Game Cafe — Local services in Independence

A decent selection of Wizards of the Coast and Games workshop stuff and a spattering of other brands represented as well. Prices are competitive with other brick and mortar locations but they do not have a even a passable representation of smaller publishers.

My main problem is I have came to this store like 5-7 times now, and generally the interaction is always the same.-

-A regular in for playing magic the gathering stands at the counter talking to the employee's and waxing on lyrically about an anime or some other thing, often awkwardly flirting with the female employee's and those of us who want to just shop/ask questions/or learn more about anything are left on the side lines. and generally either barely acknowledged at all or receive 3-4 word answers to questions that usually to the avail of "Yeah not really sure" and then continue talking to the regular. The absolute worst part of this is that in my latest experience of this there were 3 employees all talking to the same regular while I was waiting to be assisted.... -

I know with game-shops regulars are everything especially if they have a play space where regulars come often, spend loads of cash and hang out/talk.

But as a customer who is trying to find information about paints/dice/game systems or anything you would expect a LGS employee to have insight on, its extremely frustrating to have to be sidelined by someone who is there strictly for social interaction or to buy a single pack of magic cards and then talk about the minutia of a magic system in a specific anime and flirt AT the employees (Specifying this because I fully understand that this is most likely not a great part of the job anyway).

I do not have this issue frankly with any other game store I have been to within the greater KC area. At this point I would rather go somewhere with a worse selection then have to navigate being ignored by the staff in favor...

Being a member of their Yu-Gi-Oh community I have a few things to highlight,

Great Staffing

From interactive staff to heartfelt humans. These individuals break barriers of business to make their customers feel like guests coming over for a game night.

Welcoming atmosphere

The second you walk in, you may not know people are in line. Whereas most would think that is a horrid thing in business places, this is amazing when you're a new person who just wants to play games. There is no anxious environment, simply a bunch of helpful people looking to have a good time (Both staff and customers) a duo that you don't see very often in ANY shop

Affordable pricing/Always in Stock

Being a card game player where certain product is hard to come by, Game cafe always seems to keep what is popular and relevant, IN STOCK! This is CRUCIAL as most times, the players they have coming here are not only competitive, but they're amongst the best in the city. To be great, you need tools. Game Cafe always makes sure people have the tools. And here's the kicker, its always msrp

Family Friendly

Being that I have attended this store since 2018, needless to say, I always feel safe and at home whenever I see Jonathan's and Zoe's face. They have a bunch to deal with but they always manage to keep the environment what it was meant to be. Somewhere you could bring your family. Whether it be for some purchases or to even play a game outside of the HOUSE, the aforementioned individuals as well as their staff, make that happen.

If you are ever in the area and you need a place to hang, play some games, take a load off and goof with friends. Game Cafe @ the square, is a go to. Its kept me going for over 5 years and I can't seem to save money when I walk in. However, I am never upset...

Game cafe offers a safe, welcoming community for all types of gamers. The employees are knowledgeable, friendly, and proactive in solving any issues. D&D is played here on Wednesdays and they have several active Dungeon Masters of various experience levels. If you're interested in another rp game see if the players there are interested in running.

The store sells a wide variety of products but they also have over a wide variety of games you can play in the adjacent gaming room. They have expanded areas upstairs and downstairs for other types of games (like star wars xwing strategy games and smash brothers).

It's important to support your local gaming store because if you're into magic or dungeons and dragons or warhammer 40k or some other random smaller game then you can't just find partners online. If you're a self-proclaimed nerd, give the place a look. You might find your community. If you're not a nerd but just wanna see what it's all about, it won't hurt you to...