Feeling a bit restless and cooped up? Busting out a board game (or a card game, puzzle, etc.) can help relieve the winter doldrums. If you’re tired of the dusty Monopoly or Scrabble games you have at home, it might be time to find something new from one of Portland’s many tabletop game shops.
Here are some of the spots PDXtoday City Editor Cambrie recommends:
Cloud Cap Games, 1226 SE Lexington St. | You’ll find tons of shelves stocked with trendy and classic games, or you can trade in one of your old games for store credit. There’s also a library of rental games to try before committing to the price tag.
Puddletown Games & Puzzles, 4120 NE Fremont St. | If you have your heart set on a popular game that’s sold out elsewhere, there’s a good chance you’ll find it here.
Guardian Games, 345 SE Taylor St. | This store has a huge selection for every budget, plus in-store game events and a bar. Staff members are extremely knowledgeable and can help you find the perfect game based on your preferences.
Mox Boarding House, 1938 W. Burnside St. | Hogwarts meets 1920s Paris at this game-shop-restaurant hybrid that’s perfect for a date night or friendly hangout. Borrow a game to play while enjoying food and drinks; you’ll get 15% off the price of a new copy of the same game if you decide to buy it when you’re done eating.
You’ll often find the folks from Portland Game Library at board game nights at Lucky Labrador Brew Pub.
Photo by @portlandgamelibrary
Here’s a tip from a PDXtoday reader: If you don’t want to visit a shop in person, check out the Portland Game Library — a board game rental service with 600+ options. Members will find games for every age, group size, and preference, with new games routinely added to the collection based on community requests.
One more resource is the Library of Things, a collection of objects like board games and DIY kits available at some branches within Washington County Cooperative Library Services.
