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Games of Berkeley

4.0 (347 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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Outside
Annabelle R.

This game shop is massive and seemingly has everything (in fact, if they don't, they can probably order it for you). Lots to explore. Board games, co-op games, strategy games, trivia games, coloring books, origami & craft kits, stuffed animals, toys, and puzzles galore, including unique brainteasers. I came for the jigsaw puzzles of course, and they had such an awesome variety available on display. It didn't take long to find a winner for me and my bf. A new 1000-piece puzzle, Greg "Craola" Simkins: Let The Outside In, the perfect quirky art piece for our next puzzling adventure. Service was fast and friendly at the purchase counter, and parking was free and easy in the Telegraph Channing Garage nearby.

Inside
Monica C.

I love checking out Games of Berkeley when I'm in the area. It's definitely my favorite board game store in the Bay Area. The organization is superb and I appreciate that there's a section dedicated to toddler friendly games and children's games. There is a used games section as well. On my last visit, I ended up with a board game, a puzzle for a gift, and a couple of birthday cards. They also happened to have Tetris Tumblr XL set up outside to try out. Looking forward to my next visit!

Re-Sealed "seal" on a case that was supposed to be unopened
Josh N.

Tldr; purchased a "case" of cards, and actually got a repackaged case with no case hit. Purchased a "case" of Lorcana Fabled, to increase my odds of pulling an Enchanted card. Was assured it was a full case that was brought from the back. Didn't realize until after opening the boxes and not hitting the case hit that something seemed off. Sure enough the case had been resealed, likely after someone had pulled the box with the enchanted and it got replaced with another. Extremely disappointed and would not recommend buying from here. Yes, should have raised the concern before leaving the store, but thought that I could trust the store to not deceive their customers, especially when spending over $500 on product. I don't doubt that the boxes were sealed, nothing seemed wrong with the boxes themselves, but the case was definitely cracked and were put together with other boxes from other opened cases.

Around the holidays they sell "mystery games" which make a great gift for that gamer friend you don't know what to purchase for
Kevin H.

Personally I think Games of Berkeley 'deserves' 3 stars from me but I'm going to give them five because they are a local business we've had for years and if they closed it would be a shame. Round of applause to gob for surviving Covid, economy crashed and everything else that threatens small businesses. That alone is a five star feat. Now for the problems; For local mtg casual commander play there are two spots (victory point and your move) that I personally enjoy more. GoB is the cleanest of the three but their commander nights start at 5pm on Friday and the staff will start hassling you to start packing up between 8 and 8:30. That's just not enough time. Additionally, they just don't offer much mtg product. For some reason, with the store of their size, I kind of expect more deck boxes or playmats or really much besides collectors packs and a small selection of sleeves. Also, their staff is just generally unhappy, defensive and snappy. It's not a good sign when your staff is irritable and defensive. I assume this is largely because their average customer is a meathead and they don't get payed enough; however, that doesn't change the fact that I often feel sub-textually insulted when I asked questions. Parking near GoB is awful. Today, for example, I spent 25 minutes looking for parking (not exaggerating, I checked timestamps in my messages to track). Today was worse then usual, but generally it takes 10 minutes and walking 3 blocks. Let me give some positives though. Most of the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and opinionated and if you don't mind being judged, they will provide informative conversations when game shopping. If you don't know board games and need help buying one, GoB will help. I shop at GoB every Christmas. They have the best overall board game selection. They have great stocking stuffers. They even sell "mystery games" that can help you buy a mystery gift for a friend when you can't decide (or they just love gambling/gachas). Also, and this is a big plus, they are the cleanest game store. Their tables are spotless. Berkeley would not be the same without them. Three stars.

Shane J.

I went in to help get my kid what he needed to start playing Magic the gathering and we were helped by Will. He was wearing a black dickies jumpsuit. He was so helpful and understood we didn't know anything and explained the game , what we needed to get started, steered us away from getting decks ($$$$) we didn't need yet. I seriously appreciate the time he took and the effort he took to educate us. He clearly has an expertise in the merchandise they sell there. This is hands down the best customer service I have had anywhere in years. This place will continue to get my patronage. Outstanding employee in the age of apathy. Give this guy a raise!!!!

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Page 3 of 9

Games of Berkeley Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Games of Berkeley

Do you guys purchase unopened/opened collectibles/figurines/board games in new or good condition?

Hi Megan, We offer a consignment option for good condition board games and roleplaying game books.… 

What are the price ranges for 2,000 piece puzzles and up?

My apologies, I only just saw this question! As of 11/6/21, we carry 6 different brands of 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzles, ranging in price from $29.99 to $42.99.

Are they doing shipping or deliveries while we're under the shelter in place order?

Yes, they're doing shipping.

How wide is the dice selection? What dice brands do they carry?

Hi there, and my apologies for the, well, EXTREMELY delayed response. As of 11/6/21, we currently have 886 dice, dice sets, and dice accessories in stock from the following brands: Bicycle, Chessex, Darrington Press, Die Hard Dice, Evil Hat, Foam… 

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Review Highlights - Games of Berkeley

“Most of the stores in the area only seem to carry D & D and Pathfinder, but GOB had equal shelving for other RPGs.”

Mentioned in 9 reviews

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It's Your Move

It's Your Move

4.2(110 reviews)
2.2 mi•Temescal, North Oakland
•$$

About a year ago, I walked into this store out of curiosity while they were hosting an event. It…read morewas packed with tables full of people playing different tabletop games I didn't recognize. Immediately, a staff member greeted me and introduced me to a group of people, encouraging me to exchange information with them. I was a bit too shy to join in that night, but I really appreciated the effort. You gotta love a place that goes that far to make a "noob" feel included. During a more recent visit without all the tables of people, it's still a cozy store with a warm and inviting environment. Upon walking in, I could tell the staff genuinely enjoyed being there. As I was browsing, a staff member told me about their puzzle trade. For a few bucks, you can trade the old puzzles you own with a selection of their used puzzles. I'll definitely be making the most of this deal. This is an Oakland gem that I can't recommend enough. If you're looking for a kind and welcoming community, this is a great one. I'll definitely be returning.

Games store with tons of selection and lots of options from group/party games to strategy to…read moreclassics to two person options. There are even some puzzles. I liked seeing part of a shelf that highlighted local California games. Seems like a great community spot as the Friday night had some sort of Magic the Gathering tournament and they were open pretty late. There are around 5-6 folding tables of seating across the store. We spent some time browsing but no staff members approached us. It was a little stuffy inside but better away from the used games in the back. The used games in the back shelves were organized alphabetically -- but it was unclear if they were to play or for purchase The chalkboard has some weekly information of their events

Photos
It's Your Move - They specialize in local games and community involvement.

They specialize in local games and community involvement.

It's Your Move - Interior selection

Interior selection

It's Your Move - Schedule of events

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Schedule of events

Kimono My House

Kimono My House

4.3(70 reviews)
2.4 mi
•$$$

Shop located in Oakland that specializes in collectibles and primarily Manga and Anime IPs and…read morecharacters. The place looks like it's located within a residential home so it threw me off at first. But there's a sign at the front. The folks here are very friendly and they're very knowledgeable. In terms of value, it's hard to say only because there are a lot of items that are highly collectible in addition to your run of the mill, newer IP's. In my opinion, I feel like the prices are pretty fair, especially since they may have some hard to find pieces that collectors are looking for. I came here with my nephew before we had dinner in the area. He's a big fan of anime and manga and especially things related to Godzilla. He ended up buying a figure. Just a really cool store in a very unexpected non-descript place.

My girlfriend brought me here because she knows I'm into anime and looking for some toys from my…read morechildhood to fill my display cases. Yes, there were a lot of awesome figures and statues to see that bring back some nostalgia to when I was kid. However, a lot of the toys both in package, on card, or loose were a bit overpriced. Some figures had horrible sun damage to them seeing as this location is in a warehouse type building. The lady behind the counter wasn't helpful as we walked in and around the front in for about 10-15 minutes before she even said hi. After that she just walked around putting things away and sat behind the counter. Now what's upsetting? My girlfriend found this 3-pack of Shattered Glass Transformers (Evil Dinobots) from SDCC. I clearly asked if I could open them and she said they were new. I didn't like that answer and how snappy she was with me. I kept them in the box until I got my new display case and Lord behold, they're all broken. All 3 figures wastes are popped off and will not plug into the bodies or stay in place, Grimlock's dino head is snapped, the plus to keep Slag's dino head on its body are broken, and some of Snarl's scales are broken. There's no point in keeping them. And I would feel bad, like the owner should feel, if I were to try and sell them off broken to anyone else.

Photos
Kimono My House - Just a small part of the collection

Just a small part of the collection

Kimono My House
Kimono My House

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Anime Island - entrance of the store!

Anime Island

4.9(55 reviews)
3.3 mi
•$$

Recently started collecting Pokémon (oh no, my wallet! ), so I figured it was time to check out my…read moreLGS. Most of these photos are from my first visit about a month ago, but I've already been back at least 3 or 4 times since then. Oops! I've been missing all of their Pokémon drops because of work, but I finally caught their impromptu Black Bolt and White Flare poster collection drop yesterday! At $25, it was practically MSRP. Really appreciate Anime Island not scalping customers like some other game stores have been doing. Even managed to pull a cute Sewaddle full art from my packs! My one critique would be communication around prerelease events. I was hoping to enter the Delta Reign prerelease but couldn't find any info on registration or pricing. When I called, I was told the details were on Instagram, but I follow them and hadn't seen anything. If the info is being shared through Stories, I'd love to see a regular post instead so people know when to come sign up. By the time I called, only one spot was left, and since I wanted to enter with my boyfriend, we ended up passing. Even the staff member I spoke with wasn't sure about the pricing. Otherwise, I really love Anime Island and the staff are always super friendly. Looking forward to more surprise weekend Pokémon drops I can actually make it to!

*This is for the Vacaville location*…read more I was so excited to hear a new anime store was opening in Vacaville! I was absolutely floored by the quality and quantity of merchandise in the store. The atmosphere was open and inviting, and left plenty of room for people to browse. There was a variety of merchandise (key chains, figures, stickers, mystery boxes, and more) from a number of well known and lesser known anime. I purchased a lot of items and felt they were very reasonably priced. The staff were extremely happy and pleasant to be around. This isn't your cheap, rip-off merchandise you see at hobbie and toy stores in the mall. This is quality merchandise, name-brand and brand new.

Photos
Anime Island - The $1 comic section

The $1 comic section

Anime Island - Sailor moon 1 piece earrings

Sailor moon 1 piece earrings

Anime Island - Stickers and figures for sale

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Stickers and figures for sale

Victory Point Cafe - Condiments & Water Cups

Victory Point Cafe

4.2(354 reviews)
0.8 mi•Gourmet Ghetto, North Berkeley
•$

We came on Columbus Day so parking was free! I lucked out and got a street parking nearby. I love…read morehow you can order food and play games. $7/day is pretty darn good! For comparison, Kubla con is at least $50 per day (but you do have other events and a bigger space). I wish I lived nearby. These college kids have it easy - we just played Apples to Apples at Denny's in my day. Food was also pretty good and I like that they will split the tab for you. The service was pretty good - friendly, informative. I felt well-taken care of, which you hardly ever get even when you pay beaucoup/bookoo dollars at fancy shamncy restaurants. There were more cafe-goers than gamers. The collection is also pretty good and well-loved. The Finspan rulebook was not falling apart...it was apart. There were shelves at the front and also the back. If I lived nearby, I'd consolidate my personal game collection and just go here. But I don't. It is definitely a place I can see myself revisiting when in the area.

I typically go here to do work, but Victory Point is also really well-known as a board game cafe so…read moreit's always cool to see people hanging out and playing board games. But beware that it does get pretty loud in here, especially during weekend evenings, so wouldn't recommend you coming here during those time if you are looking for a quieter place to study or do work. However, outside of those times, the cafe is fairly empty and quiet. Outlets are a bit limited unless you are at a table in the back, but also beware that those tables are typically reserved and you will get kicked out of that table if they are. I aim to sit on the window seats but outlets + table space are limited.

Photos
Victory Point Cafe - Board Game Table Area

Board Game Table Area

Victory Point Cafe - Honey Mustard Club on Ciabatta

Honey Mustard Club on Ciabatta

Victory Point Cafe - Outdoor Seats

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Outdoor Seats

Games of Berkeley - hobbyshops - Updated November 2026

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