Your Grand Rapids Tabletop Gaming Resource
One of my favorite pastimes is playing tabletop games. From classic card games like euchre and cribbage to more complicated strategy games like Root or Axis and Allies, I enjoy a good game night. It’s a fantastic way to converse with friends and family while having a little friendly competition. It is a large growing sector of people, and in Grand Rapids there are several groups that meet to play, tons of stores to find your favorite games, and plenty of bars that are gaming friendly. Check out our resource below and grab some friends for a game night!
Cafes, Breweries, and Lounges
House Rules: The pioneer in game lounges in Grand Rapids, House Rules is THE place to go for games and drinks. With a library of over 600 games, you’re sure to find one you haven’t played before as well as old favorites. They have self-serve drinks in coolers or a bar with handcrafted drinks from cocktails to coffees and a limited food menu as well. You can check out their full calendar of trivia events, learn to play events, theme game nights and more! If you’re playing a game from their library, there is a small fee to pay.
City Built Brewing: There are a number of breweries in the area that stock games, and City Built is one of them. They have a great atmosphere, food, and drinks to go along with whatever game you want to play, whether it is one you have or one of theirs.
Trail Point Brewing: Located in Allendale, this brewery has some great vibes! They have a good stock of games, beer, and food. During the summer, their outdoor patio is great for relaxing and hanging out.
Coming Soon-Kobold Kitchen: Kobold is coming soon to Creston Heights area and will serve coffee, drinks, food, and have a huge library of games to either play, rent, or buy. There will even be what they call “gametenders” to help recommend games or teach you how to play certain games.
Game Stores
Galactic Toys: The place to go for Pokémon, RPG (Role Playing Game) figurines, and your favorite board game. They stock classics along with new releases. They have three locations-Kentwood, Alpine, and Grand Haven.
The Gamer’s Warf: Located in Wyoming, this store is mostly geared toward Magic the Gathering, TCG (Trading Card Games), Pokémon, and RPG games, but they do have a selection of normal board games as well.
Out of the Box: An absolute treasure trove of games! They have two locations, Zeeland and Holland, but the Zeeland location is the store to check out! They stock new and classic games and have a huge collection of consignment games as well! So when you’re ready to part with a game bring it into their store for instore credit!
Blue Bridge Games: Located on Fulton, Blue Bridge Games is a great visit to pick up that Magic the Gathering deck you’ve been looking for or a new favorite game! They offer memberships to their store where you can then rent games overnight and get other pricing perks.
Sydekick Toys (Grand Haven): A boutique game store on the east side of Grand Haven, it has become a regular hub for TCG, Warhammer, and more game nights. They also have a decent stock of tabletop games of various strategy levels and types of gameplay.
Other Resources
Libraries-Free game rentals: Support your local library and rent a game for free! They have a great variety and more being added all the time! Check events too at your local library for game events!
Communities
Maybe you don’t have a lot of board game friends or are looking to expand your circle, there are dozens of different game communities in Grand Rapids as well as regular game night events!
Good Game GR Discord Server: This group has regular DnD nights and board game nights across Grand Rapids. They also have a Facebook page that you can follow for events and updates.
Facebook Groups: There are multiple Facebook groups in the area that connect gamers together. Here are just a few good ones: West Michigan Board Gamers, Grand Rapids MI Board Gamers, West Michigan West Side Women’s Board Game Group.
Annual Events
Grand Con: A convention dedicated to board games, RPG, TCG, and more! It takes place at DeVos Place and there are thousands of games that you may not be able to find in stores! There are booths from different manufacturers and board game makers, dozens of tables where games are taught and played, and a whole lot more! It’s a great weekend for the gamer to enjoy!
So, what’s your favorite game? Do you have a local hangout spot you like? Let me know below, and keep on gaming!
