Cat & Mouse Game Store

We had our 9 year old, Pokémon-​obsessed daughter’s birthday party at Cat and Mouse and it was GREAT. They have parties in the section at the back of the store set aside for gaming, so we had plenty of room for about 12 kids and a few parents. The store provided 2 employees to teach the kids the game, and play with them — when Pokémon lost it’s luster, there was a whole stack of other games to play, plus any of the display copies of games could be played. The employees were very patient with excited, sugared-​up 8 and 9 year olds, and got them through about an hour and a half of gaming. The store did the balloons and decorations, we brought the food. Very reasonable price and the kids had SO much fun.
We love the store anyway, but we love it even more as a birthday party spot!

I. LOVE. THIS. STORE. I’m a game maniac in general; game nights with friends (the ones who’ll still play with me, competitive as I am) are my favorite nights. Cat n Mouse has a whole section of fun party games, as well as popular card games, and lots of independent games that were new to me as well.
I was just browsing to kill time, but I figured I’d get some ideas for what to get my niece who’s turning 3 next month for her birthday. The sales associate, Jessica T., asked if I needed anything in particular, and I asked if she knew of anything that’s good for kids with autism. I wasn’t sure how much she knew about the subject and didn’t expect much of an answer, but she did an amazing job making some recommendations and pointing out toys that addressed certain issues kids on the spectrum struggle with or made for interests they tend to have; noise making puzzles, games for recognizing social expressions, soft blocks, plastic animals, texture toys, sensory play items, and so much more. Birthday and Christmas are set for sure, for me and her!
There’s also crafty toys, sciency things, books, stickers, cards, and generally all sorts of neat stuff for kids of all interests and abilities, from ages 1 – 99; some you might find at big box retailers, but there’s a lot of unique things to be found here too. I picked myself up an adult coloring book of curious creatures for $ 5.99 — adult in the sense of intricate drawings, not R-​rated content. I’m so glad grownup coloring books are a thing now; I’ve always kept one around to relax, and probably won’t toss my Lisa Frank one at home even so.
Sure, you can probably find some things a few dollars cheaper on Amazon, but for the great store vibe and wonderful customer service, I’m happy to not only support a local business I’d like to see stick around, but also you can’t really beat the «same day delivery» of shopping in person and actually being able to see what you’re buying in real life. They also host game competitions and events in-​store, so it’s a great addition to the community. I’ll definitely be doing all my fun gift shopping here!

Just left this awesome store that was jam-​packed with games of ALL kinds… games I had never seen before, plus puzzles and toys. Are the games full price? Yes — so obviously Amazon is tempting. However, the service is unbeatable.
I can’t remember the name of the girl who helped me (sorry, names escape me), but she wandered around the store with me recommending games for the gift I was shopping for. She probably talked about 10 games in detail before answering other random questions I had about games. Then when I picked one of her recommendations, she gift wrapped it for me (which they do for free… amazing).
Cat & Mouse also has a free points reward system with 20% off on your birthday, and they host game nights regularly.
Although the games aren’t discounted like they are online or at some big box stores, the level of knowledge and service I received will have me returning. Plus, it’s around the corner from work — def my new stop for last-​minute gifts.

Neat little game store with a little bit for everyone. Sheila was super nice and helpful.

This is a really welcoming game store with a friendly and knowledgable staff. At a lot of other stores, the staff can be difficult. Jess helped me, and she couldn’t have been nicer, and at the same time she knew the answers to all my questions. Recommended if you’re looking for a place to buy some new games for your collection.

I work at UIC and was thrilled to learn that I could indulge my secret nerd on the way home from work. This place is every bit the Palace of Gaming Delights that its sister store, in Bucktown, is, maybe better. Cheeky window displays-​got em. RPGs, my lifelong obsession-​got em. Every strategy game you can think of-​got it, including superlative card games. This is a great place to buy a birthday gift, if for no other reason than it feels so lovely to shake a gift wrapped game. Plastic miniature dragons-​of course. I am particularly impressed by how smart the games are. They have games for all levels of smart, including six-​year-​old smart. The brainy, bespectacled staff have obviously played every game in the store and are practically gushing with enthusiasm to help you find the perfect way to indulge your inner gamer.

Love it! I was so happy to hear that this store was opening this weekend in the West Loop.
Signs of a great store — as soon as I walked the owner asked if that was me on the bike. After I said yes, she asked if there were any bike locks out front. I told her no and she stated she would have to petition the city to get some! Yeah! What a great place!
Oh, they have a great game and puzzle selection as well, for all ages. They are going to start having gaming events which will make this place even better!
Long live the gaming community.