This is on my list of places I have to visit every time I return to Bloomington! They have tons of games, but I mostly check it out because of their unique used board game section. I have gotten a couple used games that normally would be too expensive for me to try, but their price convinced me to give them a go! Their staff is very friendly and is always eager to answer questions. Their games might be slightly higher than Walmart or Amazon, but I'm always happy to help out a locally owned business! Their location did move so just make sure to get their new address. read more

Always pop into game shops on my travels to see if any unique treasures await. Unfortunately very hard to get certain Warhammer 40k stuff from the UK, but the manager and staff were very pleasant and helpful. They had MTG, D & D, paints as well as lots of puzzles and games. Conveniently on Kirkwood. read more

Pretty cool place. I came in here for jigsaw puzzles, but they have a ton of board and role-playing games as well. According to the schedule on the wall, they do gaming events several nights per week, and while I was there a couple of dudes were playing some game at a table near the front. The puzzle selection was very satisfying--more extensive, in fact, than my favorite shop in Chicago. They had a wide range of styles and subjects from all the usual suspects such as Educa and Ravensburger. But the real find was a couple of Pieter Brueghel puzzles from the Piatnik label, licensed by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Brueghel is my favorite painter, and while my grandparents have a large Brueghel puzzle, I've never seen these puzzles anywhere...except for the gift shop at the Kunsthistoriches in Vienna. So this joint was quite a joyous treasure-trove for that reason, but I would have liked it anyway. Great puzzle selection, lots of games, good people, very reasonable prices, and right on the square in downtown Bloomington. read more

So I'm kind of mixed on this place. First off, Great selection of games and puzzles etc.! Customer service was okay. The young man behind the counter was pretty cool and friendly. There was another guy in there who seemed to totally ignore me like I was a ghost after he just got finished helping a guy who bought a large supply of game stuff (lol I have no idea what he bought but it was getting to be a decent sized stack). I thought about buying a lot of stuff in there (I'm a huge D&D nerd and gamer and board game geek in general), but he never once came over to me and asked if I needed any help or had any questions or anything. I liked the layout and the vibe store of the store so I actually did buy a D&D supplement and a set of dice I liked. I think I spent like $37 after taxes, but would have thrown down a $100 or more. What can they do to improve? -Improve customer service! Not the worst I've ever had, but definitely needs improvement. -Maybe offer some kind of discount on your products. Everything in this store is retail price. If you don't have excellent customer service, what are you offering your customers to make them come back? If someone opened another game shop in town with great customer service and discounted game prices (like the store in my town in Illinois) this shop may be in trouble. ‍ By the way! I've been to their other store in North Indianapolis about a year and a half ago and would give them 4.5 stars. read more

This place is something of a Bloomington institution, having been in the same location on the downtown square since MY college days (25+ years ago)! The staff are always helpful, fun and friendly - and they will go above and beyond to help you find that particular card, gaming piece, puzzle or board game that you're seeking! As has previously been mentioned, they host a lot of weekly game nights, from old stand-bys like Magic: The Gathering and HeroCilx, to kid-friendly gaming like Pokemon. It's a good place to find new people to play with, or just to discuss your hobby amongst like-minded folk! In addition to the expected selection of hobby and casual gaming, they carry a wide selection of just-plain "neat" items, such as fidget spinners and the always popular "Holiday Specs" (https://holidayspecs.com/) that make you see the holiday wherever you look! Stop in for a chat, a game, or just to browse - it's sure to be a great time! read more

I love the Game Preserve, won't lie. I know most of the employees by name (and if they don't know my name, they at least know my face). They've got a great selection of board games and puzzles and card games, and if they don't have it, they'll either order it for you or tell you how you can order it. Most of the time, however, they have what you're looking for. The only time I have ever NOT found something I wanted, it was four days before Christmas for a pretty popular game (Arkham Horror; was looking for the supplement The King in Yellow), so...uh, y'know? MORE than forgivable. They have games literally every night. L5R TCG is on Thursdays (if I recall correctly) with competitions every couple of Saturdays, they've got Munchkin nights, Wednesday are mini-Pathfinder where kids 9-13 are introduced to tabletop roleplaying games for instance. Off the top of my head, I know they have Magic games, Flash Duel games, Pokemon games, uh...crap, I can't think of any more, so they have TONS. They have regulars that they do weekly, and then they have days where they have other games, or days where the employees will decide to stay late to just play some of their new games and show them off. And actually, that brings me back to the employees. They're all friendly, they all chat, they all generally know what they're talking about and if they don't they'll happily point you to another employee who would know more. Another thing I've discovered is that, when they get a new board game in, they actually will get a "demo" set that the employees will play and take home overnnight so that if a customer wants to ask about the game the employees will at least know the basics to talk about it and will be able to show the customer how to play it. And honestly, I think that's really cool. I don't know, I guess, if all employees do it, but having talked to one, I know that he at least did. Over all, definitely welcoming, easy to access, and welcoming staff. Also, as SL said: you get huge bottles of water or soda for a dollar, they have a downstairs where they have other gaming, and there's plenty of restaurants nearby if you need to step out. read more

I love this place, I've bought way too many dice sets here. They have a good selection of board games and very knowledgable and helpful employees that always have great recommendations. One thing I wish they had more of were miniatures for DnD and similar RPG's. There are a few official pre-painted DnD monster packs and some random Reaper Bones, but it's not a huge selection. However, they do have a lot of supplies for Warhammer gamers so there's that. Personally, I'm not into card games, so I haven't paid too much attention to their selection in that regard, but from what I have seen they do have cards and they are for sale I think. I dunno. All in all a pretty good selection for a game store. read more

Love the games, love to see all the gamers in there having a good time. Found out that I can bring in my cryptic "Netrunner" card game that I got for x-mas and am not smart enough to figure out how to play it... and they will play it with you. How cool is that? (Oh that's Tuesday nights by the way) Also I heard they have a running pathfinder game here. yay. read more

Behold the friendly staff! Behold the walls of games! Behold the demo nights and mysterious "downstairs" where actual "gaming" allegedly goes on! Behold the 24 oz sodas for a dollar! Behold the yarn shop across the hallway! You might even behold me sometimes. But not too hard. I'm shy. read more

While the Game Preserve has a good selection, they lack in customer service. I get the feeling that it use to be a friendly place, but in recent times it seems to have degraded into a place for the employees to hang out and ignore customers(unless you're their personal friend). On at least 4 occasions, I've had employees either act rude or apathetic. One occasion was especially aggravating, as the employee was too busy reading to help me with a question. When I finally asked for a third time, he openly sighed, rolled his eyes, and answered my question incorrectly(because he wasn't listening in the first place). It seems to me that whoever manages the place needs to get rid of some of the bad apples. Until then, I've found a warm, welcoming place that provides for my gaming habits. read more

We are very lucky to have a locally owned store that's dedicated to games and such. They have a great selection of deep cuts.