Fat Ogre Games & Comics — Local services in Spring

This is a great store overall. It has more than ample space to move about. It has a somewhat good inventory of products, although, it is often lacking in the essential products needed to get new players started on a game.

I have been to a few events at this store and they were run very smoothly with a nice turn out. They have ample table space and a nice selection of terrain to play games with.

The only reason I didn’t give this store 5 stars is due to its lack of customer service. This store is run as a hobby store first and foremost. People who frequent the store seem to get the attention of the store clerks. They make very few attempts to talk to customers browsing products. And even less of an attempt to chat with people who are new to game stores and are looking for a game to start. Although I have heard several more profound stories from others about Fat Ogre not making an attempt to sell product or talk to potential customers, I will instead share my own.

During a tournament that I attended two moms and their 4 kids (teenagers) entered the store to browse. No one from the store talked to them. After about 10 minutes the kids started talking to myself and my opponent. We started explaining the game we were playing, the basic rules, the armies that could be played, and even talked to the moms about the best starter box to purchase to get them started playing the game. After basically “making a sell” for Fat Ogre the moms went looking for the starting boxes we were talking about and Fat Ogre didn’t have any in stock. These two moms who came in expecting to drop several hundreds of dollars on product left empty handed.

This sort of thing seems to happen a lot at Fat Ogre. While it has an OK selection of products it is lacking in starter products and is run more like a hobby store than a retail store. It is geared more towards customers who are already involved in the local game community and not towards...

I have patronized probably a hundred or more gaming stores over the past thirty years in several states and countries, and- while not strictly a game store- Fat Ogre is one of the top ten I have ever been to. I would say top five if they had more rooms dedicated to gaming away from the noise of wargaming, but this is a limitation of their store space rather than a decision by management. The manager is on the ball with customers and makes sure the shop runs smoothly. He is actively involved with the games without compromising his ability to run the store, and addresses concerns promptly and professionally. Unlike 90%+ of game stores I have been to, Fat Ogre has an excellent balance between intelligent business practices and camaraderie with the gaming customers. I have been to many, many game stores that were a blast to play at and buy from, but eventually failed because of poor business savvy or management. Likewise, I have seen a few that were run like well-oiled machines from a fiscal point of view, but had a sterile environment bereft of any sort of sense of fun. Fat Ogre manages to find a decent balance between the two. Because of this, I chose Fat Ogre to playtest the table-top RPG the company I work for developed, and continue to do so for new products to this day. Highly...

At first, I was going to give a lower rating because of their limited board game selection. And, when I say "limited", it is the bare minimum. But, it is unfair to expect a store to be something it's not. I'm not into what this store mostly focuses on- trading card games, tabletop miniature war games, and role-playing games. I believe they also have a passable selection of comics- though I don't pay much attention to that, either.

Even though I'm primarily a board gamer, the store has been more than accommodating to my small boardgaming group. Additionally, the guys who run the store are not going to be in-your-face with a salesperson smile when you walk in the door- that does not mean you are not welcome. If you need anything or have any questions, ask them, and they will be very helpful.

It's not the ideal place for a board gamer since there's not much inventory to browse, but it's a nice intimate space that eventually feels like your own. I wish there were more ways I could support the store, but frankly, there's not much for a board gamer to buy- apart from their limited drink and snack selection- which I be sure to always do, even though patrons are entitled to bring outside...