The Crypt — Local services in Providence

Great local game store! We swung by during an Arkham Horror card game event, and I liked the vibe and crowd a lot—relaxed, fun, and people were friendly!

The store has several tables for gaming, and the space feels cozy. There are big windows for what looks like great daytime light, and when we went at night, the lights were warm but bright. There was a nice living room feel around the tables, etc.

The selection of board games and accessories is good too. Warhammer is clearly a strength, but other things aren't shortchanged. There was lots of Arkham Horror and D&D stuff, in addition to a wide variety of board games to pick through. Loved all the Thames & Kosmos stuff—their HQ is literally two blocks away at 89 Ship Street! It feels like The Crypt is having fun and experimenting with event ideas because they mentioned maybe doing an Exit game night sometime in the future.

Also the cover charge to play all day is very reasonable, and the discount for service workers and students is thoughtful. I like that the game library for shared use has community donations.

Finally, Ryan was super friendly! I very much appreciated him welcoming us in and giving us the spiel on the layout of the store and what the store is all about. The messaging about inclusivity feels authentic, and that's really nice....

Ryan has cultivated a really great atmosphere for Magic the Gathering, board games, RPG's, and war gaming. He does a great job of making it a safe and welcoming space for people who are chill, by making it clear that assholes are unwelcome.

It has no trace of the "board game store smell" of unwashed dudes in their late teens/early twenties, even when the place is packed. It's a well ventilated and pleasant place to be.

You do have to pay a $10 table fee to play in the space for the day, but rent is expensive. It also encourages people to stick around for a while, and I imagine it filters out trolls.

I've been coming out once a week-ish for a couple months now and it's always been a good time. Come out to visit,...

Really happy I stopped in The Crypt! My husband and I have been to a lot of local game stores and this one definitely ranks in the top tier. The board game selection, while not massive, is very thoughtfully curated. The owner knows lots about the games and was able to answer our questions while also giving us advice and tips to make gameplay more fun. While we didn’t stay to play in store, the shop is such a bright, airy, well kept space. I don’t always feel like I have an interest in posting up to play at a game store, but this is a place I would definitely hang out at. The owner is also very approachable, funny, and overall a good egg. 5/5 stars, will definitely make the trip back from Boston to...