Chicagoland Games Dice Dojo

I was in awe of this store! I browsed for a while and made a little pile of things I wanted, all the while their friendly staff were helpful and sociable. It was tough making a decision because they had such a GREAT selection. I also struck up a conversation with a few other friendly customers who seemed to be having a good time shopping, not to mention the tables devoted to gameplay which were packed. All good vibes in this place!

This store offers a wide variety of games, from tabletop board games to trading card games, with plenty of space to sit and play. In the corner, there’s a laptop available for browsing the store’s electronic catalog. They carry including but not limited to… Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, One Piece, Flesh and Blood, Warhammer, and more—all supported by a friendly and welcoming staff.

Great collection of games. There’s a board game night every Wednesdays and the people are so nice and easy to play with.

Such a cute board game place!! They have lots of events and a HUGE selection of games. The owner is really nice, works there and has tried almost event game. Go in and they'll help you find the right game for any occasion. They also have an area on the side where they have a huge board game wall to play from.

It was a true pleasure to do business with Chicagoland Games. I'm located several hundred miles away and reached out about a card I was interested in. They responded quickly, professionally, and gave me the confidence to pull the trigger on the order. Thank you very much to Chicagoland and to Matt!

Great selection of mtg, warhammer and other collectables/cards. The staff was super friendly and easily helped me with my questions. I recommend checking this café out.

Chicagoland games dice dojo offers parking directly in front on Broadway with easy access for wheelchairs. Employees are kind and respectful. The interior of the store has a very unique vibe. Large lot of unique products available. Great place to stop by if you are new to tabletop games since it has so much variety. I highly recommended this location for competitive and casual playing. This is a great location for all your gaming needs. Large collection of magic the gathering, pokémon, board games, models and supplies. I was able to pick up my hero academia for a great price. Store is not overpriced.

Brought my son, 5, to play at the Pokemon junior club. I was worried he’d be with older kids and wouldn’t be included since he’s a beginner, but one of the staff members there walked him through everything and was so kind and helpful! I was so impressed with how generous and inclusive everyone was. Will definitely be going back - even if I was one of only two moms there! 😆

Stopped by a few times and they have a great selection of games and some mini-figures for Warhammer, etc. It looks like the host games which is cool. The prices seem pretty reasonable, definitely suggest stopping by even if you just browse.

Awesome selection, standard pricing. Lots of game variations! Great, friendly staff! Lots of opportunities for game play, painting classes, etc. Loads of games (huge wall to the ceiling) with board games to try before you buy.

I went in a couple days ago and bought a couple gemstone dice as gifts. When I opened them, one was chipped and they were happy to exchange it, displaying their exceptional customer service. Everyone was very nice, professional, and knowledgeable on any questions I asked. Their store is full of any casual or serious board game you can think of, as well as miniatures, and supplies to paint them. Overall, it's a very nice store with good prices and I recommend anyone go there for any board game related needs. 10/10 experience overall!

The selection is pretty good. LOTS of singles for deck building. Stocked up on precons and packs. Decent space to find games on the scheduled nights. But a huge red flag for me is the costumer service. My god, is it awful. You'll get someone one day that is super helpful and very informative on any questions you may have. Then there's the ones that look and act like they want to be anywhere else but there. Sighs, attitude, and patronizing tones when giving any answers. MTG is a social experience and some workers here lack the skills to make communication feel good. Half the time, the place leaves a bad taste in your mouth in terms of employee interaction. I'm questioning if it's even worth going here anymore. This sucks because the place used to be very cool.

Really incredible shop, so many board games to try out! I have been here a few times just to look around but never purchased anything until today. I did call the shop a day earlier asking if they purchased something and the person on the phone was very helpful. I can see how this place has a super high rating. You will likely meet a bunch of cool people into a shared hobby. Anyway, bought a Warhammer 40k kill team pack for $75, it's currently $63 online (plus I could get an extra 5% off using a store card). Figured might as well support this awesome shop and had an itch to mess with the model kit :) When I had my stuff ready for purchase I walked up to the register and put it on the counter. The employee was hunched over and appeared to be playing a game on his phone. After 5 seconds without him even looking up I said "I'm ready". Without saying anything he began to ring up the items and let me know how to pay with my CC. Then all he said was "you're finished". No receipt was given to me and had to ask for a bag. It was a strange interaction and felt like I was bothering someone who was more interested in playing some trash mobile game. Second guy came over about the time when I had asked for the bag and he really had a much more friendly vibe. He actually handed the bag to me because the other person immediately went back to their mobile game. Maybe phone dude had a crappy day or he just loves his mobile game, dunno. Should probably encourage cashiers to be at least a little more engaged. Obviously I'm excited about the idea of a local game shop and want to support it. But this had me asking myself why bother.

Huge selection! Was running to board game party and the team was able to quickly help me find what I needed!

I've been here to buy some games, and generally found something I wanted. I haven't been to the board game night, which has piqued my interest but never made it there. They have a humongous board game library and a large play area--there are entire shops in the Chicago area that have the same amount of space as this store does just for playing, so that's pretty cool. Like many game stores, their major trade is in cards--Magic cards, etc. My understanding is that that's where game stores tend to make the most money, so makes sense, and luckily this place has a pretty large board game selection as well. You'll find things for game lovers along the whole spectrum here, from Root, Vindication, etc. to TTR, Carcassone, etc. Unfortunately, they don't buy board games. That note on their website that they're "always buying, trading, and selling"? That's apparently for Magic cards only. Boo.

Great hangout! HUUUUGE wall o games you can play for free to determine whether or not you want to buy. Or...if you're like me, come spend a day and play with a group of friends. Or make new friends! They've got drop in adventures of D&D on Saturdays. They've got a constant stream of Magic The Gathering tournaments and stuff. Since covid they no longer welcome food or open (non-resealable) drinks, which is fine by me. Masks aren't enforced (which is not so great by me), but "encouraged" (ok, ok) I love this place. I wish their south side location had been as cool and had flourished because the only part that sucks for me personally is how far I have to come to get there. The store is very well kept and has a lot of great games and components for purchase. I don't know what more can be said, this is one of my favorite places in Chicago and I've never really seen any place quite like it!

They have a lot of games in stock. Prices are fair for getting your board game right away. Staff is very helpful. I wish they were closer to me on the southside of chicago.

The Dice Dojo is the place for board games, card games and role playings games. There is a board game library that you can borrow nearly any game and play (in store) before you buy. They have an events calendar at their website that includes official tournaments (for games like magic) and all sorts of events for young/old. A great source of community for anyone into tabletop gaming!

BYOB and endless games to choose from. This place is a gem! Almost a little overwhelming with the amount of choices... we went with classic Yahtzee but you could easily spend all day in there trying new games.

Friendliest environment ever. If you're intimidated by board games as a lot of people may be, this would be a perfect place to try and break that barrier. You can definitely make new friends here too! ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 10/10 Friendly place. Nice storefront. Nice back area with shelves and shelves of every board game you could possibly want to play. There's a basement too for more private play. Excellent place. SERVICE: 10/10 Staff is super friendly and very helpful. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 10/10 Sadly, it's a little far for me now to go, but I'd definitely go here when and if I could again and again. OVERALL: 10/10

Woah! This place was absolutely amazing! They have so many games, popular games, expansion packs/ sisters to popular games, and so many hame I've never even heard of. If you are looking for a unique board or card game that you can't find at the big box stores, this is your place. The worst part about this place is that you can get caught in a time warp just browsing all the games. They have a connected room where they sell discounted games and have game days where people can come play. The employees were really friendly and helpful, but not overbearing or hovering. I would say this place is a little more on the pricey side, but hey, who doesn't love to support small businesses.

Great selection. Pricing appeared very fair. We paid less to buy games here that we could immediately enjoy or gift than we would have had we ordered them online. Staff knowledge is siloed so call ahead if you want to know what days the engine building person works or someone who specializes in war strategy games. We talked to a person who loved deck building games and purchased his recent favorite game. He was able to speak in general terms about engine building games. They had multiple copies of Wingspan for $60! They had a Twilight Struggle. They deck game They had a lot of stock. No obvious games playing room nor practice areas. No obvious open table space. They used to have playing opportunities on Saturdays, pre-pandemic. For the pandemic: staff socially distances and wears masks. It's a big open space, albeit with stock on the floor. It was not crowded during our visit and we did not have to navigate around other clients, though we saw them across the room.

Huge selection of games that one can play for free. Like most places in Chicago, it's a BYOB. I am new to boardgaming and I love this place. There's tons of new and old games, but there's no order to arranging them so they are kinda all over the place and takes a bit of time to find, but they are still good. The games shop is attached to the play area and has shiny new versions of the games.

Super fun place with a huge variety of games, and multiple versions and expansion packs of the same game! They have 3 areas; the store, the board game area, and the wat gaming room downstairs. While most places require you to pay to play, this place allows you to truly demo games for free and for as long as you want. The staff here is friendly and helpful, willing to help you find games but also recommend good games too. If this place was closer I would probably come often. Great vibes!

Y'all are insane, but in a good way. Visited the store on a few occasions and it's really an amazing store. From the helpful employees, to the great selection of games to purchase, to the gaming area - we we're thoroughly impressed. Then, we recently decided to purchase a game from the online store this week (during these hard times) and the quality/speed of the delivery was insane. Granted, the game was about $5 more than you can buy from other sources, but I wanted to support local and the way my order was handled sealed the deal for me to support the store regardless of the price in the future. Thank you all.

a really fun store, excellent service, and they let you play games for free (they have board games you can use and events) and are very relaxed about it. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves board games, I think it would be a fun place to take a tourist with those interests

This place is not only great for board game hobbyists, but I treat it as a "must visit" for out-of-town guests and tourists. The staff are super friendly and helpful for gift and holiday shopping for game enthusiasts, kids, or even something fun for a friend if you're not familiar with the variety of games out there. I don't do tabletop games myself, but a friend of mine always makes a point when visiting to check their Warhammer selection when in the area. The thing that makes it special though is their open play area on Wednesdays. There wall of free-to-play demo games is stuffed to bursting with stuff you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. The sheer quantity is overwhelming too. The wall's got to be 10 feet high by 30 feet long, and stacked with classics like Catan to just truly bizarre, unheard of stuff. The fact you can just roll up, sit down and grab a game for free can't be understated either. Especially with the rise of these yuppie/Brownliner-y "board game cafes" like Bonus Round. With 1/10th of the variety of games, and pay-by-the-hour models, I can't recommend enough coming here instead if you're looking for a fun night out. Props to them for taking the pandemic seriously and putting a mortarium on their BYOB policy. When COVID eventually winds down though, nothing beats a midweek break by grabbing something from the wall, a six-pack from Edgewater Food Wine & Spirits, and tacos from Taquería Uptown across the street.

If you are a table top gamer, this is the place for you. They have a game room and a wide selection of board games, RPG games, and even miniatures. I visit here on every trip to Chicago. Great staff are willing and able to help you find the right game if you need assistance!

What makes Dice Dojo: Chicagoland Games an automatic 5 stars for us is their friendly employees and great customer service. We went there for the first time a few days ago, and upon entry, we were greeted by a cheerful employee. Great selection of board and tabletop games. An entire wall of d&d figurines. Model paints and glues. Neat d&d event going on in the other room that sounded like fun. Couldn't leave without buying a few items xD There was an issue with one of the model painting kits, but they resolved it so well that my fiance and I were both impressed by their customer service. Highly recommend!

I'm not a huge gamer of any sort, so I don't really have much to compare this place to, but I do interact with people and the people here are always super nice and helpful! :) That's basically all I need.

Great selection and friendly team working. Looks like they have a nice gaming space in the back of the store and a regular schedule of activities.

Really great store for Magic! The event space is large, clean, and the bathrooms are well taken care of. The prize support for pre-releases and drafts is very solid and the promo support is fantastic too. The judges who are available are always on point and the events are well run. The foil/junk rare bins available are great, but I haven't bought any singles from them (yet).

Yeah, okay, I admit it, I'm a nerd. I've been playing board games, roleplaying games, card games and video games since...well...since I can remember. I'm not ashamed to say it - I first played Dungeons & Dragons when I was about 8 years old, way back in 1977. Yep, that's about a year after the game came out. I love you Gary Gygax. Does that make me the wise old man, the irreconcilable nerd, the creepy old guy or the tech guy? I don't honestly care. Games have brought me a ton of fun and a ton of friends for most of my life. Seriously, some of my best friends. That sounds even more nerdy than I planned, but blame it on the beer, I am seriously grateful to D&D and other games for some of the best people I know. So, fast forward to now. I move to Chicago and after figuring out the minimal basics of life (where I will live, where I get food, etc), my next priority is "where is the nearest game store?". Naturally, I check Yelp. Sort by highest rating and by closest. And what do I find? Chicagoland games. Yep. The original "Dice Dojo". As a gamer, I love the dice. As a jujutsu instructor, I love the dojo. I gotta go! So I show up - super convenient to the Red Line L train, and a bunch of bus routes. I wander in and start to browse. The staff asks if they can help, but back off and leave me alone when I tell them I'm just browsing. Nice. Sooooo many options! They have a game space where various folks are playing just about any game you can envision. I have yet to take advantage of that, but you can bet I will. They also have the retail space. And that is my playground. All the games I love, and about a million I have never tried. I am in heaven. I only wish I was independently wealthy and had infinite time. But I am not, and I don't. So, for now I will have to be satisfied with the new and old games, and the awesome staff and customers. So many things to try, so many games and books, and so many new friends to make. Dice Dojo, please never change.

I game. A LOT. I spend my extra money on games. A LOT. Three of my friends patronize Dojo weekly for MTG. I know the Dojo owners from a while back in Evanston ceramic classes. Yet here is why I don't go to Dice Dojo, (aka Chicagoland Games), very often, and likely won't come back again soon...: Saturday Night, 7~ish PM; I was greeted when I entered and asked how I could be helped; - so far so good. (Twice before I was not.) I then asked if Dojo purchases MTG cards? (I already know they do from my above friends who play MTG every week, so I was prepared with a binder of things I'm looking to sell or get store credit for.) "Yes, I do." was the reply. Okay, good sign... "Do you have a Buy List?" I asked. "No." was the reply. Okay... Red Flag. (Every store online keeps a buy list, and apps exist for them too: - CoolStuff, CardKingdom, Cardshark, TCG, Channel Fireball, Card Titan, Troll & Toad, Ebay, MTG Goldfish, MTG Familiar, heck - even Past Times has one...) "Do you know which cards Dojo is looking to buy?" I asked. "No." was the reply. (A D20 in my head rolled a 2...) Okay... Red Flag. (Even a Yu-Gi-Oh player should know which hot MTG standard or Modern cards are low in stock at the store...) "Which card (singular) do you want to sell?" I was asked. (That Red Flag just keeps waving, but I paid the meter in full when I parked outside... so I stay just a little longer...) Then I pulled out my binder, followed by a wide-eyed look of shock, a loud, exasperated sigh, and a whine that it would take "at least an hour" to figure out value(s) of card(s) to purchase. "That's why I asked if you have a buy list." I suggested again, hopeful. "No, that's not how we roll." (Your Imperial Pysker rolls a 9. Roll again...) This, followed by a suggestion that I leave my binder full of random decent cards I have admittedly yet to inventory, at the store, over night... (I almost laughed. The guy listening in did too.) Instead I said: Um... Yeah. No Thanks. I'll take my binder now. You can come back tomorrow (Sunday) at 10am and an un-named guy will be here who can help you! (You try to flank, take the AoO, and go to 0 hp. Your first roll to stabilize fails... Maybe you should play Mage Knight.) I didn't look back on my way out. Instead, I went and played MTG at a coffee shop with my friends and told them all about my experience. They confirmed that this is "sadly normal", and that they have had challenges purchasing things, much less selling them. I now know why my friends sell online only, as every store in the Chicago area seems to be totally lacking in basic people and business skills when it comes to buying MTG singles. (Dojo is not alone in this category... maybe they should stop purchasing cards...) Guess I'll go to any one of a dozen online stores to sell them, complete with buy list, grade ranking details, shipping info, and store credit vs. cash options. Last time I did, I used CardKingdom.com - their customer service is also good. C

My little cousin is turning eleven and asked me to be the Dungeon Master of his Dungeons and Dragons birthday party. I said yes with great trepidation because though I have never played the game I am also the only adult in my family who could possibly pull it off. However, all of my experience with playing D&D comes from watching television shows like The IT Crowd, Community, and Freaks and Geeks, so I was plenty worried. Simply put, I am le n00b with the board and die side of things. I do play an online MMORPG, so I'm not totally unfamiliar with the idea of classes, stats, and weaponry but that's about as far as it goes. So I headed to Chicagoland Games to gain some experience points with my young cousins in tow, feeling totally out of my depth in this totally unexplored facet of utter geekery. The guy that worked there was very friendly and helpful, taking me through some of the finer points of the game before setting me up with a starter kit. He also invited me to come to one of their gaming nights so I could play a bit and have someone walk me through what being a Dungeon Master actually entailed. To me, this is above and beyond the gamer call of duty and incredibly great customer service. Also, as a side note, they have a signed picture of Mark Sheppard on their wall. +10 to nerderity and general awesomeness. By the time I walked out, I actually felt like maybe I could pull this off. Of course then I went home and started reading the manuals. Let's just say I'm glad that I'll be able to go back and get some practice in.

I met a bunch of people online recently who suggested we meet here to play some true crime-themed games (if you're brave, I highly recommend this method of making friends), and even before I arrived, I was in love with this place. You're allowed to bring snacks and alcohol, you can play ANY of the games on the wall in the game room, and you're allowed to bring dogs. That last part may be circumstantial, but there were at least two dogs present the day I was there, and it made everything that much more thrilling. I really enjoyed Chicagoland Games because it was unlike any place I've ever been to, and because every single person was friendly. It is my understanding that you can purchase any of the games you play in the game room, but there is also a separate room with brand-new, unopened games as well. The bathrooms are clean and the place doesn't even smell like old, dirty games like I thought it would. *Just being honest! :)* If you're looking for a unique experience for a group, or a way to make new friends, this is a super-cool, colorful, clean place to try out. Honestly, you could even go here for an inexpensive/basically free date.

Dice Dojo the gold standard against which I compare all other board game stores. They have set a mighty high bar. Their game selection is unparalleled. More importantly, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. A number of times I've walked unsure of what exactly I was looking for, and I've always been pleased with what I left with. If you're into Magic or D&D, these guys are great too. Again, the staff knows their stuff, and they host lots of competitive tournaments.

Gem of Chicago for tabletop game players! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! -A large space for FREE game play (excellent for groups!) -Floor-to-ceiling shelving of carefully maintained thousands of board games to choose from (familiar and more niche) -Excellent comprehensive adjacent store with games, cards, figurines, sleeves... all you might need for your own game library and maintenance -Very friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating, organized staff -Extensive calendar of events and tournaments, encouraging community (so, if planning a larger gathering, refer to events calendar and call ahead to confirm space for your party) -Bring your own food and drink, which is great with convenient stores, cafes, and take-out-friendly restaurants in the area -Convenient hours & located right on an el stop (Red Line Bryn Mawr in Edgewater)

Amazing way to discover new games, connect with friends, and do something other than eat or drink. The long hours mean it's a great option for a weekend afternoon, a night after dinner, for a short visit, or for a few hours' stay. So wonderful that you can bring in food and drink-- almost too good to be true! Such a welcoming environment, really inclusive, and the kind of place every city, every town needs more of.

Updating my review - The one (minor) downside I had about this game shop was the tight quarters... well, now that they've moved to the roomy (and gorgeous) new location around the corner on Broadway, I have no complaints!

A lot has changed since the last review I wrote, and I feel it's necessary to update my review for the Dice Dojo. The community there still, in some regards, leaves something to be desired. Lots of very loud people, lots of inconsiderate people, lots of smelly food and music from cell phones in very small areas - but the customer service of the Dojo has really changed for the better and they deserve credit for this from someone who was unapologetically averse. It's clear that they started focusing on customer attention and helping people. It's not perfect, some staff members are more helpful and welcoming than others, but I generally don't mind coming in to buy things here or play games with friends anymore. I can count on the people at the Magic counter to give me friendly chats and conversation around the game if they play (not all do, which is fine) and generally, if you're into something, someone on staff has some knowledge in it and can help you out. Happy to add some more stars to this review.

Chicago is blessed with a world class gaming store in Chicagoland Games. Or is the Dice Dojo? I'm a little unclear. Regardless if you are interested in any kind of tabletop game they have it. It's seriously one of the best and most diverse inventories I've ever seen. They have card and counter wargames, more than I've ever seen outside of a convention. They have minis. Card Games. They have things I've never heard of and a big cabinet of dice by the checkout counter to keep up with their name. Half of the store is given over to a massive playing space, one wall of which is full of loaner boardgames for organized play nights. The space was packed at the time and it's BIG, enough to have a decent sized tournament in. Good selection of small press roleplaying games as well. This is pretty much a one stop shop place for any Chicago area gamers. The location right by the red line cannot be beaten either!

I went back in to get a deck box and was happy walking out this time around. Addy took a decent amount of time explaining certain aspects of MTG to me as a returning old player, and was attentive to my questions, the questions she hadn't already answered before I knew they were questions. The guy behind the counter was also willing to glance through my first modern build and give me a few tips on how to improve it. Both of these things are what I remember from going in to game shops back in the day when people cared. After this experience I'll be back for the Sunday modern night at some point. That being said I'd really like to see some consistency in customer service, which is the role of the retail employee. Been there, done that, and still have a few polos and name tags. You simply can't be rude to customers, and if you don't like something that's said, figuring out a way to address it is exactly the job so you can maintain the relationship and build on it. If you end up butting heads with the general public, perhaps that's not the right place for you. Perhaps it was a one off, but 1/3 ain't good. Time will tell and I will update as I expect to return at some point sooner rather than later now.

I just moved to Chicago and didn't know anyone to play board games with. I heard about this place and love the open table Wednesday. Everyone's nice and inviting and I've always had a good time. I recently got into mini painting and the staff was super helpful in what I needed. Great place, I would recommend it

The staff was very friendly and super helpful with finding ever on my nephew's Xmas list. I'm not a gamer, but if I was I would hang out there .

Great new game store in Chicago! Gamers Paradise was a huge loss to the community and this is the best thing we could have hoped for! This isn't a Spencers Gifts with games, this is a game store with space to play and people to play with. The guys who own the store know their stuff and stock the shop with everything from Scrabble to Kingsburg. They have RPGs, CCGs and Minis too. Also, they're sanctioned for tournaments and have top Chicago players to compete against. All in a all a great game store for Chicago - we needed it.

When searching for good gaming stores With boardgames and Minis galore Plus magic and books, and cool playing nooks: Dice Dojo. You need nothing more!

Here tonight for my second time ever playing Dungeons and Dragons. Nice big side room for gaming, very friendly and encouraging staff! The events are every Monday night with occasional bigger events.

They have a giant selection of board games. If you can't find it here you'd be hard pressed to find it elsewhere. They have a bunch of Magic singles if that's what you're looking for. It always seems like tons of people are playing games no matter what time you come in. They host tons of events. Too many to list. It's super spacious and easy to get to. The only issue I have is that some employees are pretty rude. Not all employees, and it's a crap shoot on which ones will be helpful, but there are a few bad seeds. It seems to be less of an issue if you're a regular but I've definitely seen pretty bad customer service myself.

HUGE selection of games, I found stuff that has been out-of-print for months, and at reasonable prices. Board games, card games, collectibles, Warhammer, expansions, RPG supplies, this store really has something for everyone. The only drawback is that if you don't know to go in the door closer to Bryn Mawr that leads you directly into the game shop, you might enter the Dice Dojo side of the store and have to cross it to get to the goods. They host tournaments in the Dice Dojo side and have play space which is great, but when that room is in action, the place absolutely reeks of unwashed young male. Going in that room as a female elicits reactions ranging from surprise to hostile glaring as well, so they can keep their stink (eyes and smell) to themselves.

Dice Dojo/Chicagoland Games is for anyone who loves card games, board games, dice games, figurines, and game games. We were in here looking for European strategy boardgames for adults, and were met with staff that were super enthusiastic and helpful in recommending a handful of options to start, like Puerto Rico, Dominion, Agricola, Ticket to Ride, etc. The wall of boardgames is immense. I'm pretty sure you could find any board game that is ever made here. We walked out with Caylus for $60. I'm very much for supporting local business so I'll be back, but our game was only $45 on Amazon. The backroom is a games room, where you can come on their game nights and play with other fans, or just try out a game before you buy. Very neat. The game room did seem to be a place where little kids like to hang out and play games with their pals, without parental supervision.

On north Broadway there is a storefront and in this storefront there is a Mecca of Nerdom so immense, so complete and so magnetic it draws geeks from around town to its warm, inviting tables to sit, kibbitz and share in our common activity: rolling dice and being complete dorks. The Dice Dojo is a necessary, vital part of Chicago's teeming gamer scene. Packed wall to wall with every board, card and otherwise geeky game imaginable. If you're looking for -that- expansion of -this- game, odds are they have it or can get it very quickly. Safely ensconced behind a glass case of rare Magic: The Gathering cards sits one of its helpful employees waiting to advise you on a purchase or shoot the breeze over the latest gaming news. This is a literal candy store for nerds and gamer geeks alike. But ho, that's not all. Dice Dojo serves another purpose and that's one of incubating, nurturing and helping the local Chicago gaming scene thrive through its numerous weekly events. Any given night you can find something to do here with friends and strangers gathering to play games together. From complex board games like Battlestar Galactica to good ol' fashioned pen 'n paper Dungeons and Dragons to social games like Are You A Werewolf you can find groups congregating and sharing their love for all things gaming in these hallowed halls. The Dice Dojo is the epicenter of gaming within the Chicagoland borders and deserves nothing less than our financial, spiritual and moral support. Stand behind your store, Chicagoland.

Tonight we were invited to their grand opening by a friend of ours who has haunted their yellow and purple halls since their "opening" on Thursday last. We originally intended just show up to see him, but we wound up having an amazing time! The guys who own and run the place were amazingly inviting and friendly. We actually didn't wind up buying anything due to our enormous couch purchase earlier in the day (see Jeanette D.'s review of Northern Home Furnishings) but had tons of fun meeting new people, learning new games, and checking out their merchandise for the holidays. All we need to do now is go cash in our pennies and dimes and man will they be making bank off of us! They have regular gaming nights that a little bird told me usually go way past closing time and are posted on their website. P.S. Nerd Chicks, this is THE place to go! Surprisingly girl friendly and a good selection of other merchandise, hint hint!

If you even slightly enjoy board games, you should check out Chicagoland Games, otherwise known as the Dice Dojo. But be prepared for a seriously nerdy time. My boyfriend has been going there for several years, and I've been dragged along for many open board game nights. In one half of the store, they have a huge selection of board games to purchase, and on most trips, we've left with a board game to add to his extensive collection. The other half of the store is an open space with many tables set up for tournaments and open board game days/nights. The entire wall is pretty much covered with shelves holding open demo board games to choose from, so you can play almost any game your heart desires. They have an open board game night on Wednesdays, which is BYOB and you can bring/order food. People sure work up an appetite while playing games. Any and all are welcome at the Dice Dojo, and you don't have to make purchases to hang out and play board games there. If you love board games, you know and love the Dice Dojo. If you haven't been, you should definitely check it out. We've converted many people to board game lovers after bringing them to open board game night.

I was really excited when this game store opened a couple blocks from my house. They have an excellent selection of board games, card games and role playing games. The staff is very knowledgeable and will make recommendations for new games based on your current favorites (or your family & friends' favorites). Do not be surprised if the staff members are playing a board game with customers, and don't be surprised if the other customer's are happy to give you recommendations as well. Since I am new to Chicago, I am really enjoying the fact that this store also hosts gaming events and open board game days. I have played several new games here, and the other players were more than happy to explain the rules to a newcomer. I was even invited to play role-playing campaigns despite the fact that I don't have much experience playing these types of games. The store's website has a forum to connect with other players and arrange which games you'd like to play.

This must be board game nirvana. Great selection of board, strategy and deck-building games. I love that they've got a wall of open boxes and a sizable area to test drive games before you buy. Think there were about 5 different games going on when we walked in and about 8 other open tables to join in. The staff were nice and know their stuff with recommendations on the ready. Prices were fair. I'll definitely be back.

I feel bad giving 4, I used to work at a gaming/comics shop in another state..I'm a total nerd and this place I can basically see from my apt. -1 store because I "ordered" something, asked to be called about it, they said they would call me and let me know--2 months go by I stop in and they'd forgotten..that made me angry as it was a gift and I was trying to not use online means to order it (give back to local shops etc). I know oversights like that happen at any store though so it's not personal. They weren't able to get it the next time I came in either so I just went the ebay route. Best part of this place is it is comfortable, people are friendly and also they have great hours. It's also clean, which a lot of gaming shops have that 'funk" I'm sure you're all aware of. My only other grip and why I did go w/the full 4 stars is the prices. Given I used to work at a store I really know this merchandise quite well and I can order most games I can buy there from my old shop, w/out discount and shipped for less than the retial cost on 90% of what they stock. Now I do know that most of the stock is harder to get and distribution issues/the city itself/cost being higher to deliver in city all add up and don't forget rent..but when a game is 50 in shop and I can get it online for 29.99 w/free shipping (this was pretty common) it makes it hard to go along w/that especially in economic times like now.