board games

How To Start A Board Game Store – Money & Cardboard…

My name is Zach. I’ve owned and operated Fanaticus Board Games for about a decade. We started out as a traditional hobby shop selling train sets and model kits. Within the first year it became clear that the board games were outselling the traditional hobbies at an astronomical rate, so we pivoted towards board games specifically. I really can’t give you a magic formula on how to start a board game store. All I can do is explain what worked for me and what worked for colleagues that operate in the same industry. I’m not the expert on any of this, but I do have some experience I can share to cut through the nonsense.

stone age board game title

Stone Age Board Game – Roll Dice in the Love Hut

The first time I played stone age was back in 2011, a mere 3 years after the board game was released. Keep in mind I only got started in the hobby of board gaming around 2010. The earliest memory I have of this game is getting warned beforehand that the dice cup stinks. I still remember that warning to this day and thought it was really funny. I currently own the Z-man Games edition of the game which I got in 2019, and that cup smelled perfectly fine straight out the box. It is one of the earliest worker placement games I played and it is a really fun game, even making my Best Board Games Of 2021 list.

Codenames – Awesome and Exciting Cooperative Word Game

The codenames game took the board gaming world by storm when it was released in 2015. Designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition, it went on to sell millions of copies, spawning many different editions and some online implementations since that initial release.

What I love about codenames is just how simple the game is to teach and how it works in so many situations. I can’t recall a situation where this game has ever failed me. I have played it at Christmas parties, New Years’ eve gatherings, simple nights in with my partner with codenames duet and it always just works. The possibilities are endless, and I really hope to put this game on your radar if it is not already.

checkers board game

Checkers Board Game – The Classic We Still Love to Play

The checkers board game is a game most of us have played at least once. It is often one of the first games we are taught growing up. I remember playing so many games of this with my dad and mom growing up, and fun was always had. It is still a game I will bring out every so often to have a quick play. I always seem to find myself playing this game on weekends away at holiday houses. It really feels like everyone has a copy of this game, haha!