8 Spots In The South Bay Every Board Game Lover Must Visit

This premium tabletop game shop is like Disneyland for board gamers. They have one of the most incredible collections of board, card and dice games. Three full shelves of demo copies of games and a number of tables along the side for general gaming make it a gamer’s favorite. They also host casual events between magic variations like Tiny Leaders to a few dedicated DnD tables while larger events are taking place. Isle Of Gamers is open until midnight most nights of the week and until 2 AM on Friday nights.

Isle of Gamers @ Moonlite Shopping Center, 2740 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, USA, +1 408 985 7655

PC café mixed with a console game café, a restaurant and bar – put all these together and you get AFK Gamer Lounge. With around a hundred gaming PCs networked together and online with the most popular games installed and ready to play, AFK is the place to be for the cybernauts. There are a few free-to-play sections and board games you can play around the tables. AFK Gamer Lounge is open until midnight every night and until 2 AM on weekends. The giant Jenga and beer pong on the patio is a fun addition to the whole gaming experience.

AFK Gamer Lounge, 163 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA, USA, +1 408 766 0235

This place is a mecca for avid Magic: the gathering players. The focus is pretty much on MTG, and you can find booster packs from almost every set, even booster boxes, sleeves and buy and sell individual cards. CFGC has a large play area, and there is a tournament almost every day. There are also other deck-building games on sale such as Dominion and Pokémon.

Channel Fireball Game Center, 1650 Coleman Ave, Santa Clara, CA, USA, +1 408 777 8277

The atmosphere here is chilled, relaxed, and the place is filled with plenty of smart people either studying, hanging out or playing board and card games. Visit on Tuesday nights as they present their weekly game night series. Patrons can participate in a range of card and board games while socializing with others. Red Rock Coffee Company is open until 10 PM.

Red Rock Coffee Company, 201 Castro St, Mountain View, CA, USA, +1 650 967 4473

Great assortment of table top games, gaming events, magic tournaments, trading and over ten table to play on, and these aren’t even the best things about Bigger Better Games. What makes this place so awesome is their convenient game rentals section. Bring home their sample games on rent, and upon return, the rent is adjusted if you end up buying the game. They have a good collection of sample games that you can play at their tables.

Bigger Better Games, 43012 Christy St, Fremont, CA, USA, +1 510 573 1445

With an impressive collection of board games, deck-building games, minis and magic cards, Game Kastle is a great place to find other gamers for DnD, Warmachine and Magic. They have a separate room with tables and various terrain boards if you’re interested in playing Warhammer or Warmachine. Check out their events, tournaments and themed table top gaming nights. They organize a game flea market every month where you can buy and sell old games.

Game Kastle, 1350 Coleman Ave, Santa Clara, CA, USA, +1 408 243 4263

The Digital Game Museum showcases the history and culture of video games, gamers, and the game industry. They know all about video games, Fairchild, Atari, Steve Jobs, Xbox, Sega Genesis, consoles, various arcade machines and games, and any video game – any geek worth his salt simply has to visit this museum. The museum is open only on Saturdays between 10 AM and 4 PM.

Digital Game Museum, 3553 Ryder St, Santa Clara, CA, USA, +1 408 610 1444

Legends is the South Bay’s premier location for all things comics, pop culture and gaming. Board game geeks will appreciate the selection they have on hand here. They have a large gaming section where gamers can meet and play games. They also have regular gaming events and tournaments.

Legend Comics And Games, 10123 N Wolfe Rd, Cupertino, CA, USA, +1 408 253 2643
By Priyam Goyal