What a gem!! Walked in and immediately was impressed with the vibe of the store. Lots of people gaming on the tables, very clean and organized, and a welcoming environment. They have sections based on what your looking for: War games, painting, dnd, and board games. There are very clear sections of the store. We walked around to look at the board games and DnD section, along with dice. We loved the dice selections and play mat selections. We only ended up leaving with a Trans mimic sticker (queer friendly!!) and had a lovely interaction with staff members before leaving. Overall great store set up, clean, nice staff, good selection, queer friendly, and good vibes. read more

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It has been increasingly difficult to find any Trading Card Games in stock, especially with the Big Box stores. Seems sadly that they have fallen prey to scalpers. It was more than time to find a local game store. I started the search and came across Brute Force Games. They had a pretty decent website. So I gave the store a call, and asked stupid questions (is this in stock?). While they didn't have what I was looking for, the staff was super helpful and didn't mind the questions. I decided that I would have to stop by the store in person. The overall aesthetics of the shop were amazing. Much larger than I was anticipating - but the layout was extremely well setup. With the cashiers being in the middle, they had 3 different registers going at the same time. While there was still a rather large line, it went by rather quick. The store also had a great selection of products, I was able to find the Alien RPG expansion - which I haven't seen in most stores. They also had a wide range of TCGs, Board Games, Trinkets and Warhammer stuff. While we were shopping there were running a Magic the Gathering tournament - there was plenty of space for both shoppers and players. The entire stuff was quite helpful, and we were able to find everything we were looking for. Overall a very solid experience - certainly one of the better game stores I've been to. Not only is it clean, but there is plenty of room. You most likely find something you are looking for, and the best part is that they are local. read more

Staff is friendly and helpful. Boardgame range is great. Dice selection is big. MTG card ordering and selling via their website is easy and streamlined. read more

It's a spacious and clean store with a variety of games. They had everything from Pokemon to Warhammer, alongside the materials needed to paint figures. read more

Brute Force Games - Darumaka plush - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

Swung by Brute Force Game to see whether the name meant they arm wrestle customers for discounts!?!?! Spoiler Alert: they don't!!! But they do host Magic tournaments where cardboard wizards duel for glory. They also carry rare Pokémon plushies and paint. The store was surprisingly clean (no Cheeto dust in sight!) and the staff was so nice, I briefly considered asking them to have boba w us next door. Overall, cool hangout spot if you're into Magic!! read more

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This is THE spot for Magic in San Diego! I thoroughly enjoyed my time heading to and being at the shop. Loved their online system allowing me to browse their inventory and set aside items before I got there. When I was able to take a look at their inventory-person kiosk, I was able to order more and they were processed very quickly by the friendly staff! They seem to have weekly events for different TCG and there was a great turnout on the Tuesday I was there. The cards were priced very affordable and the conditions were great! Brute Force Games helped me fill in missing pieces of my Avatar binder and I look forward to my next visit! read more

Spontaneously stopped by on our way home to check them out, and my husband and I were pleasantly surprised at the shop as a whole! It was busy for a Sunday afternoon, looked like a tournament was going on which looked so fun! The ambiance was relaxed very relaxed with plenty of staff to help. We typically come to game shops to see what board game options were available and the selection of every kind of game was amazing! We ended up picking a few Magic x final fantasy collab booster packs since the limit was not as low as most other shops and cheaper than every other shop we stopped at. I wished this shop was closer to me but maybe not since I'd be spending a bit of money on things here. read more

Love this LGS and so glad we found out about it! The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and they have a great selection of items for all your gaming needs. They regularly hold card tournaments here and I love that they have a section for mini figurines. We only come here for various trading game cards and we think the values are pretty fair compared to all the online scalpers/resellers. They also have a website which is very organized, so if you don't find what you're looking for in store, it could possibly be on their website! read more

Brute force games is an amazing place. You walk in and you and warped into whatever niche hobby that has summoned you to this fine establishment. The workers are awesome and courteous and will answer all your questions. Plenty of tables and it is busy during lunch and night time! I frequent this fine establishment for cards and their prices are arguably THEE best in the San Diego County and i will take some time in my day to visit and you should too! read more

Came here with a friend to play Magic on Memorial Day weekend. Huge crowd, staff were amazing and nice. Been to several game stores throughout this one is GRADE A+ Hard to find a game store that is clean, organized, and great staffing. Would recommend highly!!! read more

Recently came here for the first time so my hubby could buy some LotR MTG booster packs. Selection did not disappoint!! Staff was also very helpful and lovely! My son was happy to find many Pokemon plushies in stock too! read more

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I'll break it down to 3 categories! Service- top notch! Keeping in mind they are humans that do indeed get swamped they are the friendliest , most knowledgeable people when it comes to their trade. Selection- they've got the best inventory in San Diego! I've been to 10 other card shops in San Diego county and nothing else comes close. They also have stuffed animals, card and board games and plenty of tables for card/ tabletop games. Did I mention they have a pretty good snack and drink section too? Value- nothing comes close in dollar to time spent ratio in San Diego. On a personal note I know the owner and most of the staff and they're all amazing! Thank you so much for being awesome! read more

Cool spot. My kids enjoyed the games, cards and character bags. Def a spot to check out for games. read more

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This is my favorite game shop in San Diego for table top RPG books, miniatures, and paints. The prices are the best I've found in any local B&M shop. They also have a nice selection of modern board games. The in shop gaming tablea seem to focus on MTG and other TCGs. read more

The service was very friendly and quick to help, with decent game suggestions. Unfortunately, their game selection is very limited...this is basically a Magic/Warhammer shop, with maybe 50-75 other games on a few shelves to cover just the more popular stuff. That said, if you're looking for somewhere to play, they did have about 10 tables, although they were all full during our visit. read more

Absolutely incredible, still learning so much about MTG and every single time I have a question or need help they have helped me find what ever it is I need. Value is as competitive as any other shop in the country. EDIT: I have read many of the lower reviews and I can assure you I have never seen or heard anything of the sort. Also there is a human element to this place and a staff that is running all over to accommodate every single person in the store. read more

Brute Force Games - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Diego, California

My boyfriend and I want to get into MTG so we stopped by Brute Force Games to pick up a beginner pack or two. SUPER glad we did! We won't be going anywhere else. Period. Eddie helped get us started and was extremely chill and helpful. This place is great. The people are great. We can't wait to come back! read more

Friendly customer service and very helpful. I personally was looking for Pokemon cards to collect and they had a pretty amazing selection compared to some other card shops. They don't carry singles if you're into that but have plenty of booster packs, boxes and ETBs for recent sets. Their card selection also spreads to MTG, Yu-Gi-Oh, Disney's Lorcana and much more! They have a nice variety of board games and tables that can be used by paying customers. I would definitely come back again in the near future! read more

My wife and I went into here since I finally convinced her to play MTG with me. The people here understand fully what customer service is. They spent a good 20 mins walking my wife through each deck and got her all set up, even giving her a welcome package with some free decks. This place is seriously awesome. I'd rather give them my business than 90% of the other places here in San Diego just on how friendly and cool they were to us as first time visitors Keep up the good work Brute Force. read more

I love Pokemon ! This store lets you order and pick up in store sucks it's hours away from me does anyone know anything in inland empire that you can buy online and pick up in store ? read more

It's been about 2 or 3 months now that I've been coming in to BFG about once a week to play EDH on the weekends, and Brute Force has quickly become my favorite part of San Diego. There are nearly always people looking to play games, the staff is super knowledgeable about Magic the Gathering, and prerelease events are always packed. Very fair prices for being brick and mortar, and the website is amazing whether you're buying or selling MTG singles. They ship locally extremely quickly; most of my orders are in-hand 3 business days after payment, and they have a convenient pick-up in store option if you know you're going to drop by. Highly recommended for anyone interested in MTG or TCG's/board games in general. read more

Brute Force Games is a very nice, well-stocked game store. All of the staff members I've interacted with have been friendly and knowledgeable. I love their board game selection. They stock a ton of games that I have on my wishlist, and many more that I'm sure I'll want to add. There are a boatload of MtG and Warhammer items as well, the former making my nerdy husband (said with love - because I'm a nerd too ) happy. They have been busy every time we've been, but it hasn't ever been crowded because the space is pretty big. They also have a bunch of tables set up for in-store gaming, drafting events, etc. Overall, this is an awesome store. I'm happy to have a place like this nearby. read more

Tucked away in an oddly placed shopping center, BFG has a lot to offer. They've got a very solid stock of Games Workshop, including Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, as well as Magic The Gathering. So, too, there's a nice selection of board games, AD&D, paints and modeling supplies, and even card protection devices. Obviously, they have a devoted group of local gamers, but it would be nice if they used more of their empty space and bulked up on a broader array of games and miniatures. read more

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Felt very discriminated and disappointed. We are new to the store and without prior warning. My friends and I were told in a very condescending and aggressive tone "you need to pack this up, leave this table right now!!!" by one of the employees. It would have been different if it was handled more professionally and politely by coming up to our group privately and just letting us know that an event is starting here soon. Instead he screams at us in front of the whole store as if we knew we read more

This is a great spot if you are into TCGs, board games, and nerd stuff in general. The new shop is an awesome space. I have never failed to find what I was looking for, including MtG items that sold out in the surrounding area on various occasions. Only reason it's 4 stars instead of 5 is the prices they charge are higher than other local shops (at least for Magic) and that cost can be inhibitive. read more

Their phone number is not on their website. When I asked why, they said "You can find it if you Google it" Did I ask how to find your number? No. I asked why it wasn't on your website. You didn't answer my question. Also, 25 toploaders are $6.99. The wholesale cost is $2, so you're being ripped off. I won't be back. read more

Great shop, with an amazing selection of Warhammer and paint. The new location has plenty of parking as well.

I was just looking for a set of dice for DnD and the person at the counter showed me the special for $1 each or 7 for $5 in the chest or the full sets individually priced on the shelf. I was able to find a set form the chest I liked and a couple D20s from a smaller chest. Check out was quick and easy. I'll definitely be back. Thanks! read more

Was already great and got even better with the new location. Great store, great people, great vibes.

I came into the store after just learning how to play MTG from my friends. I told them I just learned the game and wanted to get more into it and start getting my own cards. They were SO NICE and gave me a starter kit and a booster pack for free along with some coupons for the store. I didn't have to buy anything first. I still ended up buying more pack before I left. Eddie has been working the counter every time I've come in and he has always been very helpful and willing to answer all my questions. Once I was finally ready to come in for my first Friday Night Magic everyone was really nice and willing to help me learn. I really love coming to this store! read more

Very new to magic and TCG in general. Staff there have been helpful with ideas, general convos, and excitement about certain decks or things to keep in mind. Traded in small bulk of cards for store credit to get lord of the rings stuff. They're policies on trades and buybacks is very transparent and available online. I also called in to get updates on certain lists I created and was fully serviced in that respect as well. From a perspective of a beginner to the world of magic and LGS, this place truly embodies the idea of "local" as they all seem personable and relatable. read more

My homey turned me on this spot last year when I got into Commander/EDH through the AFR set. Anyway, aside from the parking (a typical problem in the general area), it's a great spot. I don't come in to buy cards or play often (and if I do, it's more the former than the latter), but it's been a largely positige experience every time. I like that they got a mail order service for merch, and you can also place orders onsite for the large collection they have available. I can't say I'm tight with any of the staff, but they're all pretty friendly and know their biz. Definitely helpful for a noob in MtG like me. On a side note, you hear some horror stories of encounters with really cruddy players, but I've only encountered patient and friendly folks and had a fun time playing at BFG. I'm sure it gets competitive, but the ugly side hasn't come up whenever I came in. read more

They changed their hours to open at 4PM, indicated only by a note taped to the door. We didn't see it, and opens the door. A dude literally ran over and pulled the door closed in our faces and pointed to the note. WTF?! Rude as Hell. We're here on vacation and wanted to check out the local game shop. Won't make that mistake here again. Maybe if we didn't literally get the door pulled out of our hands and pushed out like we were trespassing. Jeesh. read more

By far the best Magic The Gathering card shop in San Diego. These guys have it all, they also buy your cards and have other accessories and games. Pokémon, Warhammer, DND some to name but cannot recommend this place enough! read more

Great staff and all the things a tabletop gamer could ask for. For such a small space they have a strong community with constant events and even a stamps reward system MTG players! Always fostering up and coming games. read more

These folks had, truthfully, a fantastic selection of games, from trending favorites to faithful classics, as well as a solid selection of TTRPG supplies and books. However, if you're interested in helpful staff, you may want to inquire elsewhere. My wife and I are big gamers, and we play a lot of D&D, too. We are vacationing in San Diego for our five-year wedding anniversary, mainly because we wanted to try somewhere different than where we've gone before, and my folks lived in San Diego for a few years before they had me. So, we thought it may be unique to visit a local gaming shop and see if they had something uniquely California or San Diego to commemorate our trip. We had no expectations, as that is pretty specific. After looking throughout their shop, and seeing the aforementioned great collection of various board games and more, we asked the staff if they had any sets of dice, or a single dice, that was San Diego, or even just California, themed. The first employee just simply said no, but showed us some of their unique metal dice. The second employee behind the desk said, "Well, you could always just buy a tee shirt somewhere else I guess" and laughed at us. We curtly agreed, and proceeded to leave pretty quickly. Since when is asking a question about dice something that merits an unnecessary comment like this one? It's sad to hear a comment like this in a game store that sells merchandise for games about fantasy storytelling, role playing, and so much more. Even if we're "tourists" that does not mean I am not still interested in nerdy and tourist-y things. TL;DR go here if you want to find good games, but don't expect to be treated nicely by the staff. read more

We stopped by today. We didn't know that the shop was here, and it was a pleasant surprise. The selection of games was very cool. I stopped by for some painting supplies and the staff member working the desk was very helpful. read more

The shop was nice with plenty of products. I was a bit turned off because when I open the door the clerk barked "what do you want?" And kinda grilled me before letting me come in and browse. I get that they are cautious but I felt unwelcome. I made my purchases and walked away feeling kinda blue. read more

I called to ask if they buy Pokemon cards and they told me no,but on there website they say they do.fake reviews postings is false advertisement to people who want to sale there collection. read more

Great Hobby shop! Huge dice selection, D&D modules, mini's and other tabletop games. Happy to of found a new hobby shop I can support!