The Compleat Strategist

This place has a ton of stuff. The walls are bursting with games. I came in looking for something in particular. A board game that also has quite a few expansion sets. After looking around a bit I was only able to find the latest expansion.
The guy who worked there was very helpful though. He explained how packed the store was, which it is. He told me that they have an offsite warehouse and he could check on anything I wanted. He could have the game by the next day. If I wanted it shipped, they do no charge shipping.
It’s a great store to find all kinds of games. In fact, I plan on going back to grab another game I was looking at. I suggest if you want something that’s a bit older, try calling first.

This tiny store has just about any board game out in the market. Incredibly tiny with the aisles as tiny as they can be. Vintage and new games, everything is here. They also have Osprey books and other books. If you need a book, they have it here.

If you love games this is THE PLACE TO BE! any kind of game you were thinking of playing or have played is here. Amazing variety of merchandise. Just make sure you love what you’re buying because all sales are final!

I used to order from their ad in the back of Dragon Magazine in the late 80s when I lived outside of NYC, and I always wanted to visit the store. After six years of living in NYC, I finally caught them open at 10:35 am this morning. My wife and I were the only ones in the store, and I thought it would be great to look at the selection of games and accessories (what I seen was great).
However, the staff was unhelpful and seemed timid. The gentleman stocking the store rode in my back pocket reaching around and over me like an octopus throwing clam shells (I went to the other isle over, and it was like he was velcroed to my back).
I thanked them for running me out of the store with their standoffish demeanor, went home, and ordered several rpg items off the Internet.
In short, if you know what you want, where it is in the store, and are running in and out like grabbing a slice of pizza, it’s probably fine. If you want to browse and read the backs of the product, etc, do it at home because you’re wasting your time heading to this store.

Don’t have a day job and expect to make it to this store before they close.

They are definitely the most stocked board game store in Manhattan, but just call ahead to see if they have the particular item you want.
My friend got me a gift certificate and they gave him a hard time about the receipt (which was needed on his part). Kind of weird. Anyway, just saying!

Lots of board games for all ages and experience levels.

I’m very very happy with this shop! I found the perfect dice for game night! they also have wonderful staff who are very very helpful. they offer a wide array of games that really piqué my interest! I can’t wait to come back here to check out the other games!

A fantastic games shop, The Compleat Strategist.
Shelves and shelves of games. Board games and puzzles. Stacked high, literally.
Every single wall had shelves installed. And all down the narrow room that is the shop was more shelving in the middle, with games and paraphernalia on display on either side.
We must have spent 1 – 2 hours perusing their wares. There’s was a team off about four staff working busily away. Some striding this way and that constantly, going about their day. That said, they were very approachable when we asked for some recommendations. Believe me, it was difficult to decide what to buy, there was so much on offer here. They asked us what games we already played and liked, then made some great suggestions.
We left with three games. If we had the funds and the suitcase space, believe me we would have bought more.
Highly recommended.

Amazing selection and the staff knows a lot about the games they sell.

One of the last true gaming/​hobby stores left in the NYC area. They have everything from board games, to RPG materials, to miniatures of every stripe. Store is overflowing with materials, and they have basement tables that can be rented out for use. I attended an Star Wars Armada tournament, and had a great time. Place was full with others playing various games, from D&D/Pathfinder, to some superhero game.

My boyfriend is a big board and tabletop game fan and this place was heaven for him! I had read about it on here and didn’t tell him all that much about it just wrote it in the itinerary and told him we HAD to go. He was not disappointed! Board games stacked to the ceiling, literally! He had to calm down the buying, reminding himself that everything had to be lugged home! Really great store and they had an Edge of the Empire tournament going on that day… Probably a good thing we didn’t know about it beforehand cause we probably would have been there all day!
Fantastic store! If you’re a gamer this place is a MUST!

Selection can not be beat. Price on the other hand not so great. I

I played D&D as a teenager, and if I had known about this place while I was in high school, my friends and I would have spent hours in here.
If you are into role-​playing, military & strategy games, The Compleat Strategist is THE place to go. The store isn’t really big, but it is packed. They have everything from books, multi-​sided dice, several versions of Risk (Doctor Who, Walking Dead, Game of Thrones), to figures of D&D monsters and characters and small replicas of Star Trek starships (I was so tempted to buy a bunch of those!!!).
Personally, I enjoyed looking through the various military books, with books on Roman legions, Napoleonic troops, the samurai, and other historical armies. I also felt nostalgic looking at the latest D&D Monster Manual. :-)

This is an absolute gem. The guys here are incredibly knowledgable and helpful. I was looking for a very specific present for a very specific need, and they gave me so many option to choose from. They spent almost an hour helping me. I think that’s astounding. In Manhattan? Wow. It reminded me of how shopping used to be before the big chains took over. Personalized service from knowledgeable people who know their stuff and care. I will support this establishment for the sake of saving Mom & Pop shops. This place is family owned. They don’t mark their stuff up or down — they just offer it at the suggested retail price. Sure, you can get it on Amazon for cheaper, but Amazon will not give you this kind of service. I left feeling really taken care of. And I got exactly what I needed.
Selection is incredible. They will ship, too, if you just need help over the phone. Games can be tricky to buy, so guidance is important. I’m a delighted customer.

Excellent selection, but will burn through your wallet!
The Compleat Strategist lives up to its name by being the most complete selection of board, card, and pen and paper games. If it’s analog, they got it. Looking for the newest expansions to Munchkin? They got it. Need an obscure European game about bean farming? They got it. Need to buy out of date Hero Clix from Gears of War, Street Fighter, and Pacific Rim? They got it. Just don’t expect them to have it for cheap, as the great selection comes at a high price.
If you know what you want and don’t have a lot of money to spend, I would recommend shopping online. But if you’re looking for some gaming rarities or simply need a new game NOW and you don’t mind paying a little extra, then this is your one stop shop for your gaming needs.

Awwww, sheesh, y’all! If you’re a fan of games, gaming, or even games, you’re going to want to get your booty on over towards the Compleat Strategist.
Card games, board games, games you play with your hands, they’ve got it all.
Warning: Check their hours online before you head over, they close pretty early most days. They’re also closed on Sunday, which is super inconvenient. Oh, but the selection… I could wander the aisles of this store for hours, and often do. They have brand new games, old vintage games, expansions packs for games you’ve never heard of, and most importantly: RPG books. If you have had a hard time fulfilling your RPG fix in this town, look no further.
They don’t call it the Compleat Strategist for nothing.

Update from a previous Five-​star review:
It is incredibly important to support hobby stores like the Compleat Strategist — given the choice, I will spend the extra buck to keep a store like this alive rather than ordering online.
HOWEVER: The hobby store in question needs to meet its customers half way. When your store hours on Unilocal and in your door say «Open until 9pm on Thursdays» you MUST honor that promise. I reserved a 2 hour block of my evening to journey to your store and give you my money. Imagine my disappointment and indignation upon finding you inexplicably closed. This is NOT professional behavior.

Board game heaven in the middle of midtown.
My work colleagues were craving a round of Settlers and Amazon Prime just wasn’t going to cut it. We went into the shop with a mission.
If you’re even remotely a board game fan, prepared to be distracted around every corner. I saw so many classic titles and so many titles I’ve never heard of. Settlers had its own few shelves, with multiple copies of the original and expansion packs. It was hard to resist buying every single expansion pack, but we eventually made our way through the winding displays and took home a copy of the original.
If board games, card games, or dice games are your thing, you’ll absolutely find something to take home here.

Niche shops like the Compleat Strategist are what I live for. In a town of quickly diminishing hobby shops or anything that doesn’t have to do with high-​end boutiques, it’s cool to see people in Jon Green suits or cargo pants browsing the aisles for a good board game. Board games certainly even the playing field.
Technology has taken many leaps over the years but the tangible feeling of throwing dice and commiserating with friends has not, and Compleat Strategist has what it takes to embrace your social circle. They are literally floor to ceiling with board games. Risk, dungeons and dragons, clue; pretty much anything you can think of.
I came in originally looking for PIT, which is a game loosely based on stocks and commodity value that my cousins and I used to play. Of course they had it, but I was looking for the original one with the different illustrations, but they deal with newer product.
Otherwise, this is a great shop if you’re expecting guests in town and it’s right near Penn Station which is convenient.