Consistently good service and an excellent play space. I would say it has been the most stable of game stores I have encountered in my many years of visiting them. Staff is known and helpful. read more

Love coming to this store they have great service and good prices, huge selection of board games and cards! Always support local stores. read more

Game Kastle - Love coming to this store! - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I was actually hesitant to write this because I thought I was being a little harsh, but I'm actually glad to write it now that I've seen the most recent reviews. Service here is shockingly lame and rude. I wasn't expecting that before I came in because I had a polar opposite experience on the phone with them. I actually called two days ahead to ask if they had something in stock that I needed sooner rather than later and couldn't find anywhere else nearby (not even at the other locations). They had one left and the guy on the phone was super nice when I asked if it would be alright if they held it for two days. He didn't even hesitate and set it aside for me. When I went in to pick it up, I was met with stone cold silence from the guy behind the counter. There was another guy in front of the counter who I assumed was a customer at first, but when they stopped talking and he went back to working, I realized he was an employee too. Neither said a single word to me or my brother when we walked in, the only customers in the store. They saw us, kept talking to each other, and ignored us. Even when I was standing right in front of the guy behind the counter, looking at stuff at the front of the cash wrap, he didn't say a word, making it painfully obvious he was pretending I wasn't there. It was blatant enough to make me feel awkward and very clearly unwanted in the store. Even his phone demeanor was disgruntled. Within a handful of seconds and the customer's first question, annoyance was creeping into his voice and he was doing everything to end the call as soon as possible. I worked retail for five years at a GameStop. I'm of the mind that employees should be making the first greeting when someone walks in. Customers can take their business anywhere but they've decided to take it to you -- do the bare minimum as a worker and person and say, "Hi, welcome in." When it finally came time to pay, dude behind the counter had the enthusiasm of a corpse and personality of a wet sock. Totally transactional. Even my brother, who tried to make very minimal small talk, was unsuccessful with getting any reaction out of the guy. Great place to go if you love tabletop games, board games, and getting treated poorly. Not so great if you're a card collector, especially Pokémon. They hardly had anything in stock on this particular day. Not interested in coming back another day to see if stock gets replenished. No reason at all to come back here. read more

I never write yelp reviews but I felt I had to this time. Visiting NorCal and wanted my fix of cards Nothing to personnel very kind and friendly business model was an insane concept to me Tcgplayer market price: customary thing, but I did not realize it was literal market which have a plethora of manipulators that do not reflect "price" Not even off the verified listing Ex. .50c across the board on listings/ 2 dollars was "market" for a bulk single Crazy work imo regardless of arguments of -they had what you wanted -buy off tcg then(after tcg and 50c shipping sub 2 still) Most people dont care about 2 dollars But principle behind it i cannot stand behind Buy in rate: 50% of market STORE CREDIT Smaller shops with smaller selection I understand but 50% at SC is crazy to me 50% cash out sure, not unheard of. but at store credit then selling at pure market will deter most people and take advantage of those unaware how tcgs work. I understand businesses need profit margins, have a set guideline to ensure overhead and employees are paid. But definitely lost my business if I do come back to NorCal. Other than logistics, store was nice nothing wrong, just left a horrible taste in my mouth, especially in current climate of trading cards/scalping/buyouts. read more

Game Kastle Santa Clara is the best place for MTG, SWU and all your TCG needs and is their customer service is top tier. I am a returning customer after years away from TCGs and I have been a frequent visitor since I lost my job in November 2024. I discovered Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited back in October and started collecting in November. I visited GKSC looking for Star Wars Unlimited and Lorcana. Jim and Dylan were instrumental in reentering the TCG world and reigniting my love of collecting and playing TCGs. I frequent GKSC a few days a week for Star Wars Unlimited, I meet up with newly made friends on Wednesdays for some Lorcana and Commander and recently, celebrated May 4th be with you with a Twin Suns event. The Staff is welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and the more I visited the more I get to know the staff and have made GKSC my second home or home away from home. Rachelle and Jim runs an amazing store. Mario, Dylan, Willy, Brandan and Jack are all great people with amazing customer service and while allowing me to hang out at the store on my free time, never made me feel unwelcomed and are great people to get to know and talk shop with or just have a great conversation. If you're looking for a local game store to support, GK should be the top of your list, its mine. Brendon, Great job running the twin suns event on Sunday!! read more

small parking lot, staff is friendly and welcoming, came in when OP12 released and was able to get my husband a few cards that he wanted from that set and staff was happy to help me and my friend with it. read more

Great place. Lots of selection. Always go here to get table top RPG. Helpful. Easy to get help.

Cool games in the neighborhood without much traveling and tons of fun. All work no play makes us dull people.

This was one of the first card shops I ever visited, and I was immediately impressed by how much variety they have. The shelves are packed with an amazing selection of cards and collectibles, making it a treasure trove for any enthusiast. While the greeting wasn't super enthusiastic, I completely understand. Sometimes it's nice to browse without feeling rushed or pressured. Overall, a great spot with plenty to explore. I'll definitely be coming back ^.^ read more

Great huge location and pricing wasn't too far off of market. Will definitely come back

Ok, new manager, a lot of new staff... and it smells better. Wide variety of games for sale, prices are good, not great but they are good. TCG is meh, no case (no real room for it really), they have game event nights which is nice. No real single collection to go through. Tables for mini war gamers, battletech, warhammer, conquest, stars and all that jazz. That's who this store is really meant for. Great selection of paint and tools. Overall a great hobby store, if it's TCG (specifically MTG) was better I would give the store 5/5 stars. Who knows what the future holds though! If they improve this I will update this again. read more

Game Kastle - Boba Fett - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I want to be clear that the staff was very kind but the service follow through was lacking. On the official Discord it was posted that customers would be able to purchase 3 packs of Lorcana Boosters and a single other item. This was not the case. The first customer to be allowed to purchase was seen buying a Disney 100 Gift Set, a Floodborn Trove, and a playmat. It's unclear if they also purchased boosters. These are some of the most sought out items and to be waiting in line and see this happen was distressing and felt wholly unfair. I missed out on my purchase of the item I wanted, while I watched this man make out like a bandit I wish the posted rules on the official Discord had been followed. I met with other customers at the Fremont Game Kastle who were also at the Santa Clara location earlier that morning who also witnessed this purchase. Fremont Game Kastle did a great job at making sure each customer only purchased one item. I'm not going to be returning to the Santa Clara location after seeing how this release was handled. read more

Game Kastle - Discord Notification - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I have given this store so many chances. I really want to like this place, it is so close to my home and has everything I'm looking for. I stopped by last Saturday to see if there were any leftover pre-release kits from the latest MTG set. I was told they were going to be hosting their last sealed event for the FF set on Wednesday and the manager told me if there were any prerelease kits left he would sell me one or two depending on how many were available. Long story short I show up on Wednesday and was told there was one pre release kit left after the event had started. I said great! I'll take it. The guy at the counter told me he couldn't sell it until he heard back from the store manger what they planned to do with it since it's a sought after set. So I wait another hour in the store but no answer from the so called manger. EVEN THOUGH HE TOLD ME ON SATURDAY ITS MINE IF THERES ANY EXTRA. I was told to go home and check back on discord around 9pm. So I did and yet again received no answer. I then called the store around 9:15pm and was told that the manger hadn't replied. I then caught the drift of the employee. He was clearly saving it for himself or someone else he knew. He told me I can't put my name on a list for the item and I had to check back in the morning. So my mother in law arrives at the store when they open at 10am today and lo and behold, according to the employee, someone just happen to show up right after I called at 9:15 the prior day and bought the pre-release kit. So tell me... why were you able to sell to that person and not me if you still hadn't heard back from your manager?? Seems like it was a game to them the whole time. Either that or the employee himself bought it to re-sell. I will never support this store again. My first few times in I was offered no assistance even after standing next to the MTG case for over 15 minutes each time. This store is wack and if you're a regular I HIGHLY recommend you look for a local place like Boardwalk or Dragon Lair. In closing, the popularity of ANY product should have NOTHING to do with whether or not they're willing to sell their last item of the aforementioned product. I was a customer standing in front of the cashier begging to buy the product and he denied knowing full well he could have sold it. I'm beyond disappointed in this store and their utter lack of community and fellowship for other players read more

They have a good stock of things, and a lot of tables for game nights. I came in for the release of the new Pokémon TCG packs, but they didn't have enough stock for everyone except the early folks. I'm sure they weren't expecting that much buzz about it, but they seemed woefully prepared compared to usual. Maybe just a bad day for them. read more

Expensive tournament entries and terrible parking situation. Will never be back. Many other game shops have better parking and price

Yeah, it's a no for me, dawg. The cashier up front scoffed when I asked them for the price of a card and then as we were checking out, they acted as if I was interrupting from their sketch book time. I almost asked if I had done something wrong. Social anxiety is a thing and I wanted to just leave what I wanted to buy and just go to my car. Going to game stores is a huge part of my hobby and it sucked to see such a reputable one be bogged down by this employee. It happened last night as they were hosting a tournament. Employee wore a black mask and black GK shirt. They had their sketch book on the counter as they seemed annoyed at the fact that I had cards to be priced. If you don't like helping people, then get a new job. What a joke. read more

As someone who frequents the LGS in the Bay Area, this is one I could never recommend. It isn't about their stock, but rather the way the employees and managers treat customers. The employees visibly showed their annoyance to stop chatting amongst themselves to answer a question. A few days later I came in to return of an unopened model I had purchased (realized I wanted a different model) and was met with the most rude rejection. I never received a receipt when I bought my items, but no amount of bank statements, credit card used for purchase, or them RECOGNIZING ME mattered. I can't imagine being this way when its literally the local community keeping you alive? TLDR: It's cheaper to purchase on Amazon and you will have a nicer experience any other LGS in the Bay. read more

Came here so my husband can pick up more items for his projects and whatnot to keep busy during this covid19 SIP. They have their own lot with plenty of parking. It is located in a weird place. Lots of inventory. My husband was able to find his paints and others. They have a bunch of board games and whatnot. Probably a good place to stock up on games for game night. Also a bunch of Magic? cards as well. Covid 19 precautions taken here. You pay in the next room and it felt very safe. Unfortunately, the group play area is closed for now due to covid. read more

I liked this shop as it has a variety of board games but this is the reason why everyone orders from Amazon instead of local businesses. I wanted to buy Dominion second edition so I checked online and found out Amazon was selling it for 33 (with delivery) and game kastle was selling it for 38. I like to support local business so I decided to visit game kastle and buy it from there instead despite higher price. When I reached there I realized the local price for the same game was 45 and they didn't match with their own website. Lol what? I paid about 11-12 dollars extra which is like 33% higher price and had to pick up from the store. You should buy from here if you need guidance on what to get otherwise if you know what you want, other online places would be cheaper. read more

Game Kastle - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I preordered 2 copies of Unfathomable when the game was announced and instead of fulfilling these preorders, Game Kastle instead sent the copies to the stores for sale first. Additionally, I preordered a copy of Brian Boru and used $50.00 in points and they still charged my credit card in full. Neither have been resolved. To make matters worse, I'm a yearly premium member. read more

The good; a lot product and employees said hello and offered assistance. The bad; I was asked if belong to their store club. I told them that this is the first time I had actually been in their store; however, I have purchased from Game Kastle at Kublacon-con and Dundracon in the past. Employee ignored my answer, I know he heard me because I'm not a soft speaker and I make eye contact with people. I asked about any discounts that the store offered and the employee said "no" as he rung me up for $94. Then he asked if I wanted to sign up for the discount club. So I asked him if it would include today's purchase. He said "I already rang you up, so no." I can only describe that as a dick move. Seriously, you can't handle a no cash refund to include your store points? $104 after tax and you can't put me down on your club for $2-3 on my next purchase there? Too many other game stores to spend money at to put up with this garbage. Yes, I realize the cashiers name is on the receipt but I'm not here to shame him. I'm here to let you know you lost a customer. read more

Game Kastle - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I've driven past this place intending to go in I don't know how many times, but finally my partner and I decided to go there figuring we might be able to find some good Christmas gifts for friends and family. They have a pretty solid collection of stuff, including lots of board games, materials for role playing games, dice, miniatures/models/figurines and paints, even some stuff for kids and books. I wasn't blown away, but I did have to show some restraint and not buy too much stuff for myself while there! Prices were within a reasonable range. They have a few game rooms that can be rented and a selection of beverages and snacks for purchase as well. I went ahead and signed up for their loyalty program, earning points on my purchases which can eventually be redeemed for prizes (though it seemed to me you would have to buy A LOT to even hit the first tier, which was simply $3 worth of snacks...). The staff member at the register was friendly and knowledgeable-- I overheard her giving good advice and answering other customers' questions while we were browsing. read more

One of those places where you could get lost and be here for hours on end. I came in looking for a game for a gift then came out with 2! Amazing selection of board games, Warhammer stuff, and some games from the independent obscure companies. They don't have any of the ones you're looking for? Don't fret, they can order it for you. The woman who helped me was great in answering any questions I had and provided some recommendations as well. Can't wait to return to check them out again when I return to the Bay Area. Looks like they used to host some tournaments or events. Social distancing is observed with only a few entering and arrows on the floor to direct traffic. Located in an industrial strip next to a automotive insurance repair facility. read more

What an experience for nostalgia! I was looking for digimon cards here and place for all my hobbies since my last place closed up. The employee who helped me out was real nice and showed me all the deals and all the information I needed to know. They have a sort of gamestop program, free and paid for frequent hobbyists. This was late night around 9 and there were still people, which is real nice to know (I miss those days). I will be back for more. read more

Loved going to this store when I lived in Santa Clara. Knowledgeable and friendly staff, good selection given the store's size. Their points system is nice because you can get discounts as you purchase more games from them. Highly recommend if you're in the area. read more

Been shopping at this store for years. Staff is always super friendly and helpful. I have to say it has probably some of the best selection for hobby gaming in the Bay area if not in Northern California. At this point, I can't think of any other game stores in the area that come close to rivaling the selection of all the different items that they have. It's not just a game store, but it is a game and hobby store. You'll be able to find all kinds of interesting things there. If you're a gamer, painter, or model builder, you'll find something there for you. The other thing I should point out about this particular store and Game Kastle in general is that when they run out of something, they restock it. I have seen other game stores that will have maybe 1 or 2 of an item; they sell out of it, and you never see it there again. I've also seen the Game Kastles expanding to other locations around the country. And what I've been finding is when I go to those stores they are equal in and how they do things there as well. read more

I love coming here. There is plenty of space in the card / board game area. It is well spaced out so you have plenty of room to social distance. There is also another garage area that they can open the doors for more fresh air. The tables are solid. There's a table to sanitize and stuff as needed. The staff there is super friendly. They answer their phones quickly and do their best to check you out quickly. If they do not know something, they will tell you and try to find the answer which I appreciate. They will always sell their cards and boxes at msrp. There are not going to sell any higher which is great but also means they sell out fast. They do limit booster packs to a certain amount per day or month. It all depends on them which I get. They have a system record. Overall this is a good vibe place. I am very happy to come here. They treat their customers well and will not rip you off. They also have a HUGE area for boardgames and card games. You can just chill and have a fun time. read more

The August 10th "Warehouse Sale - Everything is up to 90% off!" Felt VERY deceptive. The website to find games or price check never worked (as confirmed by everyone around grumbling and employees saying the server was down). So everyone is crunching through the unorganized warehouse fighting off crowd to grab a ton of random games for price checking at purchase. This made the checkout lines crazy long - and despite people around me price checking a ton of things we did not find any deals above 20-30% (which is still more expensive than elsewhere). Employees seemed annoyed to do price checks and like you were being guilted into purchasing. Also my friends and I did not receive the online recipe we were told would be emailed out. Please cut out the deceptive sale and checkout tactics & have prices labeled in the future. Coming from someone who spent over $150 at this event and would have spent much more if I was not so peeved, I am taking my future game purchases elsewhere. I will also be urging all the people in my board-game groups to go other places than Game Kastle. read more

I was on my way to my immigration appointment when I drove by Game Kastle,as a gamer it caught my attention because I was like "cool...hole in the wall game store" thinking it was some mom-n-pop used/retro video game store. It was more...way more... When I got out of my appointment with immigration I returned to the store and holy mother of God. See as much as I love video games, I enjoy table top games, and miniature painting a whole lot more. When I entered the store it's like I died and went to nerd heaven. There were tabletop games for as far as the eye could see (basically wall to wall, the store aint that big). I mean there was everything you could think of..Pokemon, Yugioh, Warhammer 40k and its uglier sister Age of Sigmar, there was novels, rulebooks, paints, BRUSHES, TERRAIN, THERE WAS EVERYTHING!! I was in love. Then they have this point system that for every dollar you spend you get points, and after you save enough points you can use em to get gift cards and other perks, this has come in handy on some many occasions specially since I buy so much stuff there. Legit it is one of my favorite places to go. The San Jose and Fremont locations are the ones I frequent the most, but all three stores are great. In fact: - The Staff? Great - The selection of games? Great - Selection of Paints? Great - Bathrooms? Great No legit, they have some clean goddam bathrooms and to me that matters man. I love these stores. read more

Really nice staff! Bought some Pokémon cards here and really appreciate that they don't upcharge unlike other places. Nice interior and they will definitely help you find what you need! read more

The board game nerd in me says yes, but my wallet says no :( Wow. I have not seen this many board games in one place. This is the go to place for anyone looking for games that are hard to find. They have popular games such as King of Tokyo, Settlers of Catan (and like 8 expansions), and Munchkins (and like 20 expansions) just to name a few. Then, there are games almost nobody has ever heard of. I don't even remember the names of a lot of them, but I do want to perhaps try some. Now, board games is not the only thing sold at this place. For those who love to play Warhammer, Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons, and more, this is also the place for you. Never have I seen so many pieces for those games. There are full sections in the store dedicated to them. Behind the counter, there are booster packs for different TCGS. There are also various items such as card sleeves. There's a room off to the side when you walk in for tournaments. This place hosts many different tournaments very often. I believe Magic is the biggest one here. The staff are super nice and helpful. The guy searched up a few things for me and helped me pre-order the Marvels dice game. (That game is super hard to find.) Prices are are extremely competitive. I wouldn't mind coming here for all my board games in the future. They do have a reward program, so if you buy more, you get more! I will be coming here some time in the future! read more

This game store is for the hard core strategy gamer (with or without body odor) only. Don't expect any cute stuffed animals, juggling kits, jigsaw puzzles, or wind-up sushi here. The store has extra big rooms for game playing. This is good because when you have a group of nerds with poor hygiene you definitely want air circulation. (You'll appreciate this if you ever go to Eudemonia in Berkeley.) On Sunday around 5 p.m. there weren't a lot of people browsing for games. I thought this was surprising for a weekend. However, there were several big groups of game players. I actually wonder if most of their profit comes from their big supply of snacks and drinks. The salesperson was very friendly, and the prices higher than retail (as would be expected from a brick and mortar). I felt like the store could be more wam and inviting and have visually interesting displays (as opposed to the current "no display" policy). I think they should post a few lists of the top 10 games or the top employee recommendations or signs on what games had won the coveted Spiel des Jahres (annual prize for best game) to give guidance to someone browsing. As it was, the store had a big stock of games but it was jumbled on the shelves in no particular order so finding a game could be tricky. read more

I've dropped by this location a handful of times over many years, usually for D&D/Pathfinder books, and today I went in to get some mini paints after moving back to the area. I had such a positive experience there that I wanted to return the favor with this review. I'm a very inexperienced mini-painter, but I had a few citadel paints I needed to refill, and was planning on just finding those, buying them, and leaving. But as soon as I walked in, one of the clerks offered a friendly greeting and asked if I was looking for anything. Now, I've been to a lot of game stores, and while the standard is changing, it's still not uncommon for clerks to be apathetic and/or lacking in social skills. As an awkward nerd myself, I get it, and to some degree I think it's part of the charm of the environment. But the warm greeting was a nice change of pace. And then he came over and asked if he could help further, gave me some quick tips, asked about what I was painting, answered a bunch of questions, and even suggested a wash to make my demon guy look wet and slimy. He had to leave, so he passed me off to another clerk who was also super helpful, answered even more questions, and steered me toward cheaper, better paints. I contrast this with my experience trying to learn guitar a long time ago, when the guy at the store told me "any of those books over there will work." Here they were eager to bring me into their hobby and help me get better at it, there was no sense that I wasn't worthy of their expertise or time. So anyway, this store has a great atmosphere, and tons of game stuff packed into a small space. Go there if you need game stuff. read more

Great hobby and gaming store in the middle of Silicon Valley. I frequent this store quite often for paints, brushes, miniatures, items for terrain and board games. They have a great selection of Vallejo and Citadel paints. As for minis, there are tons of Warhammer 40K and Fantasy, Hordes, WarMachine, Infinity, and (my fav) Malifaux. There are 4 rows of board games with a large selection to choose from. I am a huge board gamer. I always find new games available on the shelves. If I ever need a game, the staff is always happy to order it for me. As for the staff, they are absolutely wonderful. I am always greeted with a smile, treated nicely when asking questions, and check out is very fast. Big Bonuses: *Get on the their frequent shoppers list. Just set up an account with them when checking out. Each purchase will add points to your account for cool items or discounts in the future. *Check out the calendar online or to the right of the door when you enter the store. There are lots of events and all sorts of themed table top gaming nights for all to join in. *Lots of tables and terrain to use in the two side rooms for your gaming pleasure. Check them out when you stop by or ask a staff member to show you. read more

Great gaming and miniature store. Drove by this place a hundred times and never knew what was inside. This place has pretty much everything you need for your gaming and miniature needs. I came in and was kindly greeted and asked if I needed any help. Which I did. So the guy behind the counter helped me find the things I was looking for since this was my first time in the shop. Once I was helped, there was a group behind me that were looking for a game to play in the shop and asked for suggestions for an easy to pick up game and they were helped very nicely too. The store has tons of board games, miniatures, paints all the all the accessories you would need for both. I did walk around the entire store but did not spend a lot of time looking at everything in detail. I did get what I came for. There is also a table gaming room next door that I did not check out. But I could hear and see people playing games back there. If you are looking for any strategy based games, miniatures... blah blah blah.... check this place out. read more

Game Kastle - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Excellent selection of games and very helpful staff. They know where everything is located and have wonderful ideas for games for any size group. We are enjoying the new game called Gloom. It was a suggestion by one of the nice men who work here and we really love it. We already needed an additional set and booster pack. No matter what kind of games you enjoy, they will have it or be able to suggest something else you will enjoy. Just a few doors from The Wine Club, so you can take care of the drinks and entertainments in one trip. Highly recommend!!! read more

This place is fantastic. I purchased a relatively unknown board game called "Secret Hitler" here for $40. There's no Target or Walmart that you can get this game at and on Amazon, it's $35 before shipping, so you're paying a premium that is more than fair. In addition, the cashier was a crazy looking cute girl. This place adds value to our community so ensure you're spending money here when you're seeking something game related! read more

The staff here is always friendly and always takes the time to greet you when you walk in, and are quick to offer to help you find anything; which sometimes you need because they have a very extensive stock of minatures from MANY different lines. Their pricing is typically a little bit higher than MSRP, but I don't mind paying a little extra sometimes for the friendly service and the fact they have a HUGE game room and host tournaments and even a flea market for hobbyists. They do a lot to support the hobby community, so it evens out. Definitely one of the better shops in the community. read more

Game Kastle - Moving in for the kill! - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

If I lived closer to the area, Game Kastle would totally be my board game crib. Pretty vast selection, plus a healthy amount of tabletop gaming resources and of course trading card games. The staff there were largely helpful - gave us their personal recommendations and called over guys more suited to our queries. The community here seems fantastic. When we came in, there was a huge Pokemon TCG tournament in the next room. I did appreciate how this store had a separate gaming area. Not because I vouch for separation, but it allows everyone to get in the zone and play their epic hands without too many customer distractions. I do think the store is slightly dark in lighting, and the parking lot was really small and hard to drive in, even without the tournament. But no worries, that won't stop me from coming on by for that South Bay gaming restock. read more

Staff were very friendly and helpful. Great selection of dice sets (DnD). Would recommend!