An absolute must-visit if you like board games, card games, or tabletop gaming in any form. My friend and I have a tradition that anytime we travel, we hit up a good board game store and grab a small portable game for road trips. The selection here is massive and incredibly well organized, with something for everyone from casual players to serious hobbyists. There's also a big game room and playroom in the back that seemed to have some games and tournaments going on I loved the demo tables -- such a smart way to actually try games before buying -- and the staff were genuinely friendly and knowledgeable without being pushy. It's the kind of store you plan to pop into briefly and end up staying for an hour (almost). read more

Guardian Games - Tabletop Games Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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As a non-gamer I am probably a terrible person to be writing a review for Guardian Games but I had such a great time here that I can't stop myself from sharing the love. Wandered into the store because I needed to kill some time before my lunch reservation at Paper Bridge. The store is so big, so spacious, and so well organized! There are so many different types of games, puzzles, cards, die, mini figures, etc. I loved wandering around and would get excited when I finally recognized a game I knew. There's a gaming section in the back which seems like such a nice option for people to try games they don't own. Staff were friendly, bathrooms were clean, and prices are absolutely reasonable (so I left with a couple party games). read more

Never heard of this place, was visiting a few other local spots and my brother wanted to swing by. They have SO many games. The store is open concept and feels very full while not feeling cluttered. I've never been to a game store that didn't have video games and consoles too, so I thought this made it even more unique. In the back they had an area where people were playing Magic or DND, not sure which but it looked like they were all having a great time. The staff was super friendly and helpful, they acknowledge you when you come in and have some people floating that are there if you need them. There were tons of board games and card games ranging in prices and available for all ages. This spot is a gem, I'd love to go back when I have more time! read more

Guardian Games - Games - Tabletop Games Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This is a massive store with lots of cool stuff. Staff were super helpful, and I love the sense of community I got from watching a MTG night. read more

Guardian Games is run by Queer and BIPOC players and is reliable and fun every Friday night.

HUGE selection of board games. Seriously, the inside is massive, with lots of displays and well-organized shelves. Great variety in complexity and style. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable: knew exactly what I was looking for (AHLCG Scenario Packs), where to find them, and had opinions and recommendations. Excellent service. Pricing was pretty much identical to online prices, with the benefit of skipping the shipping. Convenient also to be able to buy just one box of Dragon Shields instead of the entire set. There were a lot of tables in the back too, and a whole event schedule, but I didn't check it out too closely since I was just visiting Portland. I wish I had half as nice of a FLGS back home! read more

They had a great selection of games and all reasonably priced. I probably spent about an hour here looking at all the games. They also have a great selection of Magic cards and Pokemon too. The staff was all super friendly and helpful. The place was also pretty clean and had a good amount of parking. Be sure to check out the sale section towards the middle of the store. There were some interesting games at pretty good prices. read more

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Nice big shop, clean. Order fulfilled right away, helpful, friendly staff. They sell single and cases of Magic cards. Good value for what we purchased. read more

Fantastic, open concept store with a large selection of games at MSRP, intelligently separated into easy to navigate sections. The store has two large play rooms AND a well stocked free library of games. Guardian is ALWAYS clean and well lit. Kudos to that. Unfortunately, the customer service is hit or miss. Sometimes, a sincere, helpful clerk will assist you. Sometimes, it's a mouth breathing sloth. I've tried to request pre-order and special order games from Guardian, but they rarely follow through with an email or phone call. A shame, because I'd prefer to patronize my local game stores, but half the time, staff don't make the effort. When you can go online and find new games for 20-30% off MSRP, Guardian needs to do a better job of earning the full retail price. read more

As someone from out of town, my local stores are not nearly as extensive and large scale as this. Out of the shops in the area, this one stood out as being exceptional. While I feel the prices are a bit high, I also feel that the selection is wide enough that you can find pretty niche products with ease. The service was efficient, and proactive. I genuinely feel that this shop deserves a 5 star review for just being all around great!! read more

Huge gaming store! Where was this when I was a kid? I took my son here and we spent over an hour looking. There's a huge variety of well priced items. When we couldn't find something, it was pretty easy getting help. They also had tables set up for gaming and a bar! Again, where was this when I was young! read more

Amazing selection, amazing staff, love the open layout! Feels very comfortable to browse. Good prices and relaxing shopping experience.

All the merchandise was overpriced by a lot. Was not greeted or addressed at all by the staff. Witnessed the owner being somewhat rude to an employee while they both ignored all customers. read more

Hello there, my friend! Stay awhile, and listen! (Disclaimer: as a Forever DM, this review will be loaded with references you NPCs may not fully understand. But fear not, for all cannot be heroes! Some must remain to hear the tales!) For as many years as I have been coming to Guardian Games, my original review did not do it any degree of justice. Partially because I was new to Yelp at the time, but more accurately, there is so much going on here, it's easy to miss it all. Where to even begin? First off, this is the only game store of which I know with a bar. Yep, a bar. Not a full bar, mind you, but some micro brews and things to help some of us socially maladjusted introverts (maybe just me?) relax and enjoy the company of strangers. There are also tons of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, if that's more your speed (or age bracket). Next, the unequalled selection of several product types: board games, miniatures, RPG books, collectible card games, sleeves, dice, and nerd paraphernalia. If it's in print, it's here, or can be ordered post-haste. Out of print? They'll do their damnest to find it for you. Want to test a game before purchasing? Take it out for a test drive from their extensive library. They've even sold me a shop copy of an out of print game from their personal collection. Community support? Unparalleled. GG has helped sponsor and promote multiple local Kickstarter games, and continues to be a bastion of support for developers and aspiring designers (such as myself). Seriously, I only had to mention once that I was designing a game, before being offered support and exposure from the awesome staff here. Nathan, a perennial fixture of the shop, is probably one of the most honest, forthcoming, earnest and committed advocates of the local gaming scene, in every possible manner. He is far more likely to be seen explaining, demonstrating or gushing over a game than trying to sell you one. The wisest of sages well know that his enthusiastic advice is as good as gospel! If he recommends you a game, that recommendation comes with proficiency, passion, and personal experience. In the "before times" preceding the pandemic, daily events filled the gaming tables with veritable hordes of players of all types and skill levels, from the tournament-caliber Magic: The Gathering veteran, to the first time, pre-teen Pokemon trainer. In the bar, or the private rooms above, Dungeon Masters transported parties of hardened Dwarven warriors, Elven druids, and rookie meatbag Wizards fresh out out their apprenticeships, into sibylline dungeons filled with goblins, Drow, treasure and, yes...Dragons, using nothing more than colorful, superfluous words and some shoddily-drawn maps on a whiteboard. Where victory, or defeat, was solidified in the fickle probability of a twenty-sided die. Glorious! Those days may be gone, for now, but they are not forgotten. And as the prophecy has foretold: they shall return! For now, we must find out adventures, our stories, and our community in smaller groups, at home, or online. But Guardian Games is still here, providing the props and products, the tools and inspiration to tell the tales that will shape our lives. From the get go, GG has faced down the CR: 20 menace of COVID with skill and competence: limited capacity; a clear and sensible social distancing policy; a hiatus on community events, giving us pause from our fantasy worlds, allowing us to focus on the the real one, and the things within it that matter the most to us. Guardian Games is more than a game store: it is Portland's crucible of creative thought, design, competition, community, inclusivity, for the veteran and the n00b alike. The PNW is blessed with one of the most incredible oases of escapism imaginable, while managing to remain grounded in reality. While we faced down the Nurgle-spawned plague that threatened our lives and livelihood, GG gave us the Short Rest to heal our wounds, refresh our spell slots, replenish our hit dice, and equip ourselves to face the enemy we weren't sure we could defeat. You couldn't ask for a better support NPC than that! read more

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Unfortunately another price gouging store front. They either don't know the market or don't care to. The staff seemed frustrated and unhappy. Looking at any single card takes forever and damage cards cost the same as non-damaged copies. They only seem to support magic the gathering. If you are looking for any other card game, don't consider this place an option. read more

Amazing selection of games and cards. Knowledgable, helpful staff. A great game store!

So happy we found this gem while visiting. We happened to drive by and right when we walked in, my bfs eyes lit up. So many board games We stayed for a little bit in the back room where they have a bar and tables to play some of their games. read more

Guardian Games is my go-to board store. The staff is super helpful in that if they don't have the game you want in stock - they will get it in for you. They helped me get a copy of Bristol 1350 - which is from a smaller game maker - and other game shops refused to order a copy on my behalf. I greatly appreciate them going above and beyond to help me get a copy and not have to resort to Amazon. The only caveat to my glowing review is the park situation is extremely limited and I usually have to snag street parking. The street parking wouldn't be an issue except for the fact that on the back side of the building there are usually quite a few homeless folks and tents set up. Makes me uneasy occasionally as I have been verbally berated going back to my car from Guardian Games before. read more

Everytime I shop here for Warhammer stuff I'm watched by an employee. Feels soo uncomfortable. Only the manager greeted me, all other employees kept their heads down. Wanted to get into mtg for friends, and couldn't get any help. At least I was thanked by the manager for visiting, even though two others were closer to me and made eye contact. read more

I love how friendly the employees are and the selection of games! They have almost an entire wall filled with a variety of games. I loved how the bathroom was fully inclusive stocked with pads and two sizes of tampons! As a woman I felt very comfortable being there everyone just minds their business. read more

I always try to make time to visit this FLGS every time I'm in town. The staff will always welcome you when you enter, answer your questions and will allow you to browse their wares. The selection of pre-owned models is a reliable way of helping me to save my pennies and has given me a good start for my Dark Angels Space Marines army. Their selection of hobby supplies guarantees my repeat visits. If I need new paints or scenery for basing my models, this is the place I'll go. The only real issue I have is their slim selection of Astra Militarum both new and pre-owned, but I understand if it's not the most played army of their regular customers. In conclusion: one of the best FLGS in the area; would visit again. read more

They have the largest game collection in town. Prices are competitive, even sometimes cheaper than online. They also have the best prices for Ultra Pro card protection. Good selection of playmats, CCG cases, sleeves, and storage. However, playmats and CCG storage is much cheaper online. They don't have any sports and non-sports trading cards. Card accessories favor CCG. Strictly Pokemon and Magic CCG. Tiny parking lot, but represents Eastside very well. read more

Extremely good board game store, because it has a huge number of games and they are well categorized and alphabetized. Prices seemed reasonable. Lots of space too, so browsing was a pretty enjoyable experience. I was asked if I needed help exactly once, which is perfect. They also have RPGs, a board game library, tables for CCGs/miniatures, and a snack/bar option. Very very good selection of games. It was a pleasure browsing. read more

Love this store! Stopped by for the first time when visiting Portland in late November 2021 and spent some time browsing their games and jigsaw puzzles. Loved that they had a big collection of jigsaws from Pomegranate and The New York Puzzle Company. It seems they switch between brands quite a bit with regard to puzzles, but no complaints here :D I've been back 3 times since to buy a couple of games and a few more puzzles. On my last visit, they had a bunch of Ravensburger puzzles and more from a brand I'm not familiar with. Staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and always willing to chat and make recommendations if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. read more

The staff are absolutely all amazing here, they make you feel very welcome. All of their games are inclusive and inspiring and purchase worthy. Everyone who works here seems to really care for their fellow individual and I've never felt more comfortable in any game store anywhere. You're missing out if you don't come here read more

Listen, there is no question that Guardian Games is still the largest game store in Portland and has unprecedented selection of games, minis, and the like. Here's what I will say - they used to be a friendly, family-centered game store. Over the last couple of years they have completely transformed into a store that caters heavily to Magic: The Gathering, often at the expense of other games or open play time. The staff used to be friendly and helpful on the phone. Now they typically cop and attitude and aren't very helpful. I've been shopping at Guardian games since they were located on Water Street - longer than any employees or owners have been around. I've spend thousands of dollars there. And while they have always evolved, the change in the last couple of years has been dramatic. Covid? Probably. But every time I call or get attitude from a staff member I think to myself "why do I still shop here?" Maybe I've already answered my own question. Its still a great game store, but its not what it once was. At the risk of sounding nostalgic, I do miss the old days of friendly, helpful staff, who do anything they can to accommodate your play group. In summary, if you are a Magic: The Gathering fan, this is the store for you. If you want to browse thousands of board games, this is also a very excellent choice of stores. But if you want any sort of regularly scheduled game time to come play, or any sort of help from a staff member - well, its basically a crap shoot. read more

Know what you want, they probably have it, and it's alphabetical so you can find it too. Want to meet folks and play games? This is the place! Make new friends. Meet people. Play. It's huge. It's surprising the first time you walk in from the street. Parking lot - HA!!! I rarely find a spot. Luckily there's street parking. read more

Overwhelming is an understatement. They have the most amazing variety of board games having many games I cannot find anywhere else. The staff is awesome at making recommendations on games as well. read more

Great place for gamers! And for those who play board games! I went here to find something for and with my grandson, who has now become interested in Pikachu. We went together and examined several items, eventually settling on the Deluxe Edition book where he can learn all the facts about the various Pokémon. The staff is very kind and helpful, obviously well-versed in anything having to do with games and assorted and related fun things. The gaming room in the back was busy, with enough space left for new people to join. Parking was a breeze with a large parking lot. Prices seemed reasonable to me, but I am obviously no expert. I am glad he decided on a book, because that way he can go back and read up when he's older. His sister wanted a stuffed animal, of course, which we talked her out of and went looking for a unicorn stuffie somewhere else. Wonderful place! read more

Guardian Games - Deluxe Essential Handbook for Pokémon - Tabletop Games Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I had a chance to stop by this place while visiting Portland. I was really impressed by the inside space that the store had. While MTG events were not going on due to the pandemic, I can see a nice and open play area that could host cool events in the back. The selection of singles was also impressive, and any customer could spend quite a while just staring at what's in the case. The inventory is all online, so you'll have to go to the computer terminal to place your order if you didn't do it ahead of time. The staff was also very kind and attentive. I was searching for sleeves and the staff had a binder full of the various sleeve types that I could check out before buying. Overall, Portland is very lucky to have stores like this supporting the local TCG community and I'll definitely be back. read more

Unbelievable. The staff here is rude and unhelpful. Their website is full of drag and their "trained" staff is not at all. It's completely up to you to price, categorize, sort, and sell all per TCG Player. My experience is that EXPERIENCE POINT is by far the ONLY FAIR place to sell your cards!!!!! DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE!!! read more

Whenever I go to a new city, I try to check out a couple game stores just to see how the scene is. If Guardian Games is any indication, Portland is in good hands. It has tons of floor space, making it easy to browse games and miniatures without feeling cramped, and the MTG inventory is all managed through their website. So all you do is log in (you can do this in-store with a guest account or online from home or your phone), fill a cart, and pick it up right there in the store. Looks like they key prices to TCG mid so it's reasonable for brick and mortar. I usually buy something in every store I visit to support the LGS economy, and my order was in my hands in just a few minutes. Even better though, the place is well-staffed with friendly help. Usually stores like this have only a couple workers on hand, but there were 6-8 people working in all areas, helping people find games or RPG systems, or filling pick tickets. This is a cool store and I'd definitely visit again! read more

There were SO many great games here! Tons were games I've never seen before which was so much fun. The people working here were so friendly and helpful. I love that they had games to play and hosted events at the store. It was definitely expansive and affordable! read more

Now I don't really have anything bad to say about this store in terms in layout, game/card selection, or overall aesthetic, they got it all, could probably use a new or updated bathroom setup, so small for such a large space. I have went here for MTG events in the past and the prize support has always been lackluster, especially with how big the turnout usually is. Then I know they changed owners not too long ago and it seems as though they gutted the previous staff, don't know what really went on there. Sometimes it good to start fresh but also sucks to see so many people axed or quit. I would maybe give it another chance down the line but a lot of experiences I've had here have just been "meh". read more

Fantastic selection in a nice modern setting. Staff was helpful and pointed me right where I needed based off my request.

This place is amazing has almost any mtg card you need and a wide variety of sealed products. read more

Guardian Games - Even picked up some dual lands - Tabletop Games Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Good place for cards and board games The cards on display they have their own internal usage scale posted on the glass. Some of these cards are ready to be graded. You have to ask them for pricing on some of the more rare cards read more

Large selection and staff was friendly. Store is well organized. Spacious. Would like to see more ROG books. Fun to see all the interest....the store was buzzing with people. read more

Guardian Games - Outside - Tabletop Games Near Me - Portland, Oregon

honestly any lgs this corporate like always raises red flags, i came here during my visit in OR looking to browse through pokemon singles especially because i had such a great time over at Experience Point, but this place was a total 180. youre required to order the cards you want to hold in your hands through a kiosk, even if you physically see the card already behind their big glass table. i understand its to "keep track" but it seriously takes you out of the experience. insanely marked up prices especially when you check tcgplayer and there is no wiggle room that they are willing to work with even if the card is in bad condition. staff were dismissive and odd if you ask to look at cards, even after i placed a whole pick up order with my full name and everything to just LOOK at some cards i was interested in, the staff immediately asked if i was thinking of checking out soon. honestly such a weird warehouse full of overpriced games and singles, left feeling so dumbfounded. read more

I went to guardian games this weekend and unfortunately I was very disappointed in the experience i had. I've followed the company on their Facebook page and they seemed to be very gender and POC inclusive. While coming in with my Person of color friend, we were helped by friendly staff and took us to show us some of the games. Out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked to be a guardian game employee with a name badge but in regular clothes keeping a close eye on my friend. He picked up a game walked a few steps to show me and say something, and the employee did not break eye contact. Look I'm sure there can be a lot of theft in the world today, but staring at someone through their whole shopping experience as a "secret shopper" does make us uncomfortable. I could have asked him if there was a reason for him to be staring at my friend, but I'd rather just write the review and not come back. The employees in the guardian games black shirts are fine, but the ones in regular street clothes are a problem. read more