I wanted to order and send some games for Christmas and hoped to give a local shop my business rather than Ye Olde Amazon. Rain City Games certainly came through for me. The game I ordered to be delivered within Vancouver was delivered the very same day! Staff was also very communicative and helpful when I had questions after submitting the order. WIll definitely shop with them again. read more

I ordered 18 of the same board game online to furnish and include it into my short term rentals because its a hot boardgame at the moment. The orders were flagged as fraud and cancelled. I called and spoke with Braden who said a manager would get back to me. I got an email from Channing who is one of the co-owners saying that it would be fine and to re-order. Then I got an email later from Andrea the other co-owner gaslighting me and making assumptions without knowing who I am. All orders cancelled again. Just trying to support small business. read more

Even though my fiancé and I were in town for a magic show, most of our trip centered around One Stop Shop. I can't remember how we found it... Probably wandering around for a place to eat. We were drawn in immediately, wide-eyed at all the tabletop and RPG items. We hung out at the back tables and played some demo tabletop games to kill time. I love their rating system, and the staff of course are very knowledgeable with recommendations. We ended up buying a few of the games when we got back home since we didn't have room in our suitcase. Since my fiancé is the DM of our D&D game, he got inspired by the books, minis, and scheduled games that take place at the shop. Such a neat place... We'd definitely be regulars if we moved here but for now, we'll settle on making this home base on our future trips to Vancouver. read more

I have played magic from hawaii to Iceland to Italy to Cyprus and this little store has the best price structure in the world! Very friendly owners and the owner and his Wife will authenticate magic cards for you as well. Friendly gamers too. read more

An adequate and serviceable gaming shop. Not great. Not bad. But very OK. Prices range from above average to steep. I've special-ordered games and given up after a month when other shops get them in at lower prices but Rain City Games will try and convince me an item's not out yet, read more

This place rules! I was very impressed by their collection of games to purchase, as well as to play. I LOVE that they have an area where you can try out some games from their library. Photos are of their library, something for all! It's free to play but they do have tables reserved sometimes so you may not always have a spot but we were able to snag a table both times we went. read more

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Fantastic stock and I love the fact that I could try out a game with a friend at their tables in back. I also acquired a rather hard to find first edition of a game for a great price (not all prices are that great, but this one was!). Bottom line, it is also a great place to spend some time in the afternoon when in International Village. read more

It's amazing what nephews can show, normally I wouldn't look at toys unless there's a GI Joe or tanks. but what sets this apart is they have these Japanese themed robots, and these guys actually label their sections pretty good, is horror, etc. Did see something more for my generation , remember the pulp fiction movie when it first came out? Talk about the level of violence back then, makes it look like cupcakes compared to today's. Saw these figurines for $20; no thanks. Rather spend the extra $10 for the Star Wars, at least a few weapons to play with lol. this is a fun shop to hang. no Amex. read more

Rain City Games - Hobby Shops Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

An absolutely superb game shop, whether you're looking for one of the classics, or something out of the ordinary to catch a game lovers fancy. Despite the shops relatively small size they've got a fabulous selection. As mentioned by another reviewer, you'll often find games here that no other shop in town stocks. They also hold Friday Night board game night, and Wednesday night D&D Adventurers League games. Both are well worthwhile. If you are thinking of checking out the D&D game, you should register online in advance at Eventbrite because it does fill up. If this is the first time you're hearing about it and you do decide to attend, let the Dungeon Master know you heard about his game from me. read more

Talk about new and improved! One Stop had never wowed me -- it felt like a store for hardcore RPG gamers, not for casual board gamers like me, and I never found it friendly or welcoming. But all of that has changed with its new owners. The selection of board games has expanded, and is presented in a much more inviting way. There are games here I've never seen anywhere else, and the new owners are very eager to help and to talk about which games might be a fit. There are also starting a board game night on Tuesdays and Fridays, which is another great reason to stop by. Forget dinner and a movie: board game and a movie is going to be our new go-to date night at International Village. I'm really glad to see this evolution of One Stop, because downtown Vancouver deserves a terrific game store! read more

Everytime my partner and I go to this store for Magic the Gathering products, the employees are extremely rude and dismissive. I'm a new player and therefore had a few questions which went unanswered as the employee pointed at the shelf and walked away. Not impressed considering they are the only WPN store in Vancouver. Won't be coming back here, I'd rather trek out to the tricities than deal with this again. read more

Came in today to see if a board game I've been searching for would be here but... no luck. The staff was super friendly and offered to help us find a game in replace of the one we were looking for. When we weren't sure about the game offered the staff asked us if we would like to play it with them for trial sake! We were shocked and excited... of course we said yes! We played a couple of rounds and had a good chat, didn't find what we were looking for but we left with so much more then expected. Highly recommend this shop! Not best area in town but worth the travel! Ps: The new owners have brought back game nights!!! GAME NIGHTS PEOPLE! Tuesdays and Fridays will be the nights (not sure of the exact time frame but today is the first day)! read more

I have had one just okay experience here and a close friend had a terrible experience. Not sure why this place has 5 stars. We came in to play some games and we had to pay $5 to sit at the table and game, which is whatever. During the time we spent there the shop was essentially empty except for some unsavoury characters who wandered around and were obviously not there to buy anything or play any games. The game we played was missing some pieces, but overall it was an okay experience. However, I don't think I'll be returning after the experience of my close friend (who was also with me the night we came in to play board games). My friend dropped by with another guy to buy a substantial amount of cards ($40+ worth) and after they had purchased them they sat down, opened their packs they had purchased, and started to play. The owner approached them after a short time and told them that they would have to leave because they didn't support "casual play". The store was completely empty at the time, not another soul sitting and playing at any of the other tables play tables. The owner of the store just seems to have a poor concept of customer service. Not sure why you'd let folks wander and loiter in the store but kick out paying customers. read more

The good: TONS of space, good selection, convenient location. The bad: The owner is a bit of a nutjob. A few of us Heroclix players tried to get it going as a regular clix venue a couple of years ago. At first the guy was supportive, hopped on board and made us a regular evening that fit everyones schedules. We had two reasonably successful evenings there, and no more. The store policy was bizarre. He wouldnt allow us to play there, unless we were buying Heroclix from him. That in and of itself is highly dubious and kind of laughable, but the kicker, is that he didn't actually sell any Heroclix. Heroclix was in a weird spot at the moment, the original company that owned it discontinued the game. It had just been revived, and the Hammer of Thor set was out. The owner hadn't bought any until we'd showed up, which was understandable. Now that we were there, happy for the space and quite gracious, we instead did our best to buy other products. The first two days there my wife and I bought a couple of board games, a buddy of mine stocked up on some D&D books, etc. Not good enough, you don't purchase the Heroclix we don't sell, you can't play here. We quickly stopped going. The owner was spying on our local clix message board (http://www.mysterious-stranger.com/forum/), and didnt like that we were expressing our frustration openly. Most laughably of all, he openly began threatening us with violence, not terribly subtly either, claiming he could get the famous gang MS-13 after us, and even went so far (lol) to post Wikipedia articles about the gangs violent activities. So that we would 'get the hint'. He spent a few weeks banning us, and unbanning the few that placated him, but for the most part he's been the butt of jokes ever since. read more

This is close to my work and the prices were pretty reasonable - close to starlit citadel (online) prices for board games. I stop by every once in a while and pick up a game or two. The owner always comes up to me while I am browsing around to see if I need any suggestions. I have seen him start this shop from a smaller space in tinseltown and move over to this bigger space as his business becomes more successful. Props to him for keeping a business running in this rough area/mall. read more

It's hard to find a decent gaming store in any city, let alone downtown. But this place is great! I'm about as casual as it can get when it comes to gaming, but the staff is extremely helpful. Just list a couple of games you've played, or the type of game you enjoy and your skill level. They'll find something and give you a quick rundown on how to play. If you're in the mood for something a little more hardcore they'll help you play in the daily MTG/Warmachine tournaments they host. I barely have the time to play any of these but when I do it's a great atmosphere! The first one I played even though I was getting the rules wrong they helped me along. The place also has plenty of space for people to game (only place downtown with gaming space), and they host plenty of tournaments and releases. Great Staff, Great location, not sure what else you'd be looking for in a store. If you're even a little curious about gaming, or are looking for something other then monopoly for your board game night, they'll set you up! read more

A buddy of mine and I just started playing MTG again after a long hiatus. Was really worried about getting back into it after missing close to 10 years of cards but Mike and his staff are crazy knowledgeable and helpful with the game and made it a breeze to pick up a deck and start playing again. Great regular players and cheap packs ($4ea or 6 for $20). Really glad we decided to stop by here first as we've made it our new geek home. read more

This is such a great store for discovering new games you haven't heard of before. Some of the staff is really friendly, helpful and ready to answer all sorts of questions. Pricing for most of the games I looked at were good [compared to Amazon.ca]. I bought three games and will see how I do with them and maybe splurge on others down the road. Definitely fun and interesting seeing what's out there! Mini update: The service is really great, especially when enquiring about games that are not in stock. They can look them up and order rather quickly, if desired. Love this level of service. I'm addicted to browsing the shelves! read more

Great game shop. This is where I buy almost all of my games. The owner is passionate about gaming and his store. Always has tons of stock and the prices just can't be beat. I've sat down and learned how to play new games from the owner and found the conversation is good to. I recommend this store to anyone. read more

Great place to find all your gaming supplies, the people who work there is super helpful and knowledgeable about board games and the like. They also have tables at the back of the store where you can sometimes find people willing to play some of the sample games they have. Its always a pleasure to go there and find new releases and good old classics. read more

Asked a friend to buy me a Pathfinder book which was listed for $14.99 on their webpage and there was only 1 in stock. Same day, my friend went there to buy the book and got charged $22.99 instead. Quickly checked the webpage to make sure my friend got the right book, well, obviously he got the right one, no stock available now. Called the store, not that they completely threw bs reasons like "restocking" they also refused to take the book back. My first experience with them has been disgusting, I suggest you to keep an eye on your wallet when you are around this store. I also checked the preview Google reviews for the store and read how the owner is responding to negative comments like a 9 year old kid and blaming customers instead of acknowledging the terrible experience they had. Even that is a sign of the customer service you would receive when you deal with this store. This is my first Yelp review since the experience was bad enough to register to Yelp to leave a review. read more

I came across this place a while back, and was all woo hoo! A games store in the neighbourhood! And then the guy mentioned that they had game nights, and I was all, sweet. And then he added, yeah, the one rule is that you have to buy ALL of your games from us. What?? And he said, yeah, we have problems where people just come here to look at stuff, and then they buy online where it's cheaper. Now, I understand that this must be a problem for them, but I have other games stores that I frequent in this city, I'm not going to commit to buying from only them! So I left with a pretty bad impression. A year later I gave them a second chance, and went in to browse a bit. The same guy came up to me and asked if he could help me, and I said, no, just looking for the moment, thanks! And he was all, OH, you're just LOOKING, OK. I ignored the passive aggressive vibe and kept browsing. A few minutes later another employee came up to me and asked if he could help with anything... and before I could answer the first guy came rushing up and said, don't bother, he's just a LOOKER! Seriously, I get that they're under pressure from online sales, but these guys are so paranoid about it that they actively push away potential customers. Screw that. For the record, I've never bought a game online, except for when RoboRally was out of print and I found a copy on eBay. read more

I'm a stickler for good customer service (as you can see from my other reviews skewering places that offer poor customer service.) This game store meets my high standards for top-notch customer service. The staffers are not only friendly but also very helpful. I walked in to buy a gift for a 13-year-old, and the employee spent the time to ask the right questions to help me pick a good game for a kid who likes card games. I've been going here for several years. The place also has an amazing selection of games with reasonable prices. Why buy online? You can get a game here right away without shipping fees, and support a local store, too. Two nights a week, the place has a game night. read more

I do a lot of Magic: The Gathering singles shopping, and while One Stop isn't the best option for a massive selection of rare cards, it certainly wins the award for customer service. Sales clerks trust you to look through their binders and boxes of old sets, have great input on what makes a great card, and are generally eager to create a positive and not overly competitive playing atmosphere. Prices are reasonable, and they give a great discount on a lot of the older sets. Tried to mingle with some of the locals playing the tables, but they seemed pretty hell-bent on keeping me out. That's not a slight on the store at all, just a note that you might have the secret formula that I did not to getting people to play a game with you...or even give you the eye contact. And, of course, this is more than made up for by the owner enthusiastically asking you to play a game with him when he's worried you're excluded. Now that's a sweetheart of a man. Kudos, brother. read more

Inside Tinseltown this store carries board games and role playing card games. Lots of space with lots of selection, however, the space to merchandise ratio is a bit off. The staff were really helpful in answering my questions and were patient with me. They seemed to have the customer's and business' interest in mind which is rare in customer service. read more

I couldn't find anything wrong with the store nor the service. The sales person was very knowlegable, approachable and gave me the best answer to my question, eventhough the item I was looking for was not available via any retailer. I kind of new that already. The space was very clean and had an atmosphere to play and try games. read more

Had a really great experience with the new ownership. Ordered, held an item for me, and called in person when he had it in stock. Good vibes! read more

Popped in here after a movie and the owner greeted me and my friend, was very friendly and personable. All the games are organized by themes which made my shopping much easier - headed straight for the Horror section and picked up a new Cthuhlu game at an excellent price! Prices were great, the owner was extremely knowledgeable about all the games and was able to give me some great recommendations on things I would like or dislike. Really appreciated it. I'll be stopping by for the game nights in a few weeks. read more

My 8-year-old son has been coming here for the past couple of years to collect Pokemon cards and recently the Munchkin games. The owner knows us by name and makes a spectacular effort to introduce my son to the newest collections and games every time we come in. No matter what time of day, it's always a busy and enjoyable atmosphere, the staff members are laid back and fun, and I'm always really happy with the effort they make to personalize each experience. Most gamers or collectors I know recommends this place if you're looking for hard-to-find games or collectible cards and cool knick-knacks for way better prices than your typical chain stores. read more

This place is great! My boyfriend and I recently popped in and were greeted by the owner! He is really friendly and knowledgable about all the board games. Also, the new location is leaps and bounds better than the last! read more

The best place to buy (price) and play (people) boardgames in town. They offer 2 Boardgame nights a week, wednesday and sunday, where there are on average 15-20+ people playing boardgames, it's not all clique's either, if you show up not knowing anyone and ask to play you'll be included. That is something I really like, and there are several "Veteran" boardgamers who are more than willing to teach you how to play a new boardgame. I've never really played boardgames in my life other than Life, Monopoly, and Sorry. with my siblings until going here, since then i've learned over 30+ boardgames and met new friends along the way. I noticed a few people gave it a bad review about the owner, I've personally not had any problems with him in 4+ years, heard or seen anything done that I personally didn't agree with. (Kicking loiterer's out for example, not letting hobo's around in the store.) I think those are good things. The store has a very clean, open, bright atmosphere, i've personally introduced several female friends, and my girlfriend to several boardgames at the store and they love it. people are friendly, and the boardgames are cheap. Definately recommend as the #1 boardgame place in town. They also have other stuff like Magic,Warmachine, and like 12 computers to use as a netcafe for a low price, though i personally haven't done them, I always see people on the computers playing LoL and WoW. read more

Good supply of what you need, good looking store, nice friendly staff. Always strive to help you get what you need.

Mmm, Im a little on the fence about this store. Ive read quite a few reviews on them and the bad ones are pretty funny. With that said, my personal experience at this store has been somewhat rather "of the gray area" variety. Cant really find that one perfect word to describe it. Lets just put it this way, (apart from the overly inflated prices) the store itself and the games they have aren't bad at all. BUT the store clerks are another story altogether!!! Let's just put it this way, they are remembered for all the WRONG reasons! read more

Amazing store! They have every board game you can think of. They have magic cards, role playing miniatures and internet cafe. Excellent service! read more

Staff are friendly and helpful and no pressure to buy. Store offers a great facility whereby any game you buy you can take it back to the store and play with other gamers. This store also has a really nice selection of in-house games that you can play before you buy. Regular customers of the store that play there are also friendly and will happily welcome new people who want to learn how to play games and invite them to their group. The store is well situated with lots of street parking and close to many many food places to eat and enjoy while playing your game. read more

Carries a great selection of product with plenty of room to game. The owner is very passionate about his business and is always excited and upbeat. The new work done to the online store to make it real time is fantastic and makes it a breeze to find out what is in stock. Also being open late is a big plus. If you are a tabletop gamer you must check this place out. I've found my lgs now. read more

Personally I love this place. The staff have personality and are passionate about their games. I've read some other reviews written by people who were mad that they couldn't come play games that were purchased from other stores, but I've brought in games that weren't bought there and haven't had a problem. Maybe he's changed his policy since then. But at the same time, the dude is trying to run a business not a charity, so it makes sense that he would want people buying games from him and not from his competition. He also lets you come in and use his space to play games for free, so I don't see a problem. The prices there are fairly competitive to the prices you'd find online for most of the stuff. The selection of D&D stuff isn't the greatest, but they have the essentials. You can also rent a computer by the hour so it had an Internet cafe feel to the store as well. read more

I've always loved to play card/board games and enjoy trying new ones. In the past, I have felt uncomfortable entering a game store (as I am female), but seeing as this one was somewhat close to home, I thought I would find the courage to wander in. So glad I did! The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They have had great suggestions and have been able to find the balance between being helpful and giving you time to check things out on your own. I have had such great experiences with OSS that I have taken a female friend in to explore and she wasn't disappointed! Thanks for being awesome. See you again soon. read more

Fantastic store if you want to surprise your friends at home with a new board game, also Mike knows everything about the different games so he can always help you if you are having trouble which one you want to get! read more

I've been shopping here for years, and just realized I never took a moment to let others know what a gem of a find this place is. Not only does it meet my 'good selection, fair prices' criteria, but the owner is always helpful and the long time staff equally friendly and helpful. My 32 yr old game loving partner, my little 7 yr old nephew and friends have all given me great reactions to gift choices from OneStop. I've found interesting dice containers, strange and fun games, puzzles and books in addition to all the staple fantasy games, miniatures & cards. And the bonus: open late, as in still open when I'm done work- very convenient. Keep it up guys, you're great! read more