It's a massive complex for the nerd in all off us. The selection is amazing and the staff is friendly.

Awesome store awesome owner awesome staff. They are very helpful, nice selection good prices

Dungeons and Dragons, and other tabletop games, aren't my thing, but I'm impressed by the art and storytelling. It's like a whole other world you can get lost in. You do lose track of time -but it's so much fun. The Sentry Box, in particular, has this chill, casual vibe that makes you feel right at home read more

The sentry box is the place to be! Great selection great staff and a great atmosphere. Still never agreed with the Covid policy at all! However agree to disagree. This place has all you need and you shouldn't have any reason to go anywhere else! Always satisfying! read more

This place is huge with a massive selection to choose from: board games, RPG's, cards, graphic novels and even some vintage video games. We eyed the N64 and SNES games but be prepared to pay a hefty amount. Although they did have Ogre Battle 64 and Harvest Moon 64 ($120.00 each) which is somewhat reasonable. Anyways, I was just browsing but a few buddies picked up a couple dices and some other miscellaneous items. Cool spot though; I like how you can play games upstairs. It was quite busy when we came on a Saturday afternoon. read more

See all

It's a good place but as far as Manga is concerned they do not stock any. So I wouldn't place it even in a list of top manga book stores in Calgary. read more

Even via shipping these guys might be the best and well done store in the country. 10/10 also 100/100 probably 1000/1000 read more

Blahhh! My inner nerd literally had a heart attack when my friend said there was a 'nerd shop' in town, and then just went and died when I actually saw the place! Biggest board game store in the world is quite a title to live up to, but you'd agree if you ever saw this place! From board games and cards, to books/comics and figurines. With a section of tables set up, its the perfect place to spend an afternoon playing and discovering games! They even had vintage games and consoles, including Genesis and NES! Man, does that bring me back! Staff were very friendly and helped whenever you needed it! Prices are a bit higher than whats I expected for some games, as they are converted from USD. A huge store for my inner nerd is exactly what I need in my life! Too bad this location is not exactly in my neighbourhood! If you're into anything remotely 'geek or nerd', this will be your heaven, or Valhalla, or Zion... (You catch my drift? Hehe) read more

Sentry Box - Hobby Shops Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I'm a geek, but not really a Sentry Box kind of geek. Even so, I still think this is one of the coolest stores I've ever been to. This store is huge, and it's definitely the largest one of its kind that I've ever seen. They carry all sorts of RPG games (including military), cards, and accessories. They have tons of models and little miniatures too. The book section is rather large, and they sell everything from science fiction to fantasy. They even carry Harry Potter, if you're into the more mainstream stuff like me. They have a lot of space here for people to play their games. The few times I've been here, there has always been some people playing either card or other RPG type games. I know they also hold lots of events that happen almost every day. You can check it out on their website: www.sentrybox.com. I don't know if this matters much, but they sell chocolate bars and chips here too, so I guess if you're hanging out, you'll have something to munch on. read more

See all

They have just about everything you could need. Great selection of kickstarters, game upgrades and add-ons, and an incredible RPG library. Staff are friendly, polite, and very knowledgeable. COVID precautions are taken seriously, as they should be. Prices are competitive enough, especially when you factor in the loyalty scheme. I always enjoy checking out their new arrivals area. read more

I first walked into the Sentry Box back in 1990, shortly before my fourteenth birthday, a twenty-five dollar gift certificate clutched in my hand, an early present from my step-mother. I wonder if she realizes just what she started that day. I cannot count the number of times I took the number 7 bus down to Marda Loop and walked the aisles, spending allowance after allowance, birthday and Christmas money, and many a paycheck from my first real job flipping burgers. I moved downtown halfway through my seventeenth year, and around that same time the Sentry Box moved to their current, wonderfully stocked and staffed location. Every time I walk through the main doors I cannot help but pause and look about, partly to remember the early days of this location, but mostly to take in the vastness of the merchandise spread out below, treasures awaiting discovery, new additions patiently resting on shelves before becoming part of someone's collection. The Sentry Box has fed my addiction for Battletech, miniatures, game books, novels, and more, introduced me to Warhammer 40k, contributed to my Warhammer and Hordes armies, and kept me in cards to flip for Magic the Gathering. I've played numerous games here, and spoken for hours with various staffers about recommendations for new games and tips for improving my gaming experiences. I have never had a bad experience here, unless one counts never seeming to have enough money for everything I wish to buy. I have begun bringing my little boy here, and he has developed a fondness for Heroclix figures. I love that the Sentry Box was here to be my son's first game store, and I'm looking forward to when he starts asking when the next time we get to go back to the Sentry Box. Spoiler alert; it won't ever be very long before we make our way through these exciting doors again. read more

This place is massively big. Main upper floor has card games, magic the gathering and stuff like that and where people play card duels, another area into the building is where they do full-on board game battles. The basement is where all their merchandise is, with a little bit of retro consoles along the hallway. Major Nerd galore for sure. Board games, card games, and etc. everywhere you turn. Not sure if they have washrooms, staff is just ok. One thing i'd like to point out is the guy doing cashier at the basement was giving me attitude for no apparent reason. While everyone else was getting treated fairly, like seriously i'm not from here so show some love. Anyways parking is moderately big but cramped, I suggest parking on the street, if your having problems getting parking space. Recommended for anyone whose into board/card games and etc. Their collection is massive so you'll probably find what your looking for here. read more

I nearly squeaked a bit when I heard about the Sentry Box. EVERY game in print? EVERY? I didn't believe it. I'd looked at the standard 'games' places for Ticket to Ride for my husband and I... with no success. That's when I knew. I knew it was time for my first trip to the Sentry Box. Now, fair warning, when you walk in you'll have to make your way through a hoard of people who are part of games meetup groups. Don't be intimidated though - just down those stairs is the answer to every single awkward dinner conversation! We found Ticket to Ride (3 versions) no problem, and had to fight temptation to buy everything in the store. If you're looking for a game and don't know where to find it, go here. read more

You know those stores that seem to have something for everybody? Those stores that you can walk in with a big group of people of all different tastes and interests, and everybody will leave with an experience that put a smile on their face? Well sadly, Sentry Box is definitely NOT one of them. Yeah, this is a total niche market store, catering almost exclusively to a level of nerd-dom that almost assures most of it's clientelle spent many an afternoon inside a locker in their youth. But if you're one of those people, this place might as well have big pearly gates and a floor made of clouds. Essencially the idea of Sentry Box is catering to the world of role playing, trading card, and certain niche board games. (We're not talking Scrabble or Operation here.) and if you're into that kinda thing there's a 90% chance this place has what you're looking for, most likely organizes playing sessions for you meet others of "your kind", and undoubtably have the most knowledgable and (usually) friendly staff you could ever hope to find. Take myself for example. In high school, I got sucked into a trading card game that I hadn't played since... but after looking at a few cards of the latest expansion set, my curiosity was peaked, so I headed down to Sentry and into the lower level to the card desk. At the time, they had a tournament going on and the sole employee of this department was catering to one of the largest gatherings of players in the city WHILE running the desk by himself. He still found time to answer all of my naive, rookie-like questions, give me a bunch of great advice on how to get started back (I gave away all my cards when I gave up the game the first time), and gathered every item from their stock he thought might interest me and laid them all out on the counter for me to peruse at my leisure. I've been to a number of stores that handled these kinds of games over the years, and NEVER recieved that kind of service. Now, as for pricing I can't really speak for the rest of the store, but as for the cards department I can say this much. If you're buying in small ammounts you'll pay pretty much what you would anywhere else... however, I've found that if you buy in the bigger product packs you will actually save a few bucks. It's much, but it's still a plus for 'The Box' All in all, if you play these kind of games and haven't been to TSB... go. If you don't? Drop by and check it out if you're in the area. It's still a really cool store in a fascinating building that I can only describe as a library of all things nerd. Just don't expect to do a lot of shopping. read more

One of the best stores ever. You can find whatever you want here ... and if, in a very rare circumstance, the Sentry Box doesn't have it, you'll see that they'll order it in for you without a problem. read more

See all

I can't say enough great things about this establishment. They have an excellent selection of the top modern games for families as well as your heavy hobbyist miniatures and games like Warhammer, Star Wars Xwing and Dungeons & Dragons. I'm a big living card game fan and Sentry Box is the place to be if you're into LCG's. I primarily play Lord of the Rings LCG but they have a huge following for Game of Thrones and Arkham Horror as well. Sentry Box Cards next door is awesome as well, if you're into Magic the Gathering and other collectible card games. read more

Great store with friendly staff. I come here often to play table top games with a large group, the store is always accommodating and allows us to set up tables and chairs which they supply at no charge whatsoever. This is a store that is not only interested in the board and table top gaming industry, but also in the board and table top gaming community. Not many stores care so much about their clientele long after they have made their purchases. read more

Calgary doesn't do super well in the awesome indy shops category, but at least we have this place. I'm not into most of the things this place sells (honestly!) and I still feel welcome here and love visiting. Browsing at the Sentry Box makes me wish I were more into sci-fi novels and fantasy games. I do like board games sometimes, though, and their collection of quality board and card games is huge, so if you're into german-style board games, check them out. read more

The Sentry Box boasts a number of product lines of interest to a wide range of clientelle, from sci-fi hobbyists to serious military researchers. The store is divided into several sections; I'm most familiar with the military section, which includes a large showroom for military/wargame themed games (both wargames and miniatures) which include both current titles and a very good selection of vintage games dating back literally decades. As well, an excellent collection of Osprey Men-at-Arms, Elite, Campaign and other reference book series, as well as a selection of military hard and soft covers both new and used, including very hard to find titles from publishers such as J.J. Fedorowicz and Militaire. The owner, Gord Johansen, has been part of the games scene in Calgary for decades as well and is extremely friendly and knowledgeable and will take time to answer questions, research inventory, and acquire products for you - just ask. There are large sections of the store devoted also to sci-fi/manga/fantasy books, games, miniatures, associated supplies such as dice, paint, etc. as well as space set aside in the store for game tournaments and other in-house events. Staff are friendly and generally knowledgeable, sometimes a little shy, and some of the vintage products are not always priced - this is the downside of shopping in a FLGS. The upside is that great prices can often be found from shopping in-store - check out the bargain bins of vintage magazines and bagged games if you are a collector of such - much better prices than shopping online. And speaking of which, all new inventory can be searched in their online catalogue before coming down to the store if you really don't want to browse the shelves. Last of the big hobby shops that lives up to its well-deserved reputation. read more

I love Sentry Box and have for many, many years. For decades it has been THE place for geeks to get their fill of board games, CCG's, Warhammer, graphic novels, and other such geekery. Not only do they have a huge selection of everything, they have an area to play the games they sell. They run tournaments regularly and you can just hang out to paint your models or chat about the latest whatever. The staff are very knowledgeable and can pretty much tell you what you're looking for by giving them the vaguest descriptions. They'll also help you find something new if you're bored with the board games you've been playing. For the serious geek, they offer a discount if you spend a minimum of $300. So get your friends together and split the total. read more

Located near the Greyhound bus depot, the Sentry Box is the go-to place for board games and tabletop gaming. The store itself is huge, with a massive sci-fi/fantasy library in the back (organized alphabetically by author), large board game selection in the centre, and all the tabletop gaming, warhammer pieces, and cards you could want. If you go up a staircase in the back, there is an entire floor full of military models and books that span hundreds of years of combat. There is also space upstairs to play games, and I saw plenty of posters advertising tournaments and other events. If you're into board games and tabletop gaming, this would probably be a good place to make friends as well. If i had a complaint, it would be that the staff seemed to stay behind the counter, instead of walk around and ask if anyone needed assistance. However, the store seemed to be organized well enough that you could probably find what you were looking for without help. In terms of hobby shops, the Sentry Box is fantastic. Definitely check it out. read more

What in the world is this place? I was across the street at Mikey's for lunch and figured I'd stop in since I was in the neighbourhood. I've always seen the Sentry Box. I remember the Yelp list popping up, but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was. If I knew more about games, I'm sure I'd be in heaven. But I don't, thus the three stars. How can I give it a higher rating when I don't really know that much about the subject? Granted, the rating may have been higher had someone actually approached me... but then again, maybe that's not how things work in these types of stores? At any rate, I soooo wasn't expecting the store I walked into. First off, I thought it looked rather small from the outside, but when I walked through the doors, there was a half level up top with some tables (I'm guessing for games and tournaments and things?) and then a full set of stairs into a level below. This place is humungous! Games, games and more games. Game pieces, instructions, maps to things I've never even heard of. And then an entire back section full of books - an entire bookstore inside of the games store. Woah. The hieroglyphic sign on the wall was really cool though. I give the sign five stars. I walked around to check everything out. This girl was overwhelmed. There's an entire subculture I know nothing about, and I'm pretty sure a lot of happens at the Sentry Box. Do I dare venture back? I think yes. I'm now curious. April Underdog Challenge: 8/30 read more

The Sentry Box is a great place to come for your nerdy needs. The store is absolutely massive and packed full of stuff. They've got hundreds of board games, anime, pen & paper gaming books and supplies, sci-fi and fantasy novels, warhammer figures, magic cards, etc. Their staff are a little hit and miss sometimes unfortunately. There have been a couple times when I've gone to pay and gotten the silent treatment. It's reallllly uncomfortable to deal with a salesperson that literally does not say a single word to you. Having said that though, this is usually not the case so I can't really knock the store for it. Plus I've worked in retail, I know that sometimes you just want every customer to GO AWAY lol. They also have gaming tables set up upstairs where you can play privately or join in one of their events. I haven't utilized any of this because my friends don't like to play here, so I can't really say what it's like. Recommended if you're in the market for any of this stuff, although you might want to have a general idea of what you're looking for because this place can be overwhelming. It's also definitely recommended for Warhammer players who want more than what Games Workshop offers. Sentry Box has loads of the metal figures, older stuff and even forgeworld. read more

This us the best store in Calgary for any type of table top gaming. If you are into tabletop games or want to get a gift for a friend who is then this is the perfect store for you. This is also a great place to learn more about games and get a chance to try something new and interesting. There are game nights on Mondays which are a super fun and low key way to to meet other gamers and learn more about the gaming realm. One of the reasons I really like the store is they also have a great used section. This is perfect if you want to browse and buy a game (but don't want to pay the often greater than $50 price tag.) In general, though, the staff are super helpful and this is a great place to go for all gamers from novice/casual to hard core. read more

Worst Service Ever... Sentry box is a great place to go if you want the staff to treat you like garbage! Been to sentrybox many times through out the years and I have to say the staff here have zero customer service skills. They have a large selection of cool games but if you want to play an event or visit the card desk prepare to be disappointed. The staff seems to always be way too preoccupied with their own personal clique to want to deal with you and god forbid you stop by during snack time, you will surely not forget the experience. Make sure to check out the events that run way too long seemingly for no reason at all! There are other places in Calgary to play events and buy product and I urge every one to give them a chance and be blown away by the service you receive there! in short if you want an uptight unpleasant experience visit the sentrybox and remember a bad experience is just to be expected! read more

Cmmoon buddy, cmoooon buddy We both know if you like the kind of stuff sentry box sells you have already been here or has a freind who has. You know whats here, you know its fun, and the people who work here are just like you, they have the answers and the attitude you want! read more

Have only been in a few times over the years, but every time I was, the service was quite good. Didn't have a lot of luck finding what I was after (heard they had fair prices on used N64 games - turned out they were priced higher than even gouging Amazon sellers) but for everything else, I was quite sated. Picked up a few boxes of dice for RP'ing and a couple copies of the Shadowrun source books. Will certainly go again! read more

Awesome place! They host lots of great clubs, and are a lot of fun to go to and walk around!

This is definitely THE place to come for Magic cards. If you have something specific in mind, they're very likely to have it. Great selection and the staff are knowledgeable and helpful for the most part. I only play casual format so I can't review their tournaments and/or game nights. One star off for the sometimes exorbitant pricing. read more

Selection is great, probably the best I've ever seen (and I've been to game stores from Charleston to Seattle). Prices were very reasonable, even on rare game book supplements. I thought I was going to get out of there with $35 worth of books...until I hit their military history section. $160 later...but I was a more than satisfied customer. I'm not from Calgary, but they look like they have quite an active game community at Sentry Box. I was very impressed with that. If you're looking for rare games or minis, or really anything else remotely to do with gaming--either roleplaying or tabletop--this is the place. The only thing that hurt my experience were the employees. With the exception of the gentleman in the used book section (who was very kind), the rest of the employees were surly and acted as if I was inconveniencing them by spending a great deal of money there. When I asked if they had any Star Wars d6 supplements, one of the clerks nastily replied "No, because no one plays that anymore." I do, sir, and so do a lot of my friends. When I asked to use the bathroom (which was locked), the same clerk snapped "Well, of course you can!" like I was a dimwitted child, and only after I informed him that it was locked did he give me directions and the code to get in. The clerks at the front were so grumpy that one of my friends, who made the journey up from the States, put his purchases back rather than spend any money there. Again, it's a great store, and earns its reputation as the best in Canada and possibly the world. It was worth the six-hour drive to Calgary. If the staff would act like they cared about their customers rather than sitting behind the register like it was a bunker, this would've easily gotten five stars from me. read more

My last review had a few negative points I would now like to retract. Maybe I caught them on a couple odd bad days or theyve improved, but my last few visits have been phenomenal! The staff have been very personable and helpful. There doesn't seem to be any 9-5 "jobbers" working there - everyone clearly loves, and knows, a crazy amount about what they sell and are great about using it to help you (particularly the good folks at the MtG desk). Awesome place. read more

I am from Edmonton and so only visit once every 3 month or so... Have been in the habit of spending around $200 on Magic cards each time. Not this time i went on Easter Saturday and behind the counter was some young male I didnt recognize. When i asked for a particular card I got a sardonic "and???" As i did not know the set. He made no effort to look it up, or be friendly about it, just waited. I guessed at the set and he thumped a book down in front of me, still with no effort to walk the one yard to his right to look up the set. I finally had to ask him to help me and look it up he said "ok", then preceded to continue filing cards for a good 30 seconds before doing what i asked. Clearly i was a bother. I checked another card, and by then i had had enough and left. It is really disappointing. Brenden has been a great help to me, but i will now be sticking to Phoenix NW for my Magic cards read more

Best and largest game store in the world. Fair prices, friendly helpful staff, selection beyond belief of games of all sorts, sci-fi and fantasy novels, anime, and so much more. A manager imported from overseas is always around to make the store warm and welcoming with his intelligent and witty conversation. The owner is a generous supporter of the community without equal, as friendly and helpful as his staff, and a good person with a heart of gold. read more

I have been going to Sentry Box for going on 15 years now, and I can say hands down, the Sentry Box is the best niche game store in Canada (they sell books too). Over time my interests in gaming have changed, from role playing to ccg's (collectable card games) to board games. The SELECTION is great! The only issues I ever run into is products out of stock (it is the best game store in Canada), and a lack of Indie RP award winning titles. The STAFF is knowledgeable, 100%. Friendly... 50%. The biggest problem that I have encountered with SOME of the staff at the Sentry Box is arrogance. Like most niche stores, staff here will role their eyes while your not looking, or make critical comments after a person has left the store. The other 50%, are amazing! They take the time to engage you, talk about, and make honest suggestions about what they like and don't like and what may meet your table gaming needs. (PARENTS BEWARE!!! Cover your kids' ears! Some of the guys at the card desk... Swear, talk about, and laugh at totally inappropriate things. More so, they don't care who is present while they do so.) ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTS - the Website. Anyway, check it out! Even if your not into table top games, go here to marvel in the nerd gaming sub culture. read more

I made a yelp account just so I could leave you guys a 5 star review! I went in today for the first time today and I was blown away by the selection! The staff member I talked to was extremely helpful and willing to answer any and all questions I had! I will definitely be back and I will be recommending this place to anyone who's looking at getting into TTRPGs, or even people who are just looking for that perfect tabletop game! read more

I just left Sentry Box after being referred there by an employee at Toys R Us. I was looking for the game 'Speak Out' for a Christmas party and toys R Us had just sold their last box. The game at TRU was $24.99 and $35 at sentry. Exact same game, although the employee tried to make me believe otherwise. I asked why it was so much more and got the response 'does Toys R Us have it in stock?' in a condescending tone. No, but they will by Monday, I'm just in a rush. So I paid the more than 25% more only because I was in a pinch. The younger guy working was reasonable but the older gray haired guy with glasses was a real jerk. I'm all for shopping local but not if I'm going to get ripped off. Yes, toys are us buys more product therefore can sometimes offer lower prices but I shop at plenty of local businesses and a) don't get ripped off b) talked down to like I did tonight. Won't go back. But thank you toys R Us for looking all over the store for an extra game, looking into inventory to see when you would get it back in stock and then referring me to another business. 5 stars for the box store this time guys. read more

The Sentry Box has tons of games and books of all types. I love browsing through all the games. The have a good selection of Fantasy and Sci-Fi books in the back. Their website does need updating though. I love dropping in to the Sentry Box. read more

Great store. Worst customer service ever!!!!!!! I have in the last couple of months spend more than $500 in this store, getting games, miniatures, paint, brushes and eventually a seal to seal off the paint job I spent hours perfecting. It then turns out that the seal is faulty and covers all the minis with a white layers and now they are all ruined. hours of work down the drain and not to mention a ton of money. calling the store the answer is. nothing we can do take it up with the manufacturer. way to take their responsibility serious as a retailer. they have no problem taking your money, but be careful, if something goes wrong they refuse to take any kind of responsibility!!! read more

From quickly scanning the other reviews before writing this I think the KEY here is its a NERD store. I enjoy the odd board game now and then but I definitely have very limited knowledge about them. The store was very over whelming and it I had no idea where what I wanted would be. The staff was not helpful and seemed to resent my limited knowledge and the fact that I was not a nerd. No one seemed to want to help me, as if i was beneath them. I felt like I was belittled and Judged the whole time, I felt very uncomfortable while I was there. It was an impressive store with a lot of selection, not that it helped me since i could not find what i was looking for, but if you are a nerd its probably one of the best places in the city. BUT IF YOU ARE NOT A NERD, AVOID!! (to be fair my visit was over a year ago so perhaps things have changed, but I do not plan on risking another visit back to check) read more

A place I keep trying to like. I feel like the place could just use a update. First off prices. I read the previous comments and I understand why they price things in USD then have conversions for CAD. But why? Just price in CAD and be done with it. This is confusing for new customers. I have not seen another board game store do this or any other business for that matter. Also the price of most games is just too high for me. For example Caverna. Sentry box is charging $126. I can get it shipped for $75 CAD. Sentry box is nearly 60% higher. I just find they are not competitive on most of their prices. The website. Reallllly needs an update. The search function is antiquated it really only brings up a spread sheets and you have to still go find you game on the list. Come on this is 2015. Customer service can be lacking like other posters have mentioned. I will agree for the most part experienced gamers tend to know what they are looking for. Can be intimidating for new people. The good! Amazing place to game at. They do a ton of good for the gaming community here in Calgary. Everyday they have a different game night. They host awesome events, like Tabletop day. They really do a good job at hosting. Selection - huge store and a very diverse selection of table top, ccg's, miniatures, painting supplies and the like. Hard to beat the store on selection. I think with some changes this could be the best store in Canada to buy games from and game in. I really hope it does. read more