The Compleat Strategist

This place is awesome! My husband and I decided to visit while in NY and we will definitely go back again!

The Complete Strategist is a fantastic game store brimming with TTRPGs, board games, miniatures, and all the accessories you could need. The extensive selection caters to both newcomers and seasoned gamers, ensuring everyone finds something to love. The knowledgeable staff is always ready to offer recommendations and assist with any queries. Our excitement was palpable as we explored the well-organized aisles, discovering new games and old favorites. Whether you're into role-playing, strategy, or miniatures, The Complete Strategist is a must-visit destination for any gaming enthusiast. Highly recommended for its variety, expertise, and welcoming atmosphere.

Amazing, they really got helpful personnel... I got an easy game for my kids with help... Trying to get them into roll playing. And they also got translated games from Swedish. Even Kult... Which you all should try!

Board games for the last-minute board game night and it’s the closest one to Hell’s kitchen. We got there with 30 minutes before they closed and honestly the staff was very helpful. We were able to find the game we wanted and a few new ones however, there were some games they did not have available that I wish they did. I would go back to buy more games. They were very helpful.

I’d seen ads for the Compleat Strategist in Dragon Magazine back in the day, so it was nice to visit when I was in Manhattan. There’s a huge selection of games and friendly staff, but it’s a small space and a little cramped, so not easy to see all they have to offer.

Ok...wow. it's a game store...where you can actually BUY games...not a game store where you play games and they sell a few games on the side, but they have an inventory of about 10 "game" stores...and it's stacked to the ceiling. See pictures for details. Staff is extremely knowledgeable. I listened to several conversations on recommendations for different styles of games. They know their stuff. I highly recommend you move this store from out of the shadow of the Empire State Building down to the Brandon area in FL...just a suggestion. Oh, and if you are in the area, that big building to the west is cool, but not as cool as this little treasure trove of games.

More like the complete game store! It feels like a library of board games ranging from chess and mahjong to D&D and party games. There are stacks and stacks and stacks of board games. A huge section of it are D&D games, expansions, stories, and figurines. The staff are nice and efficient. It’s definitely a cool place to come for your own board game collection.

If you’re a board game enthusiast and in NYC, stop by this store. You will not be disappointed..it was worth the stop in.

This store definitely had evvvverything for tabletop gaming. My son (12) recently got in to Dungeons and Dragons, so he was thrilled with this store. They have an amazing amount of niche board games too. The other customers are always friendly (I've been here a handful of times and people strike up conversations with my son about his games). The staff less so-- I overheard a conversation with a customer who is new in town and trying to find a D&D group. They sort-of said there's a group that meets at the store, but then basically stonewalled him. The prices are higher than what you'd find online or in a chain store, but that is fair for a small shop like this one.

More like the complete game store! It feels like a library of board games ranging from chess and mahjong to D&D and party games. There are stacks and stacks and stacks of board games. A huge section of it are D&D games, expansions, stories, and figurines. The staff are nice and efficient. It's definitely a cool place to come for your own board game collection.

I would like to say something before people go to this store. This store is great I'f you like complex and odd games not to be offensive. But anyways it's time to get to my point if your looking games like, monopoly scrabble clue game of life, sorry, uno, and other games like those you cannot get them here. And every game is far over priced. But the staff was very kind and helpful thanks for reading my review. Have a nice day

I've been going to the Strat on and off since the 90s. But much more so in the last few years since getting back into gaming. To say the selection is large, is a bit of an understatement. It can be quite frankly overwhelming. If you're looking for board games, RPGs, those collectible card games, war games resources and all the minis/paints this is the place to go. If they don't have what you're looking for just ask! They've been able to special order items for me many times over. And the guys behind the counter know their stuff. Have questions about a, or looking for suggestions for a game they've got you covered. Can't find something. They know where it is which quite honestly boggles my mind given how much they have in stock. Best of all, in my opinion they're a LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS. Sadly a dying breed in this city!

Sweet. Merciful. Zeus. I went here about 15 years and I believe it was in a different location. I'm not sure. However. I had to come here since I knew we were coming to NYC. And it was close to the Empire State Building. Went here and I was just overwhelmed. The amount of games.... TTRPG games, books, boardgames, card games... I was in nerd heaven. If I had $1000 to spend, I'd have dropped it so quickly. I found games I never knew existed. Games that I had always wanted but never bought back in the 2000's. Heck, I even found games I had Kickstarted there! The list goes on and on. If we had space in the suitcase, I would have picked up a few books. Sadly, no room. I will return. If you're a TTRPG gamer, this is a must stop spot. Just be prepared to turn your head sideways a lot to read the spines of the books, or dig/pull some out from the bottom shelves to see if they're what you are after.

If you're into tabletop and rpg games, look nowhere else. Love it. It's like an old record or book store but for games.

This shop has existed near to the Empire State building virtually unchanged since the 1970's . It is Nerd-vanna. If you are into tabletop gaming, role play gaming or war gaming this is it. Full stop, the place to make a pilgrimage to. It is what you would expect of a gaming store if you were creating one for a film or novel. Narrow isles and tall shelves crammed with esoteric books and boxes and god knows what, just waiting for initiates of their art to caress them. They have a couple of chairs by the door saying they are for mom's and that is another side of the place. They know they are a niche. If you are not into their product, a mother or sympathetic girlfriend, are set aside out of harm's way if the client's stampede. joking aside If you're looking for gaming stuff this is the place to go. If you don't do gaming, just...wait outside while the geek in your life has a nerdgasm inside. They will appreciate your patience.

It's the last old school game shop in the city that hasn't either switched exclusively to card games or turned into an upscale boardgame cafe. The prices are a little higher than online but they've been here forever and you can get what you need today, also you're supporting local buisness. Also where else are you going to find a place with RIFTS supplements printed in the early 90s. Please mind the isles etiquette. If you need to stop and browse be prepared to press yourself into a bookshelf every few minutes to let someone pass because there is not an extra inch of this place not packed with games.

I ordered a board game recently as a Christmas gift. It was a relatively hard one to find in stock. This store had it on their online store so I was psyched to get it. Unfortunately, it was actually out of stock. They emailed me immediately and apologized for their mistake but let me know the sequel was in stock and would hold it for me for a day if I wanted that instead. Even better, they emailed me shortly after telling me both were in stock and they'd hold onto both them for me so I could decide if I wanted one or the other or both. I ended up with both hard to get games. They went above and beyond with their customer service. Much appreciated especially as everyone is holiday shopping. Would recommend checking here for your board game before looking to big box sites!

Whenever I'm in Manhattan I always like going in. Tons of games stuff jammed everywhere.

They don't have rubic's cube here but basically seems like they have just about every other game or type of game you can imagine. Sooo much variety and inventory crammed in and really well using the space. Feels like a real nyc gem of a local store.

This visit marks almost 40 years since I first set foot in a Compleat Strategist, somewhere in NYC (plus visits to others). The locations may have changed, inventories have definitely changed, but you should know exactly what to expect when you visit one of these stores. It is amazing how they can fill every inch of space with some type of game or fantasy item. You can find just about every variety, from more common family games such as "Yahtzee" or "Monopoly" to the ones you would see at the top of the rankings of websites such as boardgamegeek. And I bet the staff here know immediately where any game about which you inquire would be (take that, amazon warehouse). It's likely you could spend a few $$ more on something here than you might buying it online, but remember that you wouldn't be paying for shipping here, and you are supporting a legendary (in my opinion) game store over its multi-decade existence.

So very helpful I bought a chess clock for my grandson. The Compleat Strategist will have any game you have ever heard of! Great reminder to me of when I shopped for Dungeons and Dragons dice and books years ago when my son was a teen. He still has the dice and books he got there at the West Side Store (sadly closed) This store is the original. Staff so knowledgeable; worth the trip to the East Side.

What a games store used to be and worth giving your patronage to. A vast selection of board, card and role playing games and accessories matched to a team who know their products. In the early 1980s I saw their ads in the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society. Little did I know I would one day be a block away from their store.

I didn't know places like this existed and legit don't know how to describe it. I've never seen so many games before!

Top notch hobby and gaming store. Carries rpg supplies, euro games, miniatures/Warhammer. My interest is historical wargames (gmt/compass etc) and their selection was awesome. Certainly one of the best hobby stores I've ever visited.

Nerd heaven. Whatever fandom you're a part of, you'll likely find it here. I've never seen a larger selection of tabletop RPGs in a brick and mortar shop. As avid D&D players, my boyfriend and I found some great options for books, paints, minis and more. Far more than what we have in our local shop (we were visiting from out of state). The aisles are narrow and products are stacked pretty much floor to ceiling. At first glance, everything might seem unorganized but the staff know where everything is so if you just ask they'll help you find anything specific you're looking for. I love this place. This will be a regular stop whenever I'm in the city.

I live in Ireland but visit the store whenever I'm in NYC - they're always so helpful, friendly and generous with time and advice. On my most recent visit, I'd forgotten to pick up something that was complimentary to the books I'd bought - I emailed weeks later and they were only too happy to help. The problem was resolved within minutes of me sending my email! Some of the best customer service I've experienced. I should add that they have an incredibly varied stock (and can order anything you need) and also offer really good value and prices. 10 out of 10 on all fronts!

Great place that's filled with great stuff from the past and present. I look forward to going here to meet my gaming frenzy.

Now, I am not a gamer by any means. But my husband is so much that it consumes quite a bit of his life and weekend. So we just had to come to this shop. The prices are pretty high, as noted in previous reviews. However, it is a great shop to look at the latest merchandise in person before making the cheaper purchase of that merchandise online. So basically use it for research and then buy it online for much less. For tabletop gamers, it is my womanly understanding that this store is as good as it gets.

This place is fascinating - it's just jam packed from floor to ceiling of almost every game you can think of! And I mean most everything! It's not great for perusing or large groups, since it's pretty packed and the walking space is limited. The most amazing thing to me was that when we asked about an out of print, relatively unpopular board game from the early 90's - the man working there knew exactly what we were talking about!! They sadly didn't have a copy (hence the "most" in most everything), but I was still impressed. Where else could you find that kind of encyclopedic knowledge about board games?! They also came up with some really great recommendations based on the kind of game we were looking for, and most of them were for games we'd never even heard of. If you're looking for something specific or general - I'm sure these people could find it for you.

Great store. Staff were so helpful and the collection is immense. Great experience every time. Don't buy on amazon-go talk to the experts in person and you'll have a better time. Hand sanitizer, masks, etc well done

You know the feel of a used bookstore, with lots of things you had never seen crammed into a tiny space, every nook filled with interesting things? This is the game store equivalent of a used bookstore (though with all new games), an amazing selection of every kind of board game and RPG rulebook, crammed into a small space, including older games we had never seen before. If you're looking for the spacious B&N experience, you'll hate it. If you love the little store where the people know obscure games, and can find it on the shelves, you should go here.

They have a great selection of board and card games, by far the largest collections I've seen. I've bought countless games from here, could stay here all day. My only cons would be the space, the aisles are really thin so it's hard to move around but I can understand that rent in midtown is expensive which would explain how they laid out the floor. Prices are a bit more expensive than amazon but hey, you get it right away. Not the perfect store for board games, but it's probably the most stocked one in the city with pretty exceptional customer service.

I'll start with the good. The store is full of everything. Old, new, discontinued, they have lots. It isn't super overpriced either, which is great. Good luck finding what you need, but it's there. And this is why I'll absolutely never shop here again. The minute I walked in, the lady who works here/owns the store had eyes on me like a hawk. Dirty, accusatory look. Looked me up and down to see what I was carrying, and judged me wholeheartedly. I've never felt so profiled in my entire life. She watched me as I browsed the store. I started getting a little bit of a headache because there was just so much clutter that I couldn't really focus long enough to look around - the walkway is think and the games/books are stacked super high. At one point I just got overwhelmed with it and wanted to just get out - but was looking for some particular things and stayed to look as much as I could. Then the lady saw me trying to put a book back, the shelf was stuffed and because I was carrying a lot, I didn't make it look seamless. She yelled to me while selling something to someone, "Just put the book back on top." I said, sorry, I was just trying to put the book back for you on the shelf and not leave it out." She said, "You're going to end up shoving it in... and damaging the cover, and that would be bad". So I just flat out put the books on the top shelf and was done with that. I was so uncomfortable with her at this point that I just decided to purchase my stuff and leave. She was not friendly in the slightest at the register either just took my stuff without a word. The only thing she said was, "You can insert your card now," and "want a bag?". Left. I'm not one to call racism or stereotyping in the slightest, but this interaction left me extremely uncomfortable and offended. It's sad, because this type of store is my favorite thing in the world, and NYC has pretty much no others. But I'm sorry, I'm going to make it my mission to tell people to Amazon their board games and rpg stuff rather than shop here, because no one should be made to feel this way while shopping. I also know of a franchise that needs to seriously be in this city that would be a better, more organized experience with a wonderful accepting team, and after this I'm going to let them know about the lack of competition out here....because just no. =\ Not going to be cool with this, and not going to ever come in again. Not when she has her little seat right in the front door and can look you up and down the minute you enter. Ugh, just....no. First time ever, and this is the last time I hold my tongue to someone. And the store is cluttered and confusing....so....just order your stuff unless you're bored, want to find random items, and be discriminated against while you're at it.

How do you rub a business when you're never open? Closed by 6, most people don't even get out of work till 6. Totally ridiculous.

My boyfriend is a big board and tabletop game fan and this place was heaven for him! I had read about it on here and didn't tell him all that much about it just wrote it in the itinerary and told him we HAD to go. He was not disappointed! Board games stacked to the ceiling, literally! He had to calm down the buying, reminding himself that everything had to be lugged home! Really great store and they had an Edge of the Empire tournament going on that day... Probably a good thing we didn't know about it beforehand cause we probably would have been there all day! Fantastic store! If you're a gamer this place is a MUST!

Huge selection of games in NYC. Hard to find the same variety in any other store in the city. In my experience the staff has been knowledgeable and friendly.

Excellent selection, but will burn through your wallet! The Compleat Strategist lives up to its name by being the most complete selection of board, card, and pen and paper games. If it's analog, they got it. Looking for the newest expansions to Munchkin? They got it. Need an obscure European game about bean farming? They got it. Need to buy out of date Hero Clix from Gears of War, Street Fighter, and Pacific Rim? They got it. Just don't expect them to have it for cheap, as the great selection comes at a high price. If you know what you want and don't have a lot of money to spend, I would recommend shopping online. But if you're looking for some gaming rarities or simply need a new game NOW and you don't mind paying a little extra, then this is your one stop shop for your gaming needs.

This store has a great selection, but it's dangerous to enter in search of a specific, relatively obscure game; they've been out of stock of my preferred game a couple times. But I've never left empty-handed, and I'm pretty sure they'll special order an item for you. The staff will begrudgingly, condescendingly help you find something if you ask. I once searched the whole store (all relevant sections) for a game, came up short, and asked the nearest employee if they carried the game. He rolled his eyes at me, then removed a few games from a shelf to reveal a second row of games, which is where my game--the only box in stock--was hidden. He then rolled his eyes again for good measure and resumed stocking, never uttering a word. So if you want to be helped without being judged and mocked, you'd better check every box in the store, even the ones hidden behind other games and the ones that take a ladder to reach. I don't really come here for the customer service, though, so I won't even dock a star. I sort of find their sassiness endearing. And I appreciate having a brick-and-mortar game store a 2-minute walk from my office, so even though games are cheaper on Amazon, I've only bought games here since I discovered this place.

They are definitely the most stocked board game store in Manhattan, but just call ahead to see if they have the particular item you want. My friend got me a gift certificate and they gave him a hard time about the receipt (which was needed on his part). Kind of weird. Anyway, just saying!

I played D&D as a teenager, and if I had known about this place while I was in high school, my friends and I would have spent hours in here. If you are into role-playing, military & strategy games, The Compleat Strategist is THE place to go. The store isn't really big, but it is packed. They have everything from books, multi-sided dice, several versions of Risk (Doctor Who, Walking Dead, Game of Thrones), to figures of D&D monsters and characters and small replicas of Star Trek starships (I was so tempted to buy a bunch of those!!!). Personally, I enjoyed looking through the various military books, with books on Roman legions, Napoleonic troops, the samurai, and other historical armies. I also felt nostalgic looking at the latest D&D Monster Manual. :-)

They have all the games of your competitive dreams are made of. We spent a long time just browsing. We had read reviews about the staff. Truthfully, we did not ask any questions, so we have nothing to say of their condescension; however, we did overhear (mostly because he was yelling and everyone in the store could) the manager yelling at one of the workers. He seemed like a cruel dad belittling his son for being lazy. It was weird, and we wanted to tell the guy that he could get a job where that didn't happen. For products, it's a must go. If it's great service you're looking for, you're in the wrong place.

This place has been here for decades and I've visited it for decades. So the best thing? Its selection is crazy good. Harder to find another gaming store in US that has this kind of selection. So the worst thing? It's an old school gaming store and games and books are crammed along shelves and makes the store feel very unwelcoming especially to people who aren't gamer geeks. Now the guys who work here are pretty friendly towards customers and will help the best they can for people who don't know anything but the store can still be really intimidating for non-gamers. We live in a new era of games now and this kind of store is pretty much obsolete though at the same time, it's hard to afford space in Manhattan so I understand.

To all the men out there that have sat like a lost soul on the bench at a Victoria's Secret, or any female clothing store - I now understand your pain....and I'm sorry. I sat on one of the wooden chairs right by the front entrance to this place after only walking around for ten minutes with my now fiance; it was a nerd-gasm he was about to experience, and I wanted to just watch. This place is CRAMMED with fantasy games, cards, books, models, paint by number pieces, and the list goes on and on. It was so quiet, it was like a church. Guys were kneeling in the aisles as they were pouring over the newest releases; I was amazed. This place smells like new book smell; you know what I'm talking about. There's only one cash register in the front, and there's a back room that apparently lets groups hold tournaments for Magic and even Game of Thrones. Would I come back? If it makes my beau happy - sure! But for me? I will be sitting on the wooden chair..just smiling and shaking my head.

I went for the first time today looking for a stocking stuffer for my husband and picked a game at random. I went up to the old man at the counter and said "Is this fun?!?!" and he said "Yes." Then he begrudgingly added, "It's a game of deception." And I said in my sunniest voice, "Oh good! My husband and I love to lie to each other." He said, "You can't play it with two people." Never cracked a smile. I love this store and will be back frequently. PS. I just looked at the back of the box and you actually CAN play it with two, which makes me like that guy even more.

I haven't been to the place for a long time. The staff are great and friendly. I love the place, because I always can find something new here.

Niche shops like the Compleat Strategist are what I live for. In a town of quickly diminishing hobby shops or anything that doesn't have to do with high-end boutiques, it's cool to see people in Jon Green suits or cargo pants browsing the aisles for a good board game. Board games certainly even the playing field. Technology has taken many leaps over the years but the tangible feeling of throwing dice and commiserating with friends has not, and Compleat Strategist has what it takes to embrace your social circle. They are literally floor to ceiling with board games. Risk, dungeons and dragons, clue; pretty much anything you can think of. I came in originally looking for PIT, which is a game loosely based on stocks and commodity value that my cousins and I used to play. Of course they had it, but I was looking for the original one with the different illustrations, but they deal with newer product. Otherwise, this is a great shop if you're expecting guests in town and it's right near Penn Station which is convenient.

Went there to get a gift and haven't been to a strategy store in some time. Decades actually....but I got into the mode and even though I went for a gift I left wanting to go back and get back to it. Geeks or whatever you want to call people who play it..call me one cause I'm going back and will be purchasing some things for myself. The people at the store were helpful, broke down the science of figures and what miniatures can and can't do. I had no idea how deep it's gotten. But my over all experience was pleasant and actually relaxing. Thanks..and if you ever wonder or want information..they know their stuff.

It's the most reliable and comprehensive gaming store in New York City! If it's remotely new, the Strat has it. You're not going to get discounts or special treatment here, but you will get the game you want, on time. They're also incredibly consistent with pre-orders, unlike, well, every other FLGS in the city. I think the best part of the store, however, is the deep selection. The store is really stuffed to the gills, so go in with an open mind and a browser window opened to BoardGameGeek!

This place has a ton of stuff. The walls are bursting with games. I came in looking for something in particular. A board game that also has quite a few expansion sets. After looking around a bit I was only able to find the latest expansion. The guy who worked there was very helpful though. He explained how packed the store was, which it is. He told me that they have an offsite warehouse and he could check on anything I wanted. He could have the game by the next day. If I wanted it shipped, they do no charge shipping. It's a great store to find all kinds of games. In fact, I plan on going back to grab another game I was looking at. I suggest if you want something that's a bit older, try calling first.

I used to order from their ad in the back of Dragon Magazine in the late 80s when I lived outside of NYC, and I always wanted to visit the store. After six years of living in NYC, I finally caught them open at 10:35 am this morning. My wife and I were the only ones in the store, and I thought it would be great to look at the selection of games and accessories (what I seen was great). However, the staff was unhelpful and seemed timid. The gentleman stocking the store rode in my back pocket reaching around and over me like an octopus throwing clam shells (I went to the other isle over, and it was like he was velcroed to my back). I thanked them for running me out of the store with their standoffish demeanor, went home, and ordered several rpg items off the Internet. In short, if you know what you want, where it is in the store, and are running in and out like grabbing a slice of pizza, it's probably fine. If you want to browse and read the backs of the product, etc, do it at home because you're wasting your time heading to this store.

Think of a store with 10 board games and merchandise Think of a store with 25 board games and merchandise Think of a store with 50 board games and merchandise Etc Etc Etc I would continue but it would take another 50 hours to write the rest. Way too much stuff here. Way too much. And the people here are really nice. I can't really give it a bad review.

Excellent hobby shop, lots of stuff in their inventory of all genres, also excellent customer service. Only downside, you pay full price plus tax. But hey whenever I go to NYC, I make it a pilgrimage to go to this store which is probably the oldest board RPG hobby shop in the city and one of the oldest in the world.

This is a Nerd's paradise! A small narrow store crammed full of card and board games. With classics such a magic the gathering, monopoly and just about every other popular and downright obscure game. They've got other newer popular games like ticket to ride and munchkin! Lots and lots of different iterations of munchkin. If you're looking for some low tech fun, this is where you will find it.

The pros: They seem to have everything game (well non-video game)-related. See pictures. This place (http://www.thecompleatstrategist.com/) saved me in a pinch-- I was the designated game-bringer for game night and was without a game. I really think this place is literally the only place on the island that heard of and was in stock of Ticket to Ride (http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/). The cons: ...Because they know they are the only place around their prices are markedly higher than say what you would find if you didn't have to shotgun purchase a game the day of game night. Also, while the shopkeepers were great and the majority of patrons were very accommodating despite we walking around with my big purse with my laptop in it through the narrow aisle... one dude (and I do not exaggerate) grunted at me. =P Bugger to you, man!

A fantastic games shop, The Compleat Strategist. Shelves and shelves of games. Board games and puzzles. Stacked high, literally. Every single wall had shelves installed. And all down the narrow room that is the shop was more shelving in the middle, with games and paraphernalia on display on either side. We must have spent 1-2 hours perusing their wares. There's was a team off about four staff working busily away. Some striding this way and that constantly, going about their day. That said, they were very approachable when we asked for some recommendations. Believe me, it was difficult to decide what to buy, there was so much on offer here. They asked us what games we already played and liked, then made some great suggestions. We left with three games. If we had the funds and the suitcase space, believe me we would have bought more. Highly recommended.

The kind of cramped, heavily stocked game shop that takes me back to my childhood. Incredible range of games here, and the staff are helpful and knowledgeable without being pushy. Looking forward to spending an entire day here in the future.

This place has an amazing selection of new and old and very old games. now I have went there for about 10 years and about once ever of those years why you ask? because they owner and staff I think in my option are probably one of the most rudest ppl i have met. why cause it's nyc? no excuse I have found another gaming spot thank god so I don't need to goto that smelly place again, there's this one spot that every year I went kept smelling worse and worse of BO. I don't know why but that shit should have been fixed by now also fix those steps!

Update from a previous Five-star review: It is incredibly important to support hobby stores like the Compleat Strategist - given the choice, I will spend the extra buck to keep a store like this alive rather than ordering online. HOWEVER: The hobby store in question needs to meet its customers half way. When your store hours on Yelp and in your door say "Open until 9pm on Thursdays" you MUST honor that promise. I reserved a 2 hour block of my evening to journey to your store and give you my money. Imagine my disappointment and indignation upon finding you inexplicably closed. This is NOT professional behavior.