're going to find that they're charging you the full retail price for things that would be cheaper at Amazon. That's the price to pay for supporting a local business and not a nationwide corporation. So prices are comparable to most of the other stores you'll find in town. They've since done a better job of having someone at the counter to greet you when you come in as well. The last three times I've been in someone has always been by the door and employees on the floor have always taken the time to ask if I had any questions. I did have questions on whether I should get Resistance, Resistance: Avalon or One Night Werewolf and the person at the counter had no knowledge of any of those games. These are all pretty popular in the hidden traitor/mafia-style genre and I would have expected he would have knowledge. He did give me the rather humorous addendum: Just buy them both! A really close second to my favorite gaming store and closing quickly. read more