Went here with the kiddo after getting our Covid shot. The store is nice if your a serious board game player but not for your average player. Store is small but it is at the mall of America so... ps: I don't like the mall of America. Biggest downfall was they didn't honor my yelp coupon for a free fidget spinner so if you have one from yelp they will not honor it. I asked both employees and they said they don't have any yelp coupons even though it says to ask the cashier. Probably won't be back, don't like the mall and more items to select online. read more

Games by James - Toy Stores Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

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Happy birthday Games by James! 40 years in business when your customer base may be largely introverted and skeptical is a huge accomplishment! Some of your employees have an air or awkwardness too. I love board games...I hope I'm not too awkward. So after an overeager salesperson told me to buy a game I wasn't sure about, I naturally checked out the reviews online and the price online was actually about 15% higher! That never happens! And GbJ gives large portions of their profits to local groups that I also support. They understand the power of games to connect people, and how many games can be used in therapy settings of all kinds. That's cool. read more

For a board game store inside a mall, Games by James is a great little spot for hobby gamers and casual gamers alike. This space may be small, but every shelf is covered with great hobby games and board games for your family and friends who aren't heavy gamers too. They also have a vast array of other hobby items such as rubik's cubes, puzzles, and dice. The workers have always been helpful when I've been here, explaining any games I had questions about or expansions I didn't recognize. The prices are MSRP- about what you expect at most local game stores, especially in a mall. I always stop in here when I visit MOA. You should too! read more

We always stop in to Games by James whenever we are in the mall but we rarely wind up leaving with anything. It is not because we do not enjoy games (Trust me...we LOVE games) but their prices are a bit high, their selection always seems to be the same, and their staff are all chomping at the bit to be helpful that they actually wind up scaring me off! I just want to look at games. If I ask you a question by all means feel free to answer but please, for the love of everything, do not follow me around the store telling me about every single game you have in stock. It is unsolicited advice, opinions, and information. It makes me very uncomfortable. I likely already know what games I am interested in and any other games that I am looking at I will be researching online before I make a commitment to them. I am just here to salivate until I break down and drop another $40 on a deckbuilder I can no longer ignore. Anywho, on to the positives! The shop does have a decent selection of games, even if it does not seem to change very often, and it is a great place to dip your toes into the world of games. Board games and tabletop gaming is one of the best hobbies anyone can ever have. Check them out sometime and get something special for yourself and your loved ones! read more

I love games, and its evident that everyone working at Games by James does as well. The staff is well versed and passionate about games, and they love talking about them. The selection is great, but unfortunately in my experience the prices are very high compared to other stores. read more

I have not been to the Burnsville mall for quite sometime. The employees were vary helpful. Event though the store was busy they stopped to answer all our questions and didn't try to brush us off to help others. Event thought they did not have the game that I was looking for they were still helpful read more

Games by James - Toy Stores Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

Independently owned game shop. I go there for selection--you may get a better deal in Target, you may not. They stock the quirkiest games as well as classics, and for a self-proclaimed game addict, this place is pretty much my dealer. Grab some friends and have a fun night, whether it's Bananagrams, Scrabble Slam, four player chess... etc. etc. etc. Have fun! read more

I walked into the Games By James Rosedale store with a full face shield. I was told that I couldn't enter because face shields were not permitted in the store and that I needed a mask. The sign at the door says that a mask or face covering was needed to enter. So what do you think that a face shield that covers the entire face is? That kind of rudeness will be remembered when it comes time for me to buy any products that they sell. read more

Although they had a very nice selection of games, the customer service was bizarre. I walked in the store planning to give them ALL MY MONIES but left with only one game. :-( Here's what happened. I went to the Mall of America, and this was the ONLY store that I specifically wanted to visit. I was Teh Excite! I walked in, picked out half a dozen games I was interested in, and went hunting for employees for input. Neither of the two guys working would even make eye contact with me. Finally, with my arms loaded with games, I interrupted one employee who had been talking to a (obviously not shopping) friend since I'd walked in. When I asked the employee about game play, he told me the Steve Jackson games I was interested in would be "too much" for me. He suggested they would "take too long" and be "too complicated" for me to enjoy. Not knowing anything about me, I can only assume that he was basing this on the fact that I'm a woman in my thirties. Either he was weird because I could simultaneously talk competently about games AND have lady-parts, or this guy really, really hates Steve Jackson games. It's so strange to me that he would actively try to convince me to NOT purchase any of the games I wanted. For reasons I completely do not understand, he kept insisting that I try the Battlestar Galactica Board Game, even though I told him, several times, that I wasn't interested at all in Battlestar Galactica and was more interested in knowing about the games in my hands. Besides, I was looking specifically at games that could be played with only two players (Battlestar Galactica requires 3 minimum). I should also mention that the entire time I spoke with him, his friend never left his side and also kept interjecting comments (to the employee, not to me). I don't care if your buddy visits you at work, but if a paying customer wants help, have your friend walk away. When I was leaving, I told the other guy working that I was only buying the one game (instead of more) because the other employee had been both rude and committed to talking me OUT of buying games. Not knowing how to handle it, he mumbled his way through an apology and gave me a $5 off online orders coupon. I think they probably give that to everyone anyway though. read more

DO NOT BUY THEIR MAGIC THE GATHERING PACKS!!! I went to their shop today and picked up a couple of packs of their "sealed" Fate Reforged packs and both were already opened (foil on back torn open and resealed) they are charging $3.99 for "new" product when it's obvious they have already opened up the packs and resealed them to get rid of the cheap rares. STAY AWAY FROM THESE CROOKS!!!! read more

I'm a fan of new games and those that are a little more difficult to find. This place always has just about all the games I'm looking for. It's a bit spendy, but it's well worth. read more

Such a great variety of games to choose from! Card games, board games, puzzles, you name it. The staff is willing to help you and is knowledgeable about all different type of games. Good place to check out games but better off buying them online for cheaper. read more

Came here today hoping to get a few games and have a good time. When I walked into the store, my friends and I were looking for cards against humanity. When we found it, it costed 50 bucks - twice as much as on amazon. We thought it was a little overpriced, but nothing we couldn't handle. While we were talking about it, an employee of the store with glasses and a goatee approached us and said that was the "in store price", and that he had "bills to pay". He was extremely rude and my friends and I were shocked that this was behavior we found at a professional store. We left immediately and won't be back anytime soon. One of the few examples of customer service scaring away potential customers. Would recommend amazon for any game purchases and much better customer service. Overall a huge disappointment. read more

Bad customer service. Games are twice as expensive as another online retailer. Amazing places like this can exist. 100 here 60 elsewhere. Middleman. read more

Not the worst stop if you're really into tabletop gaming and happen to be at the Mall of America anyways. I don't think I'd ever go out of my way to visit the Mall of America just for this particular shop though. While it has an expansive range of games to choose from, I feel the store is really bogged down by its location and looky-loo clientele. A significant portion of space here is dedicated towards puzzles and bad filler games and, unsurprisingly, there is no dedicated area for actually hosting or playing games. Prices are standard MSRP and the staff is just sorta there. Sadly, unless you want to drool over some nicely displayed chess sets there isn't anything here worth going out of your way for. However, if you're into Tabletop Gaming and happen to be at the mall anyways give it a look. read more