Empire Games

Stale — That would be my word for Empire Games. From the moment I walked in I did not feel welcomed. Sure, I didn’t know they weren’t a «regular game shop» when I walked in, but that does not mean I should be made to feel like a complete inconvenience when I ask about something other than table top RPG. I was told they didn’t carry what I was looking for, but opted to look around anyways. After a few min. of looking around I found what I was looking for on the far back wall tucked away in the corner. Before leaving, I asked to look at their random dice box. I was told «I DO mind», when I asked if he would mind if I poured some out to look at them as the container is very foggy. Because I couldn’t pour them out and the contents are not visible from the outside, I was forced to take my time as I looked through the tiny hole on top. That is no problem, but what is a problem, is the fact that he hovered over me as if I were a street rat looking to steal his 53 cent random dice! I am sure they are good at what they do, but unless you are into RPG DO NOT go here! Based on my treatment, I wouldn’t even want to try and look into what they specialize in to see if I like it or not. Not that they invited me to do so. A simple, «Sadly we don’t specialize in what you are looking for, but I would be happy to introduce/​answer any questions about Warhammer, ect you may have» would suffice. Wheatons Law.

There is not a lot of selection for games, it is more of a RPG gaming place than a game store. Lots of Warhammer stuff, no Star Trek RPG. Board games have very minimal selection, only 3 small shelves.

Very helpful staff, willing to take individual time to explain things to new players, even on busy nights. Tons of tables for 40k, Warhammer Fantasy, Warmachine etc. I never have trouble finding a game! They have begun revitalizing Friday Night Magic recently and this place has been busy (which is a good thing!) If you haven’t been, you should check it out!
Edit: Had to come back and reduce my rating. They have had major stock problems for some time now. Pretty much every time I want to buy something specifically, they seem to be out of it. And it remains that way for months even if they tell you they are getting it in within the week. I have had this happen with stupid stuff like glue, clippers, and basic models. How can you be out of the necessities? Really sad, their stock use to be a major plus…

The Good: This store has hands-​down the widest selection of Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Hordes, Warmachine, and Flames of War miniatures that I’ve seen. You’ll note I did not say, «That I’ve seen in Arizona.» No, outside of GenCon or Origins these are THE most miniatures available to choose from I’ve ever seen in my 18+ years of visiting gaming stores. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, the atmosphere of the store is welcoming and clean, and there is AMPLE playspace with lots of good terrain.
I also have to point out that for newer wargamers this store is a great resource on HOW to get into the hobby. The staff aren’t afraid to take some time and demo a game or explain how each of the different armies behave on the tabletop. The community attracted by the store is quite willing to help a new player figure out which figures are worth their time or which to avoid.
Finally I’m definitely impressed by the calendar of events that Empire has each month. Usually several large tournaments will be on the schedule as well as weekly league nights. This really creates a feeling of community for the local gamers who attend. They DO carry Magic and run draft tournaments, but I haven’t had a chance to attend any of those yet. Reading through a few of their monthly calendars it is clear that wargaming events are the primary focus, with collectible card games coming in a definite second.
The Bad: Parking can be a little troublesome during a tournament, though this is understandable. When I see 30 – 45 gamers in a store, I know that the parking lot is going to be pretty full. Fortunately the nearby shopping center has plenty of overflow parking a few hundred feet away. Oddly enough Empire does NOT stock Reaper miniatures, my favorite line of character minis or any of the various smaller-​name brands. The Ugly: Empire is a focused store. If you’re looking for RPGs or boardgames, they DO have a selection but its tiny. What they do have are all excellent games (D&D, Pathfinder, Deathwatch, Shadowrun) or some of the bigger titles (Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Dominion, and so on), but the non-​miniature side of the gaming hobby is NOT where this store’s focus lies.
In summary I’d say that Empire is absolutely worth your time if you enjoy miniature gaming or wargames. If you’re curious about them, its a great place to toe the water of the hobby and see if you’d like it. If you’re looking for a more general game store this won’t be your place, though I’d still suggest stopping by just to see a really fun store with a happy crowd.

Okay its a bit ridiculous when people come and mark down a store because its not what they wanted it to be. Do I give an Italian restaurant a bad review because they don’t serve great Thai food? That’s ludicrous!
Empire Games is a store for Miniature war-​gaming, sure they have some other stuff but the focus is on miniature war-​gaming. They are awesome at it and know their stuff very well.
I live in Phoenix but I will drive all the way out just for advice on painting ridiculously small figurines.
Glenn and Bri D’s review of this store that is not to their liking has some good info but is grossly unfair to the store. If you need sporting goods, you go to Sports Authority or something like it. If you need someone who REALLY knows running shoes, go to runners den. This is the Runner’s Den of Miniature Warfare games (I believe the name even refers to Warhammer 40K but I could be wrong). Runner’s Den doesn’t have baseball bats… why should Empire Games have a full stock of Euro games?

Best store for miniature war gaming in the valley, hands down. Friendly but not suffocating staff; clean and exceptionally well organized store; and the selection is second to none (Warmachine, Warhammer, Fantasy, and Flames of War especially, and supplies; they also have some Magic and euro/​Ameritrash games). Plenty of space, tables, and terrain for playing. Card tables here and there for other table top games, too. Worth the trip it takes me from Glendale.

Well, I can say that if I were into all that Warhammer stuff and figurine painting, I would be ALL OVER this store! They had a ton of well built tables set up in the store in a pleasing layout and even had a high bar built where you could sit and paint your little people, or whatever they are. That’s pretty sweet if that’s your thing. Unfortunately, that’s not my thing. I’m into the Euro Games. As we were driving by over the weekend, we got really excited thinking that the Valley was giving us one more offering in terms of board game stores. Sadly, the selection of board games in this store was about as basic as you get. They didn’t have anything that I didn’t already have in my own collection. That’s too bad. BUT, for what the store is, it is pretty darn cool.

I don’t mean to get nitpicky but you’re not really a game store. You are more of a model and figurine store. That’s cool. I mean, I’m not really in to that stuff but, if I were, I would totally come here over a place like Gamer’s Inn. Nice open layouts with lots of natural light and a paint bar. Way cool.
Unfortunately, I’m not in to that stuff. I like board games. You had board games, yes. They were tucked away on one small wall. You had all of the basics — Ticket To Ride, Catan, Munchkins, etc. but you didn’t really have any decent games. You had nothing from Queen Games and I don’t even think I saw anything from Rio Grande Games. That’s a pretty poor showing from a game store. Also, this place didn’t really seem like it was inviting me to bring a group to sit and play for a while.
I guess I am mostly disappointed because you mislead me and let me down. That’s okay, I forgive you… but I won’t be back.