Lots of board games, and good ones, too! I've browsed through the board games at Wal-Mart a few times and been really disappointed (Twilight: the DVD Board Game? The shit is that shit??). I picked up Axis and Allies, and as soon as I finish setting it up I'm going to have a grand old time. I may go back for an X-Zylo. Side note: their selection of disc golf discs is breath taking. They even had my beloved Star Valkyrie. Sweet, bro! read more

The folks here are most all super friendly. They all know their boardgame (and some other type of games) stuff. The selection is amazing and the store collection is huge. They have two great spaces for gaming of all types and they even hold organized game events! My nephews love to take part in the pokemon activities organized by Jose, and the magic card game evenings get pretty intense also. They even have a small section of items for the smaller board gamers in your life. Love this place and think every neighborhood should have at least one! read more

I went there for the first time last year and it was great!! I took the kid i was babysitting and he had a blast and the employees were hella nice and helpful. But i went today and they where really fucking rude to us!! For no reason, i guess we where speaking a little loudly.. but dude come on its a GAME store!!! we've been there a few times and nothing ever really changes. same ole same ole stuff. but great stuff. read more

I've never felt really comfortable in this place. I don't know why, but for some reason there's always some weird tension. I could never give it five stars. they have dice for cheap, in a nice little box. tons of different colors. Nice hefty selection of a lot of different games and puzzles, even if I'm never going to play 99% of them. And I can even find things suitable for my fairly young children, which I didn't expect. All in all it's an okay store. read more

HUGE selection, period! I go in there with the kids and lose ourselves for a few hours. My son and I go for the Warhammer 40k stuff, wife goes for baby oriented toys, we all like the jigsaw puzzles table top games and kites. Lots of little knick knack like toys to give out as party favors or trick or treat toys during Halloween. As good for kids as it is for adults, don't know which one of us has the most fun. The store having such a huge selection is cramped in there and a bit overwhelming. The staff watches you like a hawk looking for shoplifters (a sensible precaution but can be uncomfortable at times). You must leave backpack at the front counter along with any drinks you may have with you. I tend to like Endgame in Oakland better since it is more open and friendlier staff and the gaming tables upstairs give us more to do then just shop. read more

know your roll -D&D i can spend hours getting lost in the aisles of this wonderful store. it has been several years since my very first visit here, when on whim a band of adventurous friends decided to take on a new challenge. little did we know then how much it would change our lives. Pokemaster, Scrabble Word Wizard, Champion Hungry Hungry Hippo, and Settler of Catan we teamed up to take on the world of D&D. Dungeons and Dragons became our poker night and every Sunday evening we would assemble to take on our Dungeon Master's new chapter of our on going adventure. this store became our second home. we pooled money together to visit often, adding to our collection of books (for new spells, feats, etc), buying new figures to liven up game play, and to customize our characters by getting new dice and paint for our champions. the folks at the store are amazing and really know their stuff, just ask them. no matter what new challenge you decide to take on, they are there to help and prepare you for it. until next time cheers! read more

Games of Berkeley - Hobby Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came here just to browse around. They have a huge selection of games. I didn't know what most of them were (not a huge gamer),but I saw a lot of familiar ones that I like. Pretty much walmart + target game section and more. What really caught my attention was the little giant microbes stuffed animals. My BF is a bio major and I thought it was funny to get him one on a key chain. There's anything you can imagine blown up into stuffed animal form with eyes. I got him a brain cell key chain. He liked it so much, he later got a red and white blood cell. Cute little section they have. Somehow managed to turn disgusting diseases into cute little animal looking things (STDs, common cold, cough, kissing disease, mad cow.. to name a few). I'd prob come back for more microbes and maybe a new game, but it's a tad pricey for my taste. read more

I used to remember this place fondly, before they changed locations. It used to be a little ghetto/grass roots... geeky nerds scheming in the back about their stupid decks of 30 plague rats and trying to scam you out of good cards in trades. Now it is along the lines of a typical game store... not sure if that is a good or a bad thing... I always feel bad for game stores these days because they are so dependent on foot traffic... and game stores like this are heavily dependent on the knowledge and expertise of the staff that work there.... most of which are along the lines of social deviants with knowledge in some areas, multiple weird piercings, and often a condescending demeanor. But it's hard to find game stores these days... and this one is soso now... heavy on some of the party games... a pretty good selection of puzzles if I remember correctly, and fun for the whole family.....which might be good for you Cranium players, but a little on the weak side for the heavier strategy types along the lines of twilight imperium, decent, and powergrid. Prices aren't too bad.. .typical retail. Parking kinda sucks along with the rest of the area. read more

This place feels like a store from my grandparent's childhood. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating, but if you expect to find some new and cool games, you're in a wrong place. They sure do have a big variety, but almost all of them are old games you used to play as a child. Personally, it didn't suit my tastes, but that may be because I'm too used to 21st century games. read more

This place has for sure a large variety of games. But I feel that the great variety has made them not have games that are original. For instance, maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but they had like 5 different versions of UNO, including a Disney Channel version one? but they didn't have the original UNO card game. read more

I have stopped here in the past, but mostly out of curiosity though I have bought a few gifts there. I am casually looking for some items that they sometimes carry, but have not decided how much I am willing to spend for a specific one I would like. I hate to by sight unseen online for this item so I keep checking to see what they have in the category. They come close but not exactly. But better than I have seen near home. Plus the shop is right near a bus stop I frequently use in Berkeley so it is really convenient. And the staff is nice too. read more

This store is as good as it gets when it comes to game stores! Though I have to admit that I haven't been to a lot of others, but I could have spent all day in this store! My husband and I ended up getting Hive, and we've been playing it a LOT ever since! We also got a couple of other games that we've been enjoying, and added a lot of others to our mental wish list (since we couldn't carry back a lot with us on the plane). If we were locals we'd be here all the time. :) There is definitely something for everyone at Games of Berkeley! read more

Wonderful experience here after going to multiple shops today. The fantastic human that helped us was named Andy (at least thats what the name tag said ) they were incredibly kind, helpful, and patient while my partner and i picked out our dice, which honestly takes us forever. We ended up buying multiple dice sets including my new favorite set that Andy showed me; its a glow in the dark mini set! How awesome is that?! Will definitely be coming back soon for more dice. I love that this shop sells singles as well as sets and the variety is really nice read more

Whenever I go visit my friend up north, I want to visit this place cuz I'm just such a HUGE fan of board games... and they just have such a HUGE selection! And they host tournaments and board game nights. We're a match made in heaven. Except the employees there aren't the friendliest... but I can ignore them cuz I'm there for the games anyway. So needless to say, when I go back to SoCal, I'm quite disappointed that we don't have anything like this store. But then, one day, I found it: Game Empire in Pasadena. Thank goodness I don't have to be jealous of my friend anymore. I can get my geek on! j/k ;) read more

This is the best brick and mortar game store that you can find. They have an unsurpassed collection of Chess and Go books. They have all the latest party games that your cool friends have. They have kites, frisbees (both recreational, and for disc golf), juggling equipment, and more. If you walk into this place, you'll surely find something that you like. The employees are D&D weird, but they're mostly helpful and know a lot about the products in stock. read more

This place has everything, classic board games, puzzles, and a lot of different types of games I have never even heard of before. They also play games downstairs together, according to a white board hanging from the ceiling. I go here for the classic games though, they have everything from classic monopoly to Hawaiian murder mystery game. They have really cool things for gifts too, like word magnets, cute stuffed animals and a few novelty things. read more

I love this place a lot and have been coming here for over 25 years. I don't even want to think about how much I've spend in my youth on led figurines and gaming supplies. The majority of the staff are friendly and helpful and the selection of stuff is excellent. You can go in there with "I'm looking for this game, I think it has to do with space, but I don't remember, it has a cloth playing surface and you use dice" and in three guesses figures out the right one! Games for all intersts and ages, check it out if you are in the area! read more

This place has everything from board games, role playing games, madlibs, origami, travel games, card games, game-related toys, and more. They even have an entire section devoted to Simpsons versions of classic games liek Monopoly and Battle of the Sexes. My favorite part of Games of Berkeley is their stand of "Cheapass Games," sort of in the back, in the middle of the store. These are, well, cheap, and you can use the same game peices over and over. While some of them aren't that exciting, they all have creative story lines like "witch hunt" and "safari jack" (where you end up making a board game from cards and in the end hvae to "shoot" or "photograph" or "have a conversation with" the wild animal that you meet with). They leavea lot of room for drinking-alterations and laughs with friends. And holy mother of !!!!!! they have MAGIC INK BOOKS AND MADLIBS. read more

Immediate game gratification. They have everything: kites, frisbees (yeah, yeah, "flying discs"), chess, go, and role playing games. Great place to get a gift, or to satiate your inner game nerd. I only wish the store were larger, so they could stock used games as well. They have a good selection of Go books, boards, etc. Same for Chess. read more

I used to be a big RPG fan in high school, now in my late twenties (ahem, make that early thirties...) I am just a casual gamer who enjoys puzzles, board games but really only have time to purchase and enjoy one every six months or so. So, their business doesn't depend on folks like me (even though sometimes I just go in and make a purchase, just to support them), but I have huge admiration for this type of independent and extremely well-stocked specialty store. As the other reviews say, the employees are a bit hit and miss, but I want to relay my most positive experience with them. I bought Settlers of Catan and all the orange roads were missing. When I went in and spoke to the clerk about it (actually, I think he might have been the manager). He was extremely nice, and basically opened up a new set for me, took all the orange roads from that set and gave them to me (his comment: "it's much easier for us to return a defective set than it is for you"). He was also aware that some of the other employees, while competent, can be a bit edgy. So my suggestion, if you want to be a regular here, is to find the people you like, and talk to them! read more

Really fun spot! Got some hexagonal cups for party games here which I thought was interesting being kind of a geometry nerd. They have all kinds of weird interesting games and activities, if you're a game theory geek like me then this place is kind of like a museum of crazy game-theoretic concepts mixed with funny, interesting content. Like they have an apples-to-apples type game except it's popular memes printed out on cards honestly I have to go back and get that, I'm working up the nerve to drop the $38 for that one... read more

Great local gaming shop. They've got almost everything, and what they don't have you can order. Um, except they didn't stock Warlord CCG. Oh well, nobody's perfect. They have been taken over by the d20 RPG craze, but someday that'll pass. Either Hasbro will give up trying to make games for adults, or the next best thing will come along. No computer games though -- IMO this is a good thing. Face to face, keepin' it old school! read more

I'm not big into games, but my partner and I were on a quest to find super boggle. We came here, and they had like six different types of boggle! A big store with lots of selection. Prices seemed pretty comparable to the big chain retailers, and I felt good supporting a local business. read more

This place is an awesome gaming store. They are well-stocked on card games, roleplaying gear, frisbees and just about everything else a gamer could need. As said by Casey S., parking can be a pain, but it is worth it. read more

Here's a great game store. I can remember coming to this establishment when they were still across the street (remember that?). If you're having a difficult time finding anything from the latest Scrabble Deluxe Edition, to a good Frisbee Golf Driver... ...go to Games of Berkeley. They have a seriously comprehensive Dungeons and Dragons collection too (if you're into that). But, what I like this store most for, is their random (& surprisingly "hip") trinkets. It's a great place to buy a White Elephant gift! read more

Solid local gaming store. Don't shop here expecting the kind of discounts you can find online. However, Games of Berkeley is a great place to go when you need to get something from a storefront. I've frequently found cheaper than average mini's in their D&D section. I don't go here often - I live in the South Bay - but I try to make a point to stop in when I'm in the Berkeley area. The store personnel tends towards knowledgeable, personable, and female friendly. read more

A good game store, but if you're at the "Puerto Rico" level of gaming, it doesn't have the variety you might like. Has a bunch of neat non-game items, like frisbee golf discs and kites for taking to the marina. read more

I love how they are being COVID safe. They are incredibly kind and you can ask personal questions about their products and their opinions. Great business. read more

This was my regular gaming haunt and still the first place I think of when I'm looking for gaming supllies, modules, etc. The service can definately be dicey...but I can usually find some other customers to start chatting with and it becomes a good experience despite it all. Somehow they manage to create a cool vibe despite themselves. read more

I have been shopping at Games of Berkeley for many years. In fact, it's been my go to shop for kids' gifts here in Berkeley, where I live. Sadly, after a really distressing transaction today, I will not be going back there. I made a purchase using my debit card in their chip reader, and my transaction was approved by my bank. However, their system froze and they were unable to produce a receipt. They then claimed I had not made a purchase, although my transaction had been approved by my bank, and they would not allow me to leave with the gift I had purchased. Obviously, I'm not keen on spending money and leaving empty-handed, which is what I was forced to do. So, my shopping days at Games of Berkeley are now over. There are so many ways they could have handled this- I'm amazed they chose the route the did. Super unfortunate. read more

I've been shopping at Games of Berkeley for the last four years. It's a cute shop with lots of unusual board games, role playing books, and card game supplies. Some products like board games are really marked up. I wanted to buy Agricola for my boyfriend and it was $75 at Games of Berkeley but only $45 on Amazon with free shipping. I have many other products online for cheaper and with free shipping. My main complaint is the terrible service at Games of Berkeley. I would even be OK paying more for some product if the people were nicer at Games of Berkeley. Gosh, I feel like a idiot every time I buy something there because the customer service is so bad. As some other yelp reviewers mentioned, there is a really grumpy African-American woman who works there. She basically barks every sentence and is very unpleasant to speak to. She is extremely rude, gruff, and always acts like I'm wasting her time. The male workers at the store at slightly better but not by much. I asked for help about buying Magic the Gathering cards because I'm new to it. The male workers really didn't give me the time of day and were dismissive. They answered my questions in a condescending manner too. However, I've been to the store with my sister's boyfriend and the workers treated him a lot better than they have ever treated me so who knows... I can't believe I wasted all my money here despite the awful service though. I've been buying from Games of Berkeley for four years but I'm not going to go back anymore because of the high prices and terrible customer service. read more

Today one of the boys went to a sleepover, one was invited to a movie, and one got special bonding one-on-one time with yours truly! We headed over to Games of Berkeley because games & toys are fun! Besides, we're kinda on a roll lately and cards & "Sorry" are getting a tad stale. The store has everything and more (!!) one could possibly want in a gaming store. I had no idea there were so many choices!! If this review were based solely on merchandise, an easy 5 stars, hands down. I'm knocking off a star, tho', based on customer service. I came in, looked around, kept my 12 year old son near by, did not ask questions, and promptly arrived at the register to pay for 3 items. The large, irate AA woman who rang up the sale could not have been less pleasant. The only other job she may be qualified for (in my opinion) would be in the Oakland DMV, where the rudest women in the known universe are known to collect a paycheck for giving attitude all day. I digress....she asked to ring me up, then when I moved to where SHE was standing, she rolled her eyes & said " Down here"..indicating another register. Okay...I'll play along...then she kept checking me out as tho' I were shoplifting. It's downtown Berkeley, and I know they have their share of trouble, but sheesh, Lady, I'm in there with my son & a wallet, in shorts...not your shoplifter type. She asked to see ID when I gave her my credit card. I was about to say wtf, but Impressionable Kiddo Numero Uno was there, so I behaved. After this debacle, she TRIPLE CHECKED my signature against my drivers' license. Could you get any more insulting?? I think not. Then this individual had the gumption to ask if I wanted a bag... Well, gee, no, I will attempt to shove all the items we just purchased into my minuscule and decorative pocket! Crap!! What happened to customer service?? Anyway, it just happened to be our particular luck to get this "sales assistant". You'll recognize her when you walk in. She looks like Lee "The Refrigerator" Perry, but without the smile. Steer clear. Stick to the games & such, avoid this individual and you will have a swell time. The 4 stars are for the breadth of variety, the layout, and the organization. It's clean, tidy, and bright without being fluorescent. They really need to do some sort of "team building" game or something tho', because there's one particular person who is not down with the team spirit. read more

You can find toys not sold elsewhere. Lots of puzzle types, brain teasers. Some items are kind of pricey though.

I went in, I think I was the only customer in the store, and was helped right away. The problem came when I tried to purchase my items. My credit card was not being read correctly. I tried to pay with a check but they wouldn't take a check. I went out and called my bank to see what was up with my credit card. My bank said it should work and it may be the store's equipment. I didn't bother going back in since the two employees didn't seem to care if they lost the sale. I found another store in Berkeley that had what I wanted and my card worked fine. I decided to call Games of Berkeley and let them know they might want to check their equipment so they don't lose more sales and the response was rude. They just don't seem to care about business and customers. read more

I want to give them 1 star for moving because the old location was directly across the street from my office, but as they say "If you love something set it free and don't be a lazy S*** it's only like 8 blocks away so just walk or take the bus." I'm not sure how accurate that is but I know it's close to the source material. The new space is awesome though, it has allowed them to create a store with a much more open feel to it and their international Tabletop Day on 4/29 was a blast. The entire staff was very helpful. If you want to curry favor with them bring energy drinks. I just wish I could get over there more often to game but adult responsibilities keep me occupied. read more

So often terrible customer service. And I wouldn't recommend ever buying a puzzle here as a gift. I was given one as a gift, but I had it already, and even though it was sealed with the Games of Berkeley sticker on it, they wouldn't let me exchange it for one I didn't have without a receipt. Exchange - not return or refund! They told me even if I could get my friend's credit card receipt showing the purchase, only the owner could do this at certain times. The manager at the time was unfriendly and seemed completely uninterested in customer service. I've spent many hundreds of dollars at this store over the years, including on puzzles, but I'm not buying from them again. read more

Apparently you do not need to check in your backpack when you come in anymore. I was appalled because they left me standing there for five minutes at the counter while they helped four customers that came after me. I'm not standing there to stare at you. I'm not standing there to chill at the counter. I have my hands on my mini backpack, staring at you like helllooooooo check my bag in already. Instead they help other customers and then fed a pet corgi that comes in a treat. Might I add that the female employee was taking her sweet time and moving very slowly? I have had good experiences here, but I'm very unhappy with this last experience. If someone is standing there at the counter with a bag staring at you, that means they don't know your new policy. Also, when I asked if I can leave my bag there, the red head guy looks at me like I'm crazy and says, "um you can if you want." And turns around and helps someone else. Really. Really? Then take my damn bag after making me wait for like five minutes. The other girl completely ignored me and was the one that helped other people and fed a treat to the dog. I had to say very loudly, "HI SHOULD I LEAVE MY BAG HERE?!" And she finally said, "you don't need too." And I was like, "oh? I thought we are suppose to because I've been here tons of times and they always want my bag." And she replied with, "we changed our policy two weeks ago." Well...you could have told me that five minutes ago. It would have taken what? 5 seconds? Not pleased at all. I will continue to come here, as I have had nothing but good experiences here except this time. These people look new. I assume they are new, as I have not seen them here before. read more

Kick ass! I love game, comic, and card stores. You all know me. I'm a nerd. So of course on my visit to the bay to see one of my oldest girlfriends and her hubby we had to stop here. I bought them Cards Against Humanity since I hadn't brought anything with me as a house gift. Bought the child a pack of Pokemon cards that had a Meloetta EX in it. And bought some modeling clay to help pass the time without video games for him too! The staff was super pleasant and the other customers were easy going! The staff made effort to talk to my son about Pokemon and asked him about his league at home. I love that! The boy even made a new friend in the store haha. We hung out playing with the various games on display at the store and then left with our purchases. I will definitely be visiting this place the very next time I am in the area! Wahoo! read more

I want to support local businesses. I do. I went to Games of Berkeley to buy some items that I could have gotten for a few bucks cheaper at Amazon. When I couldn't find what I was looking for the first time, I went to the counter where both employees were playing games on the cash register computers, and was told to go back and look in the section - the item was there. I did find it, but asked about something else, and was told to go back in the same section and look again. The employee never moved from the computer or offered to help. I went back to look, feeling embarrassed that I hadn't seen it if it was so obvious, and I really couldn't find it. On my way out, I told the employee that it wasn't in fact there. She clearly hadn't heard what I'd even been asking for and then told me sorry, it was out of stock. Customers, even ones who don't easily find items they're looking for, shouldn't leave stores feeling put down or that being helped to do so wasn't worth the employee's time. I generally like the selection at Games of Berkeley - but I don't like being treated like that. read more

So, how are the toys in Games of Berkeley? Sadly, I will never know. Upon walking in on an uncharacteristically hot day (90 degrees!), some giant lady steps directly into my path to block me like a bouncer. Not even exaggerating -- she straight-up cuts me off! Then she says in a faux-cheerful, bossy tone, "We'll be happy to hold that for you up at the front." What was I holding, you ask? An unboxed pizza? A melting ice cream cone? A deadly spider? Nope. A bottle of sparkling water with a straw in it. Call me paranoid, but as a rule I don't leave my uncapped drinks sitting around strangers. Also, we're in the middle of a heat wave, I'm freakin' dehydrated, and the store is hot! So, I take the path of least resistance -- I simply do a 360 and say, "That's fine, I'll leave." And that's what I did. I excused myself and went to Half Price Books, who had zero issues with my little bottle o' agua, despite the fact that pretty much their entire inventory is made of paper. Maybe it was because they, unlike Linebacker Lady at Games of Berkeley, could clearly see that I'm an adult just trying to hydrate on an exceedingly hot day, not an hyperactive six-year-old nor teenaged delinquent liable to destroy or vandalize their merchandise. Seriously, man -- way to make a customer feel unwelcome. I get that you want to protect your goods, but is the aggressiveness really necessary? Toy stores shouldn't have bouncers. read more