Stumbled across Bards & Cards as my partner they don't and I had an hour to kill before our dinner reservation. I have been to Gaslamp many times before but never noticed this location. The shop had a wide selection of board games at the front, some books along the shelves, crafting supplies for painting, figurines, and a tabletop play area in the back. There was a tabletop tournament for Magic the Gathering the day I went. The tables were all full and everyone was having a great time. My partner I had recently picked up Wingspan and have been enjoying it a lot so I wanted to pick up another board game for duos. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful here - they answered all the questions I had on board games I was looking for as well as gave me their own personal recommendations. We quickly picked up the 7 Wonders Duel board game and are very excited to test it out. Price is slightly higher than Amazon but worth it to support this business. Highly recommend Bards & Cards and will definitely be coming back. read more

Walked around town and spotted this cool place. Went inside to check out their games. Got very cool selection of games and such. Large spacious shop fill with so much stuff. In the back has some tables where people were playing games. Unexpectedly has some cool anime games and merch. Nice! read more

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Love this place. Love the vibe. Love the staff. Board games, ttrpg stuff, Magic stuff, afternoon magic. Only drawback is my job that does not allow me to hang out here all the time. read more

Great staff working there and an overall beautiful shop. The game selection felt a little light for me, but the table area was spacious and the card catalog was very easy to use and accessible. read more

What a cute place! We just stopped in one night to browse. As a board game enthusiast I was impressed by the variety of games and accessories. It is a bit small for a venue, so they do have a good amount of games but not everything under the sun. Even a section of paints for painting miniatures! The back has four tables set up for groups to get together to play games or paint. There was a party playing magic when I stopped in. Overall, I love that this place exists. Yes their prices are about $10 more than Amazon but it's worth it to support this place! read more

Amazing place filled with something for every tabletop game enjoyer or anyone who enjoys nerd culture! Staff is extremely friendly and always nice to have a conversation with. Theres tables in the back that you can reserve for a game session in store too. I mostly go there for ttrpg miniatures and paint supplies which they have in abundance with multiple quality brands of paints and terrain options. Awesome place I'm always eager to go to whenever I'm downtown. read more

They were super helpful and seemed genuinely excited to help me pick out board games to play with my 6yo son. They hit the nail on the head and we play the games we bought there a few times a week. Great staff. Great selection. Will definitely be buying ALL of my games here moving forward. read more

Whenever I hit up San Diego's Gaslamp district, Bards & Cards is my go-to spot. It's a fantastic store with friendly staff/owner and a killer selection of board games, cards, miniatures, and D&D books! I usually swing by game stores to scope out D&D goodies, dice, and Chess sets. While Bards & Cards could use more dice sets for D&D enthusiasts like me, their book selection is top-notch! Perfect for beginners diving into D&D. I always end up buying something; this time, it was a couple of books. Definitely a must-visit spot for me whenever we're in town! read more

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A beautiful space with a large variety of different table top and board games. A lot caught my eye but my real interest is the Dungeons & Dragons that they had. They have a great selection of all the current gaming aids for D&D from the books to the dice to the miniatures. Everything you need to start a game and/or enhance an already ongoing game. There was one particular D&D item that I did look to purchase. Unfortunately for me. They didn't have it at the store. I looked but no luck. The guy at the store ,Tony; did say he could order it for me though and it would take a week to arrive at the shop. So I said okay and preordered the item. Can't wait. Besides the large D&D selection. They have Magic The Gathering. A collectible card game that has been around since the early 90's. The game itself has a fierce following very much like Dungeons & Dragons. At the back of the shop is a painting room. A section of the store where you can paint miniatures. Miniatures are smaller plastic or metal representations of a character, monster, vehicle, etc. it's supposed to represent. Lots of different table top games use miniatures in gameplay. The miniatures helping you visualize the action that is taking place in the game. Making for a more immersive experience. The store sells miniatures plus the paint and brushes to paint them. Lastly, they have big wooded tables so you can play games in the store. There is a nominal fee to play at the tables. Ten dollars an hour but the ten dollars can be used toward in store purchases. Overall, a beautiful well organized game shop. The only one downtown. Support local businesses especially the good ones. Bards & Cards is great. read more

Great staff super helpful fun board game options and doing A LOT with such a small space without feeling to crowded

Great game and card shop. Tons of board game selection and tables in back for actual play. Decent MTG selection and easy in-house computer to review and order from their in-stock cards. Prices were fair and matched online MTG sellers. The guy at the front (I think the owner) was really nice and helped me pick some great options I had not considered. I couldn't make any of the store events since I'm just visiting but they have a wide variety of in store events and games to join. read more

I was visiting San Diego a few months ago, and while walking down the street I happened upon this place. Very friendly and helpful people here, as well as a decent collection of games to choose from. It was probably a good thing that I was leaving the next morning, because I most definitely would have came back. I left with a new copy of Splendor, and had a fun time playing that with my husband. If you are into tabletop gaming, definitely come check this place out!!! read more

Very helpful with excellent advice for novices and experts alike. Convenient location

Fantastic selection of games to buy and the owner is very very friendly! There are also fun mystery board games you can roll the dice on purchasing. One of the more fun and curated game shops I've been to. read more

Very cool spot with friendly and knowledgeable people! Picked up a couple MTG singles and will definitely be back to play some games. Super happy I found this place. read more

Love this place. 1st time here with my 8 year old they have kid games, table top, war games, and some classics like chess. Very friendly staff they answered my son's questions and were very nice to him. The young Landy helping was really insightful on various games. Also, I am am miniature painter decent paint selection from army painter. Even some decent basing supplies. I wish I had a shop this nice and well laid out around me. I would totally recommend a visit. Support your local hobby shop! read more

I saw an event listing for this card during SDCC but didn't get the chance to visit. During another trip to San Diego, I stopped by and glad I did. It's a fun store with a great staff. Lots of various smaller games, not just the big sets. Fun place to hang out, talk with the owner or play Magic. read more

I discovered this game shop via an ad on Facebook for FreeRPG day. As an adamant lover of DnD and aspiring GM I was very interested! Turns out they have space for people to play their own RPGs, card games, w/e! HUGE selection of merchandise ranging from cards to dice to boardgames and anything else geeky/nerdy you might think of! Very welcoming atmosphere. I can't wait to slowly spend my paycheck there! read more

Highly disappointed in this shop and there reliability. We came into this shop on a Friday around 6pm looking to explore the area and hopefully find some pokemon product prior to pokemon regionals. We looked around for a little bit and didn't see much pokemon product but close to leaving the person on duty mentioned they have mystery boxes for $75 but the value inside exceeds the price to purchase. Excited we decided to purchase 2 and asked to open up the product in store. As we began opening it we were disappointed to find out its nothing but bulk, we hoped that at least within the maybe 400 cards would be at least one decent valued card but unfortunately we found none. We spent $162 with taxes to take home maybe $8 per box in bulk. It saddens me more that this product was purchased at an actual card shop that I hoped would not deceive their customers into such a high loss. We will not be visiting again and hope that they will no longer continue to fool their customers into thinking there is actually some worth in their mystery boxes. read more

Bards & Cards - Pokemon Mystery Box - Tabletop Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Will definitely be back! Everything a local game shop would be, with tables in the back and available games as well as a varied selection of board games, source books, minis, and a whole variety of painting supplies. I joined the discord and plan to make more trips there in future! I came in for free rpg day and they had several tables going with a variety of games and everyone was super welcoming. Great spot! Highly recommended! read more

Fun shop and very knowledgeable staff. We stopped in looking for a Mah Jong set and left with several card and board games instead. Had an engaging conversation with the staff about movies, games, and other pastimes. Especially appreciated the recommendations and game demonstration (the Adventures of Robin Hood) - and we've enjoyed them all. Will definitely be back. read more

Clean and tidy store front with welcoming tables in the back. The store owner is not pushy to sell you things, rather laid back and looking to help out new gamers find the right game. They have a good amount of selections. The prices are just right, most were on the spot with other online retailers, of course you can find cheaper options online but nothing beats getting it on the spot especially when you're with your buddies. The location is great because its right by the convention center and even around the corner of gaslamp. It's just enjoyable just walking through the shop. We bought a few games our last visit and had a great time. Check out the place, support local game stores its more than just a board game shop its a community of gamers spending a good time together. read more

We promised our kids a pack of Pokémon cards for good behavior us and it was time to pay up. Although It was obvious walking in that the selection of cards etc. was geared towards serious D&D and trading card game players, the person the counter was super nice and answered all the random questions 5 and 7 year olds have. read more

Visiting SD, went to this store twice in less than a week. Everyone inside was nice and helpful. Saw plenty of things that I haven't seen in my home store, but each store tends to have its own flavor, right? We were able to play a game of MTG in the store. Lots of minis and paint supplies. Some board games I hadn't seen before. Couple of signed D&D books. Cool dice. Looking forward to a return trip someday. read more

Small quaint shop. Staff is very helpful and really nice. They have a great selection of games.

Stopped by with my son to get some Pokémon cards. The girl working there was really nice and helpful! He got some good cards and was happy. They have a big selection of different board games. Will stop by again whenever I'm in the area. (: read more

Great people and atmosphere. It's a nerd oasis in a hustling and bustling environment