I was there couple of weeks ago to buy Chess Sets. Service is exceptional. Very helpful and knowledgeable. However we are just a bit disappointed that they don't have enough Chess Sets to pick from. They either have the cheap plastic ones or they have the super expensive ones. I just wish that they improve their inventory because all and all this place has a lot of good stuff in it and has a very friendly vibe to it. read more

One of my favorite stores to go to, the staff is very friendly and willing to help, just a few days ago one of the employees actually helped me learn the basics of Magic cause really no one plays YuGiOh anymore (note the YuGiOh selection is very slim at times but other times they have a really good selection) and I can literally spend hours just looking at the games they have in stock! I highly recommend coming here for great games and great fun! read more

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff! Just a great place to hang out! And a great place to buy games!

This place is awesome! They have so many games even ones that I played with buddies that I thought no one knew about. My husband and I found so many new games here we had never played before. We love them! I also got a really old edition of settlers of Catan! It's way cooler than the games you find at target or stores like that. Since I have found this place my kids and husband are happy as can be! read more

Pair A Dice Games - Hobby Shops Near Me - Vista, California

OMG. They have like every game possible. They support various game events in their back playing table room. Largest game store in San Diego and Orange County, easily. There's something for everyone. For a German-style-strategy gamer like me, it's amazing. Tons of Dungeons and Dragons role playing type stuff, and lots of miniatures and card sleeves, and collectible card/miniature stuff too. Full model painting section for Warhammer etc. Locally owned. Will buy your old stuff, or take donations so others can enjoy it freely in the back play room. I drive up from La Jolla because it's the best there is in San Diego, and they're open til 10pm, and they're most likely to have stuff in stock. I bought various versions of Catan, Puerto Rico, St. Petersburg, Champions of Midgard, even Codenames here. They have a birthday club where you get a discount they email out. They also send email discounts so you come back every so often. Super helpful staff, and the owner is REALLY knowledgeable on all things geeky and geeky. Love it. read more

A very helpful store. My girlfriend and I were starting to get into D&D so we went looking for a game store that ran some games. We found this spot met with the staff who were super helpful and friendly to new players. They found us a game and though this was our first week we had a blast. read more

PairADice is my favorite game store! It has a wide selection, great service, and is always getting the newest games. The events are also a lot of fun! read more

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I LOVE this game store. The owner and employees are so kind and crazy knowledgable. It's actually QUITE out of the way for us (I only found them because they're near the David's Bridal I was using to buy my wedding gown), but it's worth the trip for the level of service. We have already purchased additional games at the advice of the owner, and we were NOT disappointed! What a helpful guy! Game Empire in Clairemont is MUCH closer, but I won't give them another red cent (they are super unhelpful, only gave store credit for the return of a cash purchase WITH RECEIPT returned the next day saying they were "all out" of cash, won't go look for anything if you call in with a question, etc.) By comparison, I called Pair-A-Dice Games with a sleeve question and the guy was very thorough. So thorough, in fact, that he continued researching my question after I hung up and then called me back with additional information. If you ever find yourself ANYWHERE near Pair-a-Dice Games, do yourself a favor and pop in! read more

This place is awesome. Best board game store in San Diego. These guys have games that none of the other local stores do. They wisely keep games in stock even if they don't immediately sell. This gives them an incredibly diverse inventory. The customer service is great, if you're interested in board games but it's not your life, these guys get it quick. Some of the other shops you have to smell, look like you haven't showered in 5 days, and have Cheetos on your shirt to get help. Not these guys, they are cool with whomever comes in and are ready to answer questions. I'll definitely be back. read more

This place is one of the best game shops in SoCal. They have so much cool stuff. They're so knowledgeable. And they host play in tournaments. read more

Huge, amazing selection. Knowledgeable staff. My husband is a board game geek, but we just wanted some simple family games to play while we were visiting on vacation - games we could easily take back in our luggage. The staff had great recommendations, and my husband was happy to be able to peruse his level of games, too! It was also super cool to get to look at their vintage games! read more

Cool place! I went in for Pokémon cards and then saw tons of games. Staff seem kinda shy or just noting wanting to talk but still seemed nice and fun for sure. read more

Came here looking for a gift thinking it was just another video game store. To our surprise, it wasn't. It is an awesome store full of all kinds of games! Great great employees, friendly and helpful. We absolutely loved it, will definitely be going back when we have more time, and it's a must for the upcoming holidays. Go there, you will definitely not be disappointed, just the opposite! read more

This store has an excellent selection and some of the most helpful staff. Truest willing to help find just the right game!

I went there expecting a Games and Comics store... After all, the sign out front says exactly that. This is really a GAMES (&comics) shop. Fantastic selection of games. Probably 5 times as many as you would expect to see in a typical hobby shop. Everything from the common to the obscure, board games, miniatures, ccgs, that weird expansion pack that was only released in Yugoslavia, you name it. They have it here. I've been in dozens of hobby shops around the country and Pair A Dice is in the top 3 for games selection I have ever seen. If, however, you were expecting comics? Yeah, not so much. In fact, they should probably take the "Comics" off their sign outside because it leads people to believe that there would be comics inside. They have some graphic novels in bookshelves, but this is not a comic shop. Based on my own expectations of the place, I would rate it a 2, as I was expecting a shop with comics. But the games selection is so ridiculously good, and the customer service from the staff is so good, it's absolutely a 5 as a games shop (heck, it might be a 6). So I'm averaging that to a 4. But really, you guys should change your sign. read more

Really disappointed with this store. It is a nice store, but be aware they won't take returns. I bought an expensive board game, It didnt have enough pieces to start a game for 3 players. So I went two days later and they didn't take it back, just told me to send an email for more pieces to the creators of the game. I guess I learned my lesson to never buy in small stores anymore, why would you if buying online or in any of the big stores you get to only keep the product if you are satisfied with it. UPDATE: I am changing my review after owners polite comment. This a nice local store that deserves the support of the local community. I ended up getting my missing pieces from the creators of the game, so no harm done there. read more

THE BEST GAME STORE IN ALL OF SD COUNTY. It has everything you could want, and the nicest, most knowledgeable staff ever. The Owner is a wonderful man. Some find his prices to be a bit higher than on-line, I happily support a family run business any day, knowing that such an awesome man is behind such a wonderful establishment. He also offers a safe and fun place for kids to come and play the games in the stores "game-room'. Call the store if you want to know more about that. The room seemed pretty busy on a Sunday. read more

Dice's new location is tops. With an expanded game room and sales floor, you'll always be able to find the latest game and find a place to play it right away. The only reason I have to go anywhere else in the county is the rare time when they're sold out of something brand new. Oh, and there are mad parking spots nearby now so you won't have to walk across that dangerous Vista, CA parking lot. Combined with the close proximity to greasy nerd food, you can just set up and dork out all day. Tournaments are still good. More and more game communities are flourishing -- Warmachine, L5R, Ascension etc. -- and that's never a bad thing. Go spend your money, fools. read more

We have been to Pair a Dice several times and purchased a bunch of figures and dice for D&D there. The prices and selection are great. The staff is very knowledgeable about all the games there, not just RPG. It was refreshing to find such helpful people. Forget big box stores like Sears or Toys R Us where nobody knows anything and stock shelves and run a register. read more

Went to the SD fair and thoroughly enjoyed their display in the expo hall. It was there that their employee kinda introduced myself, my kids, my wife, and best friend to Snake Oil. Rather than just point to a game on a shelf and tell us what it was, he actually SAT DOWN and played it with us. My friend bought the game that day and my son picked up a burning desire to do the same. Months passed of trying to find time to go and just last weekend we finally made it. I had worried off and on that going into the store would yield an entirely different experience. That every employee can't be as good as the one who sat down and joined us for a card game. I worried that my 11 year old son would walk up to the counter and have some know-it-all hipster roll his eyes and answer him like it was a chore from his own mother. My kids and I walked in and were greeted by an older man (who I assumed was the owner). We walked the aisles and I saw all the usual game shop staples: Warhammer, paints, dice, various card games, RPG manuals, etc. We finally meandered over to the board games and my kids started ogling all of them. My 11 year old (who we made the trip for ) found Snake Oil and was intrigued by a Dr Who game he found. At any other store, I would have no expectation for the workers to know about 1 single game on a shelf, so I had the same expectation. My son asked me about the game and I told him, why don't you ask someone who works here (hoping someone might!) Low and behold, the first guy he found behind the counter rattled off (with detail) how the game worked in it's entirety! This guy was not the owner, he was just some 20-something working his job! I was quite impressed. While waiting for him to pick out his final purchases, the older man walked over and asked if there was anything specific we were looking for and how we liked the store. It was very clean and organized. It didn't feel pretentious. Workers were kind and knowledgable. The game room looked expansive. And best of all, I asked if anyone ever came in to play Blood Bowl. They responded they have a Blood Bowl league! So great, not buying a game from anywhere else. Adding on this: I signed up for their rewards club. Today I received a HANDWRITTEN Thank You note for choosing to shop at Pair a Dice Games. HAND - FRICKEN - WRITTEN!!! read more

I really like coming to this place and buying Warhammer stuff. They are always friendly and like to talk about games and factions I might like. From what I've seen and experienced they are nice to pretty much every newcomer as well. read more

A game haven! Discovered Pair-A-Dice on my bike one day when I was bored, now I go and game with different groups a few nights a week! Awesome people and staff! Great prices and they even have a reward program and coupons they give out. I really like the used book section - they've had clean copies of everything I've ever searched for. Hundreds of different board, card and dice games - I've been going to the shop now for months and they always have exciting new stuff. Couldn't recommend it more. read more

Store status (1/5/10): As the other reviewers mentioned, the PaD is still opened and will be for the foreseeable future. In fact, PaD is starting a rewards program called Royalty Rewards a la Best Buy Rewards where you get points for your purchases which then convert into store credit. When you go in and sign up, they'll give you 5% off your entire purchase! Sweet deal! *** Store closure update: I stopped by PaD Saturday (3/14/09). The store is still open and will likely be open at least until the end of April (or thereabouts). *** This review is coming way too late as Pair A Dice (PaD) will be closing their doors very soon (February/March 2009). However, if you do find yourself up in North County and find yourself jonesing to buy a game, stop in to see Rob and the rest of the PaD staff. Location/Parking: PaD is on the south side of the 78 freeway between College and Emerald so it has really convenient freeway access. The small shopping center has a large enough lot that parking is never a problem. Appearance/Layout: PaD is a good sized store. Enough space for board games, miniature wargames, comic books, RPG's, CCG's, and smattering of puzzles. Store is well lit and clean. Maybe about 300 to 400 square feet of space in the back to play games. 40k or Magic is usually going on whenever I'm there. There's also a coke machine in the back and candy behind the front counter. Bonus: In n Out is across the parking lot from the store and a Little Caesar's Pizza two or three doors down. Drive a little to find McD's, Jack in the Box, or a taco shop. Prices: Prices are not different from any other brick and mortar game store I've been to. PaD prices fall in line with MSRP's. HOWEVER, since they are going out of business, PaD recently discounted SOME games from 10% to 20% off. Don't expect to find discounted copies of Tide of Iron or D&D Player's Handbook, but you may find some older gems for a few bucks off. Board games: I played D&D from elementary to high school, but I'm primarily a board game player now and collect miniatures. PaD has a diverse selection of board and card games ranging from Rio Grande to Fantasy Flight Games to Twilight Creations. PaD prominently displays their new board game arrivals on a table near the store entrance which I like because I don't have to ask "Hey, what's new?" when I'm just in the mood to look around. I also like the "Holy cow! I didn't know that was out!" surprise when I first enter the store. RPG's: I look through the RPG shelves once in a while just to see what's out there besides D&D and World of Darkness. PaD has probably one or one and a half 8' long by 4' tall shelves/displays of RPG's. Unless you're looking for something really obscure, you'll probably be able to find it at PaD. If you want a diverse RPG selection go visit Game Towne in Old Town. Wargames: Not as big as Game Towne's selection, but since wargames seem to be a very niche market in San Diego, I think PaD's selection is OK. With the closure of Third Planet in Torrance, Rob has brought down all that store's wargame stock so PaD has a better selection than normal right now. GMT titles primarily like Samurai and Combat Commander: Europe. Miniatures: Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and 40k are well covered as well as Lord of the Rings. Back issues of White Dwarf are also around. PaD also stocks collectible minis like Heroclix and Monsterpocolypse not too mention Star Wars and Axis and Allies. Comics: In the past few years, PaD started stocking comics. I used to collect when I was younger but not anymore so I don't know how good/bad their selection is. Just thought I'd mention it for you collectors out there. CCG's: I'm not a CCG player, but I know PaD does have Magic: The Gathering nights. Speaking of game nights... Events: Go to PaD's website for all their upcoming events: http://www.pairadicegames.com/. On alternating Thursday nights, I believe they switch between historical miniatures and board games. Check their event schedule to be sure and then call the store to be doubly sure. Staff: The owner, Rob, is super cool and very helpful. His son (don't know his name) is a nice kid and helpful as well. He might not know as much as his dad, but he'll try to answer your questions as best he can. Kevin (the guy w/ beard and glasses) is VERY knowledgeable about board games and likes to talk. A lot. (Do what you will with that information). Overall, I really like this store. The owner is great, and the staff is friendly. The board game selection is really nice (comparable with Game Empire). Sure there are some uber nerds* prancing or waddling around the store, but they come with the territory. Visit this shop while its doors are still open. * (Yes! I know I'm stereotyping, but, hey, we're talking about a game store here. What's a game store without nerds?) read more

The owner is really nice. He has a great selection of games (*if you have not played Settlers of Catan, you should check it out there*). I just wish the prices were not so high. Every time i visit my folks i keep meaning to go to the Friday night magic game. I think i avoid it because a bunch of little kids will prob kick my ass. :-P Also the person who reviewed below said it was closing but I just got an e-coupon. So maybe it has new ownership..??? read more

Really great selection of games, excellent customer service and spacious gaming room. They also have games you can check out and play in-store and a rentable private room for a small group of friends. My husband and I are avid board and card gamers and this is the best game store we've come across so far. The cherry on top was the hand-written thank you card I received in the mail a few days after my purchase, it truly made my day and showed the level of customer service they provide. Very impressed ^.^ read more

Pair A Dice Games - Hand-written 'thank you' note via snail-mail. Above and beyond customer service! ^.^ - Hobby Shops Near Me - Vista, California

Great store. Good, large gaming space. Wide selection of games including a very good used section. Rob, the owner, and his staff are extremely nice. I used to collar random people for a roleplaying game there every Tuesday, and that was a fun experience. I think it's the only place of its kind in North County. They buy back stuff, too. Generally, they pay 37.5% of retail, which isn't bad. read more

I'm a 40k player who just moved to the area and I'm so glad I found this place! Clean store, nice gaming tables and an excellent rewards program for your purchases. Not to mention that the staff members are very helpful and educated in their product. Every recommendation I've been given so far has been great. They know their games!! read more

HOLY TABLETOPS, BATMAN! This place is out of control. I came in here looking for a few games, one of which I could NOT remember the name of. I vaguely described the game to the guy working, and he INSTANTLY knew what I was talking about. Found all the games I came in looking for, and have definitely been inspired to expand my collection. Haven't found a better shop in North County. read more

Huge store. Clean & pleasant atmosphere. Wonderful staff. One of the largest selections of CCG's/LCG's/tabletop RPG's in North County. A play area is in back of the establishment for people to play their games. The game area is kept clean and clutter free. I like the rewards system. I've received personalized thank you cards via mail in the past for discounts off my future purchases. I look forward to doing business again for all my gaming needs. I would recommend this place to others. read more

Love this Place! Especially TOM, NICK, PABLO and Joaquin! :) NICK IS ALSO A BIG HELP TOO! Great place to learn & to bring your family for Board or Card Games! read more

Pretty awesome place! Lots of table top games and a hefty collection of new and old Magic the Gathering. The side of the store is dedicated to just playing games especially Magic. The inventory is well stocked, and you'll definitely find everything that you need (extra dice, card sleeves, deck boxes, etc) What I love about this place is the customer service and the loyalty rewards. You can tell that the owner cares about who walks into his place and answers questions and makes recommendations where it needs be. I came in with a coworker who frequents the Magic tournaments held here. We needed to pick up the recent block for our work tourney, since I'm pretty new to the game I didn't know what was in a lot of the event or promo decks. The owner wasn't an elitist, he didn't judge, he wasn't condescending, and he took the time to tell us what's worth buying and what's in a lot of the promo decks. I appreciate good customer service anywhere and this place def won my loyalty. I walked out with a bunch of deck boxes, sleeves, fat pack and toolkit, and so on...the owner signed me up for their loyalty rewards which was awesome, they send you promos and coupons. Now I would give this store more than 5 stars if I could because a week later, they send me a hand written thank you card in the mail and a coupon for the next time I visit. read more

PaD is a great local gaming store, especially now that they have moved into the new suite. The game room is more than twice as large as before and the store itself is very nice. They have a great selection of board games and RPGs although I feel like the selection of tabletop miniatures leaves a bit to be desired. They also are a bit lacking in the hobby area as the only paint rack is GW and even that has many empty slots most of the time. On the flip side they are more than happy to place special orders and can get most products in a timely manner. It can be a bummer when you can't leave the store with that special model you are craving but at least you know it should be available in about a week. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about their product with some of them specializing in different areas: Garry knows RPGs while Kevin seems to know more on the board game side. The only major down side is that the game room is packed every Friday night with Magic: the Gathering players so there isn't room for anyone else. Sundays used to be Yu-Gi-Oh day (not sure if they still are) but Saturdays are a great day to show up for pick-up games (when there isn't a tournament or other special event scheduled). While the store doesn't offer online forums you can always visit the Fanatical Gamers Society at http://fgsnc.com to trade messages with other customers of the store. I rated them Moderate for price range since they are right in the ballpark for brick & mortar stores. Sure you could find things cheaper online but everyone should support their local store so that we have a place to play. read more

I've lived in the area for about 8 years now and I've sampled most of the other game shops SoCal has to offer. I've been to shops in the LA, Orange County, North County, and downtown SD areas and PADG is by far the best shop I've experienced. (That's my opinion.) Here are the facts: They carry and support the following games/game types: -Magic the Gathering (including tournaments - FNM, PreRelease and Release events, and Game Day) -Dungeons and Dragons (Encounters and Private Games) -Warhammer 40k (Events and Private Games) -Board Games (family game nights) -Pathfinder (Private Games) -Yu-Gi-Oh (Sunday events) -I'm sure I've missed some things, too. In addition, anything they don't carry they are more than happy to find and obtain for you. The staff is great. Friendly, knowledgeable, and caring, they will bend over backwards to make sure you find what you need. If you need help with old-school stuff talk to the owner, Rob. He's been doing this for some time and even plays in magic tournaments occasionally. If it's board games you need information about, talk to Kevin. I guess I shouldn't be picking out individual employees because they all know what they're doing and are great people. Their rewards program is great for those that like to save some money (honestly, who doesn't?) You earn points on your card for every dollar you spend and for every 200 points you obtain you receive a $10 gift certificate in the mail. They run promotions once a month (i.e. $10 off purchase of $60 or more) and they will send surprise gifts for birthdays and sometimes just because. Their once a month promotions come attached to an e-newsletter that helps keep you informed about the latest and greatest in the gaming world. They have updates about their in-store events as well as products being released that month. As for the naysayers about the store not carrying comics: It is true that they only carry a limited selection of graphic novels and manga now; however, this was not always the case. They attempted to carry a wide selection of comics but with the recession, the demand for comics in our area took a hit and profitability in that product line tanked. As the economy improves, you might see them looking at carrying comics again (this statement is my opinion and is not influenced by any sort of inside information). I'm sure that if enough people voice their opinion and show the demand for comics, the staff will do their best to accommodate. Expansion: PADG is planning to move to a larger storefront in the same plaza (as of this posting) and will be offering a larger venue for tournaments and private gaming. This will be great for both newcomers and long-time customers because it will offer more space for merchandise and events. Current time for this move is the end of July 2011. (Tentative) All-in-all, PADG is by far the best shop in the area and it would do any gamer/geek a great service to give the shop and its staff a visit! read more

I always enjoy coming here. Real reviews of games based on actual employee experience lead to great recommendations on things to play.

Love the rewards program. But you have to be a little choosy about when you buy games their, as they run about 20-30% higher than Amazon on many items. Amazing selection. And they have a large area for gaming, which is probably why the higher prices, but you'll have to endure the smell. I'm not being elitist, we have a lot of gaming friends and they're not always super concerned with hygiene. But I think this place has an air circulation problem, which, combined with their okay-to-bring-your-own-food policy, can be... potent. Staff can be friendly, the older team members and the owner are there often and are very helpful. But the younger employees can come off more clique-y (or just distracted), as well as other gamers. Dunno, maybe this is common across all game shops. All-in-all, I'm thankful they're here, and support my local game shop when I can! read more

The staff was very friendly and very knowledgeable about any questions I seemed to have. They all seemed to enjoy the items and products in the store and made me want to return for any other game related purchases in the future. I highly recommend shopping here or even just checking out some of the unique game in the store. read more

Awesome game store! A group of friends and I love Settlers and other games. We were looking for something new and Kevin helped us find the perfect games! A+ to this great store! read more

Love this place, great selection, always has a good selection of used games n paints. Even though I rarely game in public it is nice that they have the gaming room for tournaments and open gaming. I have been a customer for almost 10 years now. read more

To be fair this is my LGS. I have been coming here for the better part of a decade. There is a wide selection of board and miniature games as well as a good selection of CCGs and RPGs. The accessories area (sleeves, dice, mats, terrain) is great as well with a wide variety. They have a large play space that almost always has room for open play. I say almost because they host a lot of tournaments on the weekends and leagues throughout the week. Surely someone can find something on any given day to do. If you need something ordered let them know and they will get to it if it is still in print. read more

My Girlfriend and I decided this weekend that we wanted to get back into Magic the Gathering. Its been a number of years for us both (my last deck was from time spiral (2006) and she had actually never made her own deck. We decided to head to Pair A Dice game, even though its nearly 20 miles from our home, as I've always had good experiences there in the past. We entered and waited nearly 20 minutes, listening to one of the two employees on shift complain how they couldnt play in the tournament since they were working, and discussing previous D&D sessions with customers. When finally helped we explained to the woman working that we wanted to get back into magic. She set a "Duel Decks" pack on the counter said "Then this is perfect" and walked away. We stood there for another 15 minutes,attempting to look at the unorganized, and frankly what looked like extremely under-stocked product on the wall behind the counter and waiting for further assistance as we had questions. Eventually we left and went to Walmart, where we found exactly what we were looking for (2 Innistrad deck builder boxes 40$ at Walmart). You know something is wrong when you get better selection, and customer service, at Walmart. Though, i did bump the review up since we saw lots of interesting things while waiting. My girlfriend has always been a fan of board games and they have a large selection. read more