Love this place. I always prefer shopping here whenever I can. Support local! Games store for gamers :) read more

This place is absolutely fantastic and gives me major nostalgic vibes the moment I walk in. It's a small corner video game store packed from floor to ceiling with all kinds of goodies. Everything is priced very fairly and competitive with mainstream retailers, online platforms, and even other retro game shops. They do it all here: retro and new video games, consoles, trading cards, plushies, accessories, and more. I feel truly lucky to have found this spot. It's officially my new go-to for anything gaming-related, whether I need something ASAP, want to get a game disc resurfaced, or just want to pop in and see what's new. Their backroom looks like it's bursting with even more treasures and I'm excited to see how they grow over time. I wish San Francisco had more places like this because the city is really lacking when it comes to true video game stores. We don't even have a Gamestop anymore in the heart of the city. The closest video game store is in Stonestown, which can be very inconvenient to get to. They also have some awesome free-to-play arcade setups and welcome people to just hang out inside, which gives the place a really laid-back, community vibe. If you're looking for a specific game or system and they don't have it, they'll even take your number and give you a call once they track it down. Such a thoughtful touch. I especially love their preowned deals like the buy two, get one free promo for games priced $11.99 or less. I can't wait to come back for my next haul. read more

See all

Our friends and family love this local business! You just can't get this kind of shopping experience anywhere else. It's like its own little world filled with new and retro games and game related merch. One of my favorite places to purchase gifts. The folks that work here are really nice, too! read more

Traveled to this store from San Jose since I heard it was great. The inside is nice, compact, and organized so you can find what you need. Prices are a little high which is expected from a real store but I wanted to support a local business so I bought a few games. The employee who assisted me was extremely cool. I got home when I noticed one of the games have a huge chip on the disc. It also did not come in a real PS2 case. For the price I paid, I wish they would've mentioned at least the cosmetic damage. read more

The Experience Share - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

Great spot to go to for vintage and exciting things! Bought 2 booster box. I opened the Journey together booster box and was satisfied with my purchase! read more

The Experience Share - Pokémon Journey together booster box hits! - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

I dropped by Experience Share on my way through the bay area because I had heard good things online and wanted to check it out. I found a lovely little store with a great selection and a friendly staff. I bought a PlayStation Portable that was in excellent condition. Unfortunately when I got home, I discovered that the battery did not hold a charge. I called Experience Share, and after some back and fourth I was told that nothing could be done unless I returned to the store, which I couldn't, since I don't live nearby. Disappointed, I went down to my local game shop and bought a replacement battery. A little while later, I got a call saying that there had been some miscommunication, and that they would be happy to send a replacement battery. I told them I had already purchased a replacement, and they said they would pay me back for what it cost at my local store. Really kind people, and great at customer satisfaction, despite a bit of miscommunication. I'm excited to swing by again the next time I'm in Alameda read more

What a terrific shop! Driven by here a million times, and finally decided to stop in. Terrific selection, and prices were reasonable. Staff was friendly. I'll definitely be back! read more

Cute and organized store. Employees seem nice. Would come back to buy the plushies. They also have a variety for all games despite being a smaller store. read more

The Experience Share - Pokemon plushie - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

Just wanted to share my experience with this place. Back in late June, I dropped off a box with some old consoles and games--Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, a Sega Dreamcast, and a Super Nintendo. The owner told me they'd call within two days with a quote after checking them out. Well, two days passed--no call. I tried calling them myself, but they ignored my number. A couple weeks later, I stopped by in person and asked one of the employees for an update. All they said was, "We have over 8 boxes to go through, including yours." At that point, I felt like it was a waste of time. If they had just picked up the phone, I wouldn't have needed to show up. So I let another month go by. Eventually, I called again--this time from a different number--and they actually answered. I asked about my box, and one of the female managers said, "Oh, we're ready to purchase your games. Not sure why nobody reached out to you?" It had been over a month by then. I told her I wasn't interested anymore and just wanted to pick up my stuff. I went the following week to grab the box, trusting everything was still there. But when I got home and looked through it, my Super Nintendo was missing. I called them again using a different number. The manager I spoke to didn't have a clear answer and passed the phone to the owner. I asked him about the missing console, and his reply was, "There was never any Super Nintendo in the box." At that point, I just said thanks and hung up. Honestly, be careful if you're thinking about selling or trading stuff with this store. I'd suggest just buy what you want and leave it at that. Selling or trading there? Not worth it. They lowball offers and tax hard on their own inventory. Poor customer service, and yeah--they stole from me. It wasn't about the value of the Super Nintendo--I can replace that. It's about the principle. Trust and honesty went right out the window. Thanks for reading; they steal at that store. read more

The coolest and cutest store ever!! They have so many variety of games, plushies, trinkets, even snacks! It was unexpected of how much I enjoyed this store. Even if you're not looking to purchase anything, walking around this store was a delight. It's like a time capsule for games. Workers here are also very nice. Highly recommend coming here! read more

See all

The Experience Share is awesome and I'm so glad to have a store like this in Alameda. It reminds me of the game shops I used to visit as a kid, and now I get to share that kind of experience with my kid (who loves this store as well). Plus, their merch is really cool. My kid and I both have the t-shirts. read more

Great shop! Employees know they're stuff. Things are priced fairly too. I come in now and again to see what they got in stock.

This gives me local GameStop but so much better vibes. The people here are very friendly and quite helpful with information. You can tell that the people that work there have a wide variety of passions and interests relating to video games and collectibles of all genre types. If you are looking for a nostalgia trip this is the place. There are also lots of new titles from recent releases as well. It has a really great variety of used games. If you ever had an old console that you want to buy games for this place is worth checking out. If you like collecting Pokémon plush, also a great place to check out. This place also offers repairs of old consoles and they also sell spare parts. I haven't tried it but it's also worth asking them. A few folks working there have tinkerer mentalities and seem quite knowledgeable. I asked about repairing an old game boy with corroded battery. Right now Pokémon cards are a hot buy with the recent Pokémon surge and they sell them here, there's smaller packs that can be purchased as well as booster packs. The folks there are quite helpful, if you are a parent that needs help buying Pokémon cards they're quite friendly and may offer an idea of what to potentially buy, these cards are all random so they may not get their favorite Pokémon or it may not be as available. read more

Absolute gem of Alameda. Love this store, their stock, and all of the wonderful people I've met that work there. Have made multiple purchases and everything has been smooth, and even the one time there was a very minor issue they quickly rectified the situation with professional and friendly customer service. I try and make a weekly trip into the store and will continue to do so for a lifetime. Thank you for creating such a wonderful space and please support them! read more

The Experience Share - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

Came here to browse Switch games, and was delighted by the vintage (and in great condition) consoles, games, and accessories. I love the plushie wall and the classic arcade games. The employees were kind, attentive and helpful. A cozy little store packed with nostalgia and things for the now. Will definitely return when I'm ready for new Switch games! read more

Our PS3 broke. They always do. I know, I know, it's 2023... why do we have a PS3 still? We used it to watch Blu-Rays (I know, I know, it's 2023). We have a 7 yo who discovered the miracle of video games at the bowling alley and my husband decided to introduce her to the other miracle of in-home video gaming. Lots of joy ensued, it's a family affair. Then, as they all do the PS3 stopped working reliably. I searched for a repair place, and low and behold The Experience Share popped up. We've walked our dog past for years. I called. Their repair person doesn't fix PS3s (too hard to take apart and get back together), but they do sell used consoles at VERY reasonable prices. We walked over on a Saturday night to a store filled with customers. It was such a great experience. We got our PS3, and walked home. Now we're all set up to continue playing the racing and demolition games our 7 yo has grown to love. This place is an absolute gem. I'm sure we'll be back for lots more games over the years. Thanks a ton! read more

I've been slowly getting into vintage gaming a bit more. I've occasionally been visiting Phoenix games and this little store whenever I have the change. Honestly, this little store is amazing. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Their prices are extremely reasonable. I picked up my N64 for well below eBay prices. A lot of their non rare games are priced below what you would pay at a flea market (especially given everyone believes every vintage game is worth a fortune these days). read more

The Experience Share - Storefront - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

I cannot recommend this place enough. I came in to sell my old games instead of going to DKOldies after all of the controversy, and boy was I glad I did. The staff were all super friendly and patient. The store itself has a very friendly atmosphere and is really clean too! They took a little while to test my games so be aware of that, but I cannot blame them for that. They do a thorough job and really treat each customer with upmost care and attention so just know when it's your turn after waiting they'll do the same. Shoutout to Hiroshi and honestly the rest of the staff as well for the great service. Everyone here really seem to enjoy their job, it's amazing. The only thing I'd say is to be aware that there is only street parking, so be prepared for that. But even that is not their fault. Overall, I will definitely be back and recommend this place to everyone. read more

The staff here is completely rude, standoffish, and disrespectful, to the point that I don't think I could give this store another try, even if I wanted to. I was the only customer in the store throughout my entire experience and I was never once greeted or acknowledged to the point that I was almost convinced that I was a ghost walking through the store. I came in fully intending to buy a used Nintendo DS and some games for the nostalgia but I couldn't even get one single staff member (of the THREE working there) to even look at me. I tried to ask questions about the games and devices on display but getting a vocal reply from a staff member felt like I was pulling teeth. I'm genuinely so surprised, and almost appalled, by all the positive reviews for this store because the treatment I received was no where near what all these other reviews are saying. read more

This place rocks! Great selection of games, with some other fun merch. They have half a dozen kiosks on free play, very fun. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I sold my Dreamcast games and got a fair price. Highly recommend. read more

They expanded! The place has plushies, more games on display, 2-3 arcade machines. Place looks great. Pros: great selection of games. Especially imported games. Large amiibo selection too. Prices are great (imo). Owner and staff are super nice and friendly. AND knowledgeable on new and retro games. Games are cleaned and pristine condition. I have never seen a grimy looking game on their floor (no matter how old the title is) Cons: you may have some difficulty looking for parking on a busy day. Although I have been lucky to always find street parking. Overall, a must go for every gamer. Wished I live closer to check this shop out more often. But I do try to visit every 2-3 months. I always find a rare gem at each visit. :) and never leave the store empty-handed read more

In the year 2023, after the retail world had already been decimated by online shopping before a pandemic showed up to make things *really* hard, it's more important than ever to appreciate and buy from true indie retail stores. With that said, it's basically a freaking miracle that a shop like The Experience Share has appeared in Alameda. The staff are universally friendly, knowledgeable and supportive, and their selection of recent + vintage games is honestly astonishing. I'm a serious collector of vintage video games and computers, and I've been beyond impressed by the selection of items and welcoming vibes of this shop. Also worth noting: when I've stopped in with my son (currently 12-going-on-13), the staff treated him with warmth and respect, answering his questions and encouraging his enthusiasm. Having seen his feelings get hurt while shopping at big corporate game stores previously, it feels great to know that he'll be treated as a valued customer at The Experience Share despite his younger age. If you love video games and love being treated well by awesome folks, there is literally nowhere better for you to go in the Bay! read more

I stopped by today for the first time..Wow! It's a refreshing blast from the past, The staff was awesome and the inventory and knowledge of games was great! Looking forward to going back very soon. read more

The Experience Share - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

Love this store. I was blown away by the quality of the titles they had and the amount of Japanese imports that were available. I prefer the art on imports and I don't often see that many offline. I was excited when the owner also pulled out an all in one cartridge for the Sega Saturn to play imports. I was dreading ordering that online cause i knew it would take monthssss to arrive from one site in particular and at the same price. I also got a copy of NiGHTS into Dreams for $17.99! I was happy to have picked this up here and can't wait to come back to pick up more as a new sega saturn owner. read more

The Experience Share - Sega Saturn all in one cartridge and NiGHTS into dreams - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

See all

Where to begin with this amazing store. First is the location is great and the inside is clean and easy to find games of ANY kind/era. But what I love about the store is the staff and owner. They're always open and happy to help out. They're trade in amounts are better than GS. They're prices are always about what you would find on eBay but without the waiting and hoping the seller is legit. I traded in systems and games there and recently bought an Xbox one x as I thought it would compliment my PS5. Sadly the XBOX was not in working order. The staff was helpful as all heck and working with me to get the best result in the store. Even the owner helped out on the best way to return the item and even upgrade with my previous trades. Long story short. If you want games of ANY era, come here!! Everyone is fun, there's so much to choose from and it is worth it to come here wherever you are. It is my go to place for games over GS, Amazon, WalMart. Whatever. The Experience in Alameda is worth every penny and time you have available. read more

Love love love. This store has been nothing but amazing to me. Ive traded in a shit ton of my games and they give me honest and fair prices for everything. I have been able to buy / get ps3 games that I missed out on as a child because my mom wouldn't let me cop M rated games. They also sometimes have japanese imports which can be played on a ps3!!! Please do business with them they're awesome!! read more

See all

I think its about time that I start writing something about The Experience Share as I've been coming here since probably February of 2022. I love this place and how kind and informative the owners are to their regulars. Whenever I visit from Washington, I make sure to at least stop once or twice to the store and say hi to Marvel. Even when I'm in Washington and I see something on instagram come in or if I have a question about an item that I'm looking for and he has it, he'll put it on hold till my partner comes and picks it up. I'm more willing to come find and buy a game at his store than others out there. Pricing wise, mostly everything is at a good deal. They also have a good selection of retro games and a variety of hardware to sell as well. I haven't gone in once and said "oh wow, that's way over priced." Some prices on items, especially the most sought after, are at least ebay price. I have never felt like I was being ripped off by anyone at The Experience Share. They also have an awesome modder and repair guy @hyperbeamlabs who regularly comes and picks up consoles and items that need repair or modding. To have all of that in the Bay Area is such a blessing tbh. 100% this place has my business for the remainder of my life. I have nothing but immensely love for this place. can't wait to visit next time I'm in the Bay. read more

This is a small local owned retro video game store and I could not be happier to see this in Alameda. The selection rivals any big box store and they are so friendly. They have such cute plushies in the newly expanded part of the store, it looks clean and sleek, and just love taking a walk to come here. I tell all my friends about this place and you should too. Would give more stars if I could. read more

I really enjoy coming to this place. It's very welcoming and the staff is very patient. I've been 3 times and every time feels like I've been coming here for years. If they don't have a game you want, they're very knowledgeable and will suggest something similar. Their establishment is more akin to a boutique than a GameStop. read more

If you are a video game lover this is your spot in Alameda and Oakland. They have everything you could want. New games, Old games, consoles that are hard to find. I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

Great atmosphere for retro gamers! The guy was laid back. I'm assuming he's the owner. It's great to support local game shops. Will be back to buy/sell/trade! read more

See all

The owner who is the most amazing person on this planet has been more than fare and accommodating you can tell he's a great member of the community read more

The Experience Share - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California

When I worked close by I loved this place and would visit often. The staff are clearly passionate about games and are always super nice! They would remember me and greet me by name, which made me feel super welcome. The shop was great for picking up both new and old games, consoles, and Pokémon plushies. They made my holiday and birthday shopping really easy since there was such an impressive selection. I also took my childhood PS2 here to get repaired and it's working like new now. Everything is priced very reasonably as well-- cheaper than if you would try to find things online. I'm really sad I'm not in the area anymore but am definitely still going to visit every now and then because they're that awesome! read more

Been a long time customer of this game store and its been good to me for the most part. It is full-service with repairs and modifications of beloved retro-consoles. Selection is good but it is high traffic; if you see something, get it because it may not be there when you change your mind or go "next time"! Parking may be difficult at times but use side streets. I would have given it 5-stars but sadly over time as it has grown and expanded, I have fallen a bit out of love with the shop. Growing pains I suppose. I have noticed prices have increased quite a bit. I used to not question the reasonableness of prices but now I actively remind myself to always price-check ebay first. This is only after I discovered I overpaid quite a bit on games I bought in recent visits. A lot of the new employees at the store are aloof or standoffish from a customer service point of view. Often times I would ask a question and it would be ignored because the employee behind the counter was gaming. Often times I walk into the store and don't even get greeted when I'm the only customer, including the time I was wearing a T-shirt with the shop's logo and mascot which gets wearers 5% off used games under $50 (a good deal to me). I definitely miss when the shop was smaller before the expansion and when Marvell (the owner) was present at the store, now it seems like he is barely there at least when I visit and the shared experience has taken a bit of a hit. read more

I purchased a nintendo switch here for my kid. Not only did they take care of my kids. But browsing all the cool stuff they have is such fun nastogia. read more

This shop is great. They have a crazy selection of imported retro games unlike anywhere else you'll find, and the workers are super nice and knowledgeable too, so how can you go wrong! I've come by a few times and picked up some classic NES games and their stock is always changing. Pretty small space, but it is crammed full of modern and classic games enough to keep you happy. And if you don't find anything good, you can always just grab a controller and play on some of their display machines. Ever played a Sega Saturn? You can try out their display one. Worth checking out for sure. And support your local gameshop! read more

This is the best video game store I have EVER been to. The insane variety of games, Imported game, consoles, accessories, snacks , plushies and everything that you can imagine was just unbelievable. The service was great I ended up buying a few games one of which the disk was scratched and they resurfaced it for free!!! They could have total just said nothing and sold me a messed up game but they went out of their way to fix it for free. They also had a bunch of sick arcade games and vintage store displays that you can play for free. 100/10 experience will be going back someday soon!!! read more

Really cool store with an amazing selection of vintage games and consoles. These guys are the real deal and will do intricate repairs on old consoles and controllers. I came in to sell my old PS3 and PS4 consoles and games and Marvel was super welcoming, friendly, and gave me a very reasonable price. If you're into gaming history you check this place out. Maybe I'll start playing my old Gameboy just to have a reason to stop by from time to time. read more

A welcome addition to Alameda! Great selection and friendly service. I love shopping here.

Awesome shop love the fact that there's a used video game store in town that also takes preorders on new games read more

The Experience Share - Bought RD2 - Video Game Stores Near Me - Alameda, California