“How about a board game?
That was the thought process for a lot of us during the pandemic. Board game popularity soared in 2020, with one manufacturer — Hasbro — reporting an increase of more than 20% in sales in the third quarter alone. And Mattel reported a whopping 48% increase in sales for the first pandemic year.
That’s a lot of Monopoly and Uno, but more involved games are seeing a resurgence, too. Dungeons & Dragons, for example, has been gaining popularity for years and saw a 35% jump in revenue in 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Philadelphia area has long been steeped in geeky culture, board games included. So, if you’re bored with your own board game collection and looking for something new, there’s no time like the present.
Here are a dozen great board game shops in the region, whether you’re looking to lose yourself in a game for a few hours, or something more casual.”
Queen & Rook Game Cafe
This Queen Village cafe is open for dining, and you can choose from some 1,200 games to play while you’re there. If you’re feeling more conservative, you can do pickup or local delivery for games and food, or just head there for a quick in-store browse. It has a wide selection, with everything from Bob Ross-themed Monopoly to more hard core geek culture.
📍 607 S. Second St., 📞 215-995-0043, ✉️ [email protected], 🌐 queenandrookcafe.com, 📷 @queenrookcafe, 🕑 Mon.-Thu. 5-10 p.m., Fri. 5 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
The Philly Game Shop
Philly Game Shop is a “friendly local game shop” (or FLGS, for the uninitiated) in South Philly that aims to be as inclusive as possible because, as they put it online, “tabletop gaming is for everyone.” They focus on all kinds of gaming fare, including board and card games, RPGs, and locally made games — all of which are available for in-store shopping, curbside pickup, local delivery, and nationwide shipping. There’s also limited in-store gaming that can accommodate one four-person table.
📍 519 S. Fifth St., 📞 215-305-9230, ✉️ [email protected], 🌐 phillygameshop.com, 📷 @phillygameshop, 🕑 Mon.-Thurs. noon-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-7 p.m.
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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