About a year ago, I walked into this store out of curiosity while they were hosting an event. It was 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. read more

It's Your Move - Front of the store - Hobby Shops Near Me - Oakland, California

Games store with tons of selection and lots of options from group/party games to strategy to classics 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 read more

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We wandered in here late in the evening after dinner and they were just wrapping up an event. We were greeted super warmly by an employee who was eager to share about their events, store offerings etc. Super super friendly guy who was ready to help us find whatever we were looking for, if anything. The selection in here was INCREDIBLE! There were puzzles, games, collectibles, cards and so much more. We didn't have that much time to browse since they were going to close soon so we just did a quick walk through. To give you a feeling of the vibe here, the workers didnt' seem to mind that we were marveling at all the cool stuff in the shop, even though they were closing up soon. In fact, they seemed just as enamored as we were with their inventory. There are events taking place every night. It made me feel so much FOMO I didn't live closer. It does make for a great reason to find myself in that area again to attend an event. The best thing about this place was that it really felt like a community place for people to gather. It was super welcoming and there seemed to be games and puzzles for all age groups. I look forward to stopping in again sometime soon! read more

Glad that this place has such an open community! They have different selections of puzzles, games, poke cards and other gaming activities. It was nice to be able to experience or rather experience a store with other folks who do tabletop gaming. I hope this place experiences great things in the future! read more

The 9 year old and I came here to find a gift for her board game loving friend. The original plan was to purchase a gift card, however we fell in love with the 'featured local games' section, games that were all created by folx living in the Bay Area. We ended up purchasing Mole Park, as we were told it was quick to learn and a fun party game. WE can't wait to gift it and hear all about it. They also have a large selection of puzzles by the Oakland Puzzle Company. My 9 year old does not enjoy any level of competition, and loves nature. So she had lots of questions for Chris about those two categories of games. Rather than try to sell us on a game, Chris encouraged my daughter to come back and try them out and showed her the section of cooperative games in their library. Super appreciate this suggestion as well the time she took to answer all of my child's questions. We will definitely be back. read more

If you're looking for a local place to play casual commander with chill people, it's your move is perfect. The shop itself is charming. They have a (somewhat random) assortment of singles for mtg and some other ccgs and an up to date selection of tabletop rpg sourcebooks. Staff is quite friendly and they hold other regular events besides commander. read more

A bit of a hole in the wall and not super clean. But very friendly and very game knowledgeable service and amazingly kind user community. Huge game selection. read more

Every Sunday, they have an open-chess event for people of all ages to play. It's only $5, and it's from 2 - 6 pm. I don't go every time, but when I, it's always a great time. read more

This is a great neighborhood shop. They have a nice membership which allows for renting of games and it comes with one free rental. I believe rentals are reasonable I think around $2 a night for a game. Being a member also gives 20% off which can be handy if buying a lot of things. They don't have much single rare cards for sale, but they have a $1 and 25 cent binder and trading nights I think are on Tuesday. They also have some interesting local games and a small but nice board game section. The space is not large but they seem to utilize it well. I prefer the vibe here to the larger Games of Berkeley. Parking is not great though, you may have to walk or pay the meter. read more

Great LGS. Has a great selection and also good for Magic players. Seems like they have a lot of fun events too and the staff are welcoming and supportive. read more

It would have been a lot easier to order Everdell on Amazon instead of carrying a big old box for some big old blocks, but I love supporting local friendly game stores. Their board game selection is decent, and (if you're into that) they have a nice space to play a lot of different games in house. read more

It's Your Move - Love this sci-fi / fantasy piece - Hobby Shops Near Me - Oakland, California

Such a great place! Yes its a small shop but you walk in and just get so excited at all of the possibilities! There are plenty of games to purchase - yes they are a little more pricey BUT this is a local shop and the people that work here truly love the game world. I am more more than happy to support them! Very cool fact they have their game library where for a small fee you can go in and actually play a number of their board games before you decide to pull the plug and purchase one. There have weekly events ranging from - game nights to pokemon tournaments The staff member that I spoke to (very friendly lady) was extremely knowledgeable about a couple games and how she described the gameplay had me sold! read more

It's a great place. They have everything! And if they don't they can certainly most find it for you. My only issue is that there are a handful of times when I come in and there are at least a couple of the employees that don't seem to treat me the best. I would ask a question and they would make me either feel stupid about it or Like I was at the wrong place. There's also times when I call and the person on the phone just doesn't seem like the best communicator. I like the place to death, but I really wish that customer service would boost up their game. read more

Nice little shop, doesn't have a lot of variety for card games, but a lot for tabletop. They have comedy shows and other events which is real cool. Cool place to take your kids to. read more

Awesome store with great vibes. We took advantage of their game play option with some friends - they have a huge selection of games. Even had Wyrmspan available to play! And the service was really lovely and personable. Def recommend! read more

Every Wednesday night (I believe) they host a public space for RPG Board/ card games for the community. All ages are welcome. It was a full house once things got rolling (literally the dice) I'm assuming it's a bored game store during the and looked like the offered just about every popular board game and trading cards, old and new. But everything got shifted around to open up the space for tables and players. Had an amazing time learning how to play Dungeons & Dragons. I came in knowing literally nothing but the name of the game and I needed a set of dice. The dungeon master as well as the guy next to me were super patient and kindled guiding me through the game. Can't wait for next week, much more prepared and less anxious read more

What a wonderful neighborhood game shop! Chris and crew celebrated Halloween with the entire neighborhood while also celebrating bday party inside for kids while I played chess with 6 boards and very decent players outside! ($5 contribution expected). Genuine rapport with all types of kids, parents and neighborhood characters added to a wonderful afternoon experience as they were very generous with candies, paint and other goodies. Great selection of board games and cool vibe. Will be back! read more

I'm coming around on It's Your Move. When I first moved to Oakland, I was spoiled in the game store requirements as Endgame was only a 10 minute walk away. Offering a decent enough selection of Magic: the Gather cards, miniature games, RPGs, and plenty of board games. The layout was also nice and open, an industrial vibe game store. But in their last year you could tell it was done by the staff and the selection. I started doing Dr. Comics & Mr. Games, which has a solid enough game selection in the front corner, Magic cards behind the counter. But it's more a comic shop with games than a full on game store. Lately I've been hitting up Games of Berkeley, and this is the best shop in the area by far - huge space, selection, staff, and more. It's like a big box store for games. But It's Your Move is more the old school style of store. Solid selection of board games taking up most of the store. A couple tables inside and out for playing anything. A crazy mismatch of things behind the counter. And turns out they have live music and open mic nights, so it's more a full service geek shop. I decided to give them a shot on a clean air Sunday, hadn't been up to Temescal in a while, and needed some Magic singles. When I arrived there were some Commander players outside. When I entered, the owner greeted me, gave me a run down on some events, tried to get me to play Commander with the group outside, but I let her know I was only there to buy some cards. They have long boxes of bulk commons and uncommons, a couple binders of $1 rares/foils (generally worth $0.35 if you bought online, but I figured I'd help support a local shop), and they even have a few bundles of bulk rares and even premade decks for new players (mostly commons and uncommons to get you some basics, nothing competitive). If looking for sealed products and gear, still have to recommend Games of Berkeley over this. If looking to fill up some binders with missing cards, grab some pauper staples, or game, I can recommend this place. Also turns out Chess is a huge thing here. Check out their calendar for specific events, but while I was there a group of 4 arrived for chess, and turns out more were showing up later that day. read more

I love that this shop offers games and game play. It's awesome to have that in Oakland? My only gripe is that the sales staff is not very. friendly. They offered no help in finding what I was looking for and didn't say thank you after I spent close to $100. read more

What a great local resource for games. It's Your Move creates a space for people to come together, laugh, have fun, and learn. The staff is super friendly and welcoming -- and Chris, the owner, goes out of her way to be of service to the community. Oh, and they're a UPS drop-off location. Just another perk having them in the neighborhood. read more

Cool looking board game shop!! Stopped by here on our way to dinner. Don't be intimidated by the loud people playing games at the tables... They're just really into their game (as I'm sure we all have been at one point). They have some interesting selection of board games. If you're into finding new board games, this place is a must! I wish I had more time to browse around before going to dinner. Will definitely have to come back!! read more

I have been to this store many times in the past but not recently due to Covid. It's a very nice store and normally they have many activities. The employee was a younger guy and super nice. I usually buy something to help my local game stores. So I bought a game at $65 + $6 for tax. I don't mind spending money but when I got home I saw the the same game online for $43 dollars all day. Very nice people and they have a large selection of Ruth Bader Ginsburg portraits but beware because this place is very expensive. All the New items can be bought cheaper at other brick and mortar stores or online much cheaper. read more

It's Your Move - Hobby Shops Near Me - Oakland, California

This local game store is a welcoming space for finding games and playing games. A perfect space to relax and play located in a neighborhood that has many food offerings. great way to spend an evening. read more

I love having a local board game shop that hosts events and has friendly, knowledgeable staff that can make recommendations. Yes, they are open now 7 days a week. I went today and everyone was wearing masks and social distancing. Someone helped me within a minute of entering. The $50 annual membership is what community stores are all about. You can rent from their huge selection of games for $2/day and get discounts on new games. So cool! Especially if you want to try lots of games without breaking the bank. And yes, you could easily find what you want on Amazon and save a few bucks. But wouldn't our community be a little sad if we didn't have any local restaurants, boutiques, shops, wineries, grocery stores, breweries, and on and on. Support local! read more

Summary: Nice store but all of their games are marked up by 50-70%. They also make you pay the credit card fee if paying with a cc. I love the concept of this store-you can rent games, host your own game nights, or participate in their game nights. The community feel is great and so far the staff have been friendly. However, my gripe with them are the prices! I just bought 2 new games. One for $88 and another for $45. I later checked on Amazon and they were $54 and $31! WHY am I paying close to $50 in price markups? On top of that you have to pay tax AND their credit card fees (which I believe is illegal). I also cannot return the games for my money back. I can only return for store credit which is stupid because what am I going to do with the credit? Use it on another game that's marked up an additional 60%? I want to support local businesses, but they should find other ways of getting extra revenue instead of hiding hidden fees and markups. read more

Went in here to check this place out but was really surprised how expensive everything was. Everything was over MSRP. I know during this pandemic LGSs need support but how could I when I could get something from eBay/Amazon/anywhere else for half the cost. I was a bit turned off when it seemed like they were trying to sell their membership instead of their products. Decent selection of items and table space for board game enthusiasts but if you are a consumer connected with any shop on the internet, you will find a way better deal. read more

My kid did DnD camp here this summer and had a great time! Just hours of gaming, eating candy and doing little crafts like painting game figurines. Fun spot to get a kid who's not into sports to socialize and learn teamwork. Thanks for inspiring the next generation of game nerds :) read more

Hard to beat $1.25/hr table fees with a good crowd. Plus they do stuff at 7 West.

My son and I were driving home and I decided that some scones and a chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty's was in order. We parked a few blocks down and walked past 'It's Your Move' on the way. My son immediately ducked into the store and I caught up with him on my way back. The space has the feel of a game and hobby store and a community gathering place. It kind of reminded me of how Harvey Milk's camera store was portrayed in the movie. And the nice gray-haired lady with the tie-dyed dress, added to the progressive vibe. The selection is a mixed bag. They are heavy on D&D, more traditional board games, card collections (my son's current focus), and puzzle items (such as several versions of Rubik's Cube and maybe even a few Japanese boxes). It is a fun store and a definitely worth a good look for children and adults alike. read more

The associates in this store were amazing. I went in to buy some MTG cards and I haven't played in over a decade. They were nice enough to answer all my questions and were very friendly and attentive. They have a great selection of single MTG cards and were very knowledgeable. They also had a lot of great pop culture references and jokes! read more

This place tries hard to reach out to the community and have game days and the like. It's not as hardcore a game scene as near the Berkeley campus, so it seems they focus on more classic games like Scrabble and Monopoly. The selection isn't particularly strong, but it's worth a look around. read more

I've stopped in here a few times to buy Magic cards with the teens...but they aren't really huge players...just every once in awhile friends get them back into it. So we had already learned about their Friday night game nights and the welcoming environment that would await. This week we were waiting for the barber chair in Diagon Alley (you know that's what it is, right) and wandered in again. We were looking for one thing but then remember that we actually needed a game that mom, dad, teen boy and teen girl would all enjoy. Not an easy task. The owner walked us through a few options after asking some questions about our interests. She is unbelievably knowledgeable about how each and every game works, move by move. In the end she directed us to one that both the boy and I agreed we would probably like, and we think the hubby and the girl will as well. Haven't had time to crack it open yet but we will soon. It definitely cost more than what you would pay online, but in my opinion it's worth it to support a shop that is not only expert at their wares, but also a great community space. And we still want to come play free board games on Friday nights and/or rent some of their games for $2/day to check them out. What an awesome option! read more

I'm not much of a risk taker when it comes to purchasing and trying out new games, but this shop makes me want to be a board game fanatic. With a oddly charming and musty library feel, this is a nice place to check out, especially for their packed event calendar. In addition to having having wall-to-wall varieties of games, they rent out the space (and games) for board game nights, as well as a random comedy show every Saturday. Cover is $10 cash, with an extra fee attached if using card. Good for: Events, Games read more

I absolutely love how community oriented this game shop is! The very first time I came into the shop I was surprised to learn that it is open late on Fridays and the owner explained that they wanted to have a space where young people could have fun and be safe on the weekend. I try to support this shop whenever I can and was pleased that they were willing to order a game in for me. read more

I play magic here a lot so far employees are respectful and kind and the players are fun for the most part. I love it here

I've tried to shop here twice and despite them being staffed and actively running games in the store at the time I've been turned away (twice) and told to come back later. Joke of a business. read more

Great game store with everything you need. Also hosts awesome local comedy shows, now weekly! read more

Man, I wish those super old reviews about IYM employees demanding customers pay with cash would fall off the main page. They don't do that anymore! I've never had problems paying with a card here! What I do have problems with is finding new games in abundance. They don't carry a lot on the shelves and it can really cut a visit short to not have a lot to peruse. However! they will happily order something for you if requested. If it isn't something they usually carry they might make you pay a deposit, but if it's a common enough game they may even give you 10% off. What I appreciate most about It's Your Move is the friendly, knowledgable, and so-not-pushy staff. I've always felt welcome and wanted here, even if it's busy. For a first visit, I'd highly recommend coming in and playing some games from their free library. You don't have to buy anything (though donations are accepted+appreciated), and it's a fun way to kill time before, say, a dinner reservation. They don't necessarily sell all the games you can play, but as I mentioned, if you fall in love with something they might be able to order it for you OR they can recommend something similar. I came in here once and there was a local guy testing out a game concept he made up. He had pieces taken from other games and hand drawn cards, but it was really fun to play a game almost no one has played before and to give him constructive feedback. It was also good to meet some other local board game enthusiasts to play with. It's community events like this that make IYM so special. There's all kinds of weekly game nights as well as special every-once-in-a-while things. If you want to be the first to know about special events, sign up for their email list. They won't spam you every week, or even every month, but it's practically the only way to find out about some things. No, their prices aren't the best, but that's not why I'm proud to support It's Your Move. I like to put my money back into Oakland, especially to businesses who care about their customers and perform a service to the community. read more

I was going to email the owner, but couldn't find an address on the website, so instead I'll write my comment here. I went in today to buy a specific game--I knew I could get it for less at the big chain store I'd been at earlier in the day, but wanted to support my local shop when possible. The game cost $30 at the big store, and a whopping $50 at IYM. I was definitely startled by the huge price difference, but willing to pay it. A young guy--clearly a student on vacation--helped me check out. He was polite and helpful, but then another employee came over and demanded whether he had asked me if I had cash. She said to the young guy, as if I wasn't there, "You should have told her to go out the door to the ATM instead of using her card." I'm appalled by this. I understand that shops pay a fee for card transactions, and it certainly seems fine to ask a customer if they mind paying with cash, but if they had straight-up *told* me to go get cash, I would have walked away and not returned. As it is, I don't feel inclined to give them any more of my money. Endgame's a little farther away, but I'll make the trip there for my future game needs. Edited to add: After reading another yelper's review, I checked my receipt--it appears that I was also charged an extra dollar without being told. Come on! read more

Awesome store with great people! First off, ignore the older reviews about payment problems and concerns regarding credit cards. I met one of the new owners last night and he said they are happy to take credit cards (that was only an issue with the prior owners). It is clear that they realized this bugged people and is no longer an issue at all. Second, the new owners (at least the younger guy I met) are very cool. You can tell immediately that they have a real passion for games. He was excited to tell me about a bunch of cool new games and it's clear he was really into the whole game scene (including the latest and greatest), which is awesome. Third, I was looking for one particular game (the Lost Cities card game) and they had it in stock (it was hard to find elsewhere) and he also recommended some other good games. Finally, the new owner mentioned that they are renovating very soon to make more room for game playing and social events. I am excited to check out what kind of events and game nights they will be putting on. Great guy, wondersful store, and I will definitely be back. If you like any kind of games, it is definitely worth a visit to support a great local business! read more