Guardian Games

I came in looking for a board game for my God Son, who’s 9. A sales person helped me (a woman with curly hair and glasses) for over 15 min she made suggestions on games. I settled on Spooky Stairs and mailed it to my little guy that weekend.
Today I was video chatting Witt him when it arrived, he was so excited and opened it right away to play. Him (6) and his sister (3) plays two rounds screaming GHOOOOOOOST every time the dice landed on it. They had a wonderful time.
Thank you for your help! I’ll be back in June.

One of the largest board game stores I’ve ever seen. Beers served in the playing area in the back. Abundance of Crispin pear ciders.

I called all the shop in my area about 5.00 on 01÷30÷16. I was hunting for a 30.00 called magic card (phyrexian altar). All the other shops told me if they had it or not. The guy I spoke to here told me I would need to come in. (It takes me 45 min to get there.) I let the guy know that I was not going to drive there unless I knew they had it. He told me sorry they don’t know if they have it or not. Ended up buying it from the Bat Cave. They had no problem putting me on hold and checking.

Guardians is the reason why I became so invested into the gaming community, whether it be magic, pokemon or yugioh. Even tho its been years since my last tournament, nothing will ever change the fact that guardian games is the gaming place to visit when you’re in Portland. Also, Gene is the be all and all of magic: the gathering lol

Guardian Games is ALWAYS a stop for us when in Portland. If you want to see the most massive selection of boardgames imaginable, this is the place to go, and they have the staff to help you find the perfect new game. I love the little «staff pick» signs around, it’s kind of fun to see who thinks what is fun and why. They also have Lego’s and misc geek toys that constantly tempt me.

Yes, it is a massive store. It has just about everything that someone who is into hobby gaming would want. From old video games, RPGs, Miniatures, CCGs, and board games to legos, toys, and collectables and storage solutions. It also has a fabulous central location to the Portland area.
I tend to focus on board games myself, and their selection does tend to be really solid. Prices seem to be at or above above publisher MSRP, which doesn’t really bother me. And they are often the only store in town to get first distributions of games, due to their larger orders.
They have a massive used game selection that is very stagnate, partially due to the high price and comparative poor quality many of the games are in. But I do love that they at least have the used game section.
The staff is a mixed bag. If you’re dealing, with only whom I can consider to be the owners, you’ll get top-​notch customer support and friendly personalities. But the rest of the staff gives the impressions of either being rude or apathetic. A friend of mine once was yelled at for moving a chair to a different table.
They have a massive play area, and you can book tables for events and stuff there, which is nice. But it’s worth noting that many of those aforementioned «chairs of contention» are incredibly uncomfortable.
When the place is booming with people, it’s a very loud and foul smelling store. I have actually had to leave the store, because I was afraid I would throw up from some of the odor of the clientele. When the place is quiet, it’s not a bad place to visit.
It’s a nice public location where you can meet up outside to trade, or exchange personal copies games from anywhere in the Portland area. Or if it’s quiet enough, head inside and find people to play games with. But as a store, it’s a bit iffy and I tend to prefer other, cleaner, friendlier stores in the area.

I’ll start this review by saying I’ve been going to Guardian for about 4.5 years and have spent a fair amount of money there — not tons, but I haven’t been freeloading, either. And that’s part of the problem.
They’ve recently started a policy on Euro Game Sundays (where they invite people to spend the afternoon playing Euro Games in-​store) where customers that are there for this event aren’t allowed to park in their parking lot. They’re asked to park on the street and leave the lot open for «drop-​in» customers. Nevermind that a lot of the people who attend Euro Game Sundays have spent lots of money at Guardian. They don’t care. Not important. Find somewhere else to park. And all this because of one negative Unilocal review, apparently. (You can find the review on here.)
«Can we park in the lot for the store next door that’s closed on Sunday?» They aren’t sure.
Do they have signs up about the policy? Not last time I checked — instead, they station an employee by the door when they open who accosts every customer coming in about where they parked. Pretty inviting.
So it’s a poor policy, poorly explained, and poorly executed.
I also recently brought in a game, new in shrink wrap, that I’d gotten as a gift. I wanted to trade it in for store credit. The fact that it was new in shrink threw them off, since they usually just buy used games. Two employees consulted in hushed tones, but audible enough for me to hear them, and decided they would buy the game as if it was used (in terms of what I’d get paid) and then sell it as a new game in shrink wrap for MSRP.
Wait, so the game is used when you buy it from me and then magically becomes new once it crosses over the counter? Doesn’t make sense and isn’t customer-​friendly AT ALL.
But the biggest thing is this:
Every business has room to improve, and every business makes decisions that aren’t popular with some customers. But every business should be given the chance to at least explain their policies and decisions. That being said:
I gave Angel May, the owner, a chance to address my concerns. I sent her a polite, professional letter explaining the points described above. I got no response. Based on the other negative reviews on here, I can’t say I’m surprised.
Guardian has a great selection of board games and a huge gaming scene, whether you want to play board games, Magic, Pokemon, or do some role-​playing. That’s why they get 2 stars instead of just 1. But when it comes down to spending money, their prices aren’t going to compete with online retailers, and if I’m going to «overpay» for a product, I’m going to support a business I respect and one that respects their customers. Guardian Games isn’t that business anymore.

This place is huge! We stopped in twice during our time in Portland so DH could check out all the RPG stuff. An enormous selection of just about anything a gamer could want with friendly and helpful staff to boot. Plus, this place serves booze, and I have nothing but love for that.

Holy Cow this place is huge!
I’m not from the Portland area, coming to school here from Seattle actually, so when a few friends said I should look into getting the chance to look at Guardian Games because of how often I play board games and talk about them. Truth be told, I had put it off because of the idea that it was just like any other game shop; a hole in the wall with some cool cards and one or two good board games with a regular crowed of people who come often.
Clearly I was wrong.
The site is huge! It’s large for one reason in particular really, and it’s because the site is made to not just sell but play games to their fullest. I, unfortunately, did not send to much time in the store that day, but the crowds were good indications that this place is alive and well in the area, featuring a Magic competition that was already in full swing and other store patrons who were doing their weekend geek shopping. With that in mind, I defiantly will go back to explore more!
If anything changes in this review, you’ll be sure to see that change, otherwise I’m just going to stick with this awesome assessment.

I have to admit that this is a great place for anyone wanting to get into any type of games. They have all aspects available and very knowledgeable staff (and customers who are willing to help) to find a game that fits your idea of fun. One best thing is the couple hundred games available for play testing in the store for free. Plentiful tables available for groups to gather and play their own or the store games plus the basics in snack requirements from their small store and over 21 area.

Where do I start? Oh yeah I forgot…
*pulls out Geek button and affixes it to her shirt*
There we go, now I can begin.
Guardian Games is a board game geek’s Heaven. That’s what I felt like, that I had died and gone to board game Heaven as I looked up at warehouse sized walls filled from top to board game bottom with stuff. Lots of stuff that I can’t usually find in store. Euro games, party games, social games, collector’s games, card games, dice games, miniatures, buttons, geek apparel — everything is offered here. And don’t be afraid to ask the staff for something as they’re very awesome at helping assist you in any way they can.
How does it get better you ask? Did I mention there’s alcohol?! There’s a bar in the establishment called Critical Sip (a place after my own punny heart) that serves ale and beer and the likes. We happened to go on night where there’s all you can eat pizza and it was packed inside.
But wait there’s more! Never played games before? Or maybe you just don’t own any? Never fear, there’s an equally towering set of shelves stuffed to the brim with lender games you’re free to play! Yes, sit at one of the many tables with your friends and hangout playing games and drinking beer.
Let’s be honest, this is what you want geek Heaven to look like too right?

Great game store!
Lots of room for gaming and a large selection of games to buy or play.
Parking can be tricky on weekends but there’s plenty of street parking and neighboring businesses are closed on Sunday so use those too.

Wow.
This is definitely the place to go if you like board games. Seriously, I cannot believe how many they had. HUNDREDS. If not, THOUSANDS! They had different kinds of Monopoly, Life, and Yahtzee. They had a lot of games that I haven’t even heard of! All the board games are towards the left when you enter. If you go directly to the right, they have Legos. If you continue on the right, there are (model and build-​your-​own) toys and a small selection of books and used video games and consoles. In the back, they have quite a number of tables for selling or showing off items and playing games like Dungeons and Dragons — I only know this because of their monthly happenings sign. Anyway, they had about twenty people at these tables on a Wednesday afternoon. So, this place is probably always hopping. In the middle of the store, there’s the register (s) and lots of toys and different kinds of dice. They have playing cards and specific playing cards (like Pokemon.) The employees were friendly, and we got greeted as soon as we entered.

This place has the largest selection of, well, EVERYTHING! I was coming down with a cold that day so I couldn’t fully immerse myself in all its splendor, but my brother went bananas there and declared his love for all things Portland.
The atmosphere is great, casual, friendly, and the staff is unpretentious as it gets. A lot of events are always going on and a movie was playing above head near a cozy couch for me to sit on while others got lost in the maze of wonder. Super awesome spot.

It’s like a board and tabletop and card-gamer’s heaven. The board game area– OMG. It’s amazing! We spent almost 4 hours just browsing all they had to offer. We love it! :)

Great selection, great customer service (for the most part.)
I would have given 5 stars but I asked a question of an associate named «James» and I was given a dirty look and short answers, like I was troubling him.
Everyone else was super friendly and considerate.

This is an awesome game store, with an excellent selection and outstanding service.
I have never been disappointed going to Guardian Games, and it seems like things keep getting better and better here. After 5 PM, there’s a separate gaming area of the store that opens up that’s 21 and over where they serve beer (and other non-​alcoholic beverages), and where there’s a very large library of games to borrow from.
I love this store, and hope this review convinces others to check Guardian Games out!

I’ve travelled the world, been a geek, and visited game stores from Berlin to Tokyo. I’m adding Guardian Games to my short list of favorite game stores worldwide.
It could be said that Guardian goes out of its way to reverse all the usual complaints with game stores. The staff is intensely friendly and helpful. The store is clean, organized, and well lit.
More than that, the play area is spacious and central to the floor. The store keeps a massive variety of games in stock, resells used games also, and keeps an entire wall sized shelving system of games in its lending library. Not sure if a game is for you? The staff encourages you to try before you buy, from the lending library.
If I could come up with more things you could possibly want from a game store, I could write a longer review.

The ‘Critical Sip’ area is a respite from the enthusiasm of youth by being for over 21s only (they are very strict on carding too).
The atmosphere is very laid back and easygoing, complemented by a decent selection of beers and ciders in bottles and some on tap with very reasonable prices.
The décor includes the Han Solo in Carbonite from Star Wars, and there us a wide range of tabletop board games to rent.

Amazing game store. Big. Lots of stock. Lots of tables to play. Helpful staff and even labels for staff picks on recommended games. Oh, did I forget the bar?

I’ve always loved to stop by Guardian when I’m visiting Portland, now that I live here, it was easy to make this place my gaming home.
It can be challenging to find a place to play Magic at, but after a weekend of playing, I fit in pretty easily and the staff was helpful and welcoming as well.
I also really love their beer room, the beer itself is reasonably priced and it’s nice to relax with between rounds. It’s also fun to see all the different games people are playing.
The only minus is that it’s sometimes a little too crowded, but it’s not that bad. Not worth taking a star off for.
Great store and I’m looking forward to frequenting it again!

I estimate about a third of my yearly earnings gets dumped right into the wonderful land of gaming that is Guardian Games. The staff (all of them) is always quick to greet me with a High Five and sometimes even a shouting of my name, like it’s my Cheers. Sure, they mostly cater to Magic and Board Games (the latter of which is a vast collection indeed!), but they have to make money, and that stuff keeps them afloat! And yet even with that heavy focus on those kinda of games, they also have an enormous RPG section, and quite an impressive collection wargaming items as well. And a Lego section! Who doesn’t love Legos?
I host several of my regular weekly game nights there (from AD&D2E to Dungeon World to Fading Suns and more), either out in the open or in one of their numerous private rooms (if we need some more quiet focus). While gaming in the back areas, the staff is always attentive, regularly refilling our drink orders and keeping us caffeinated and/​or boozed up, whatever the event may call for.
The place tends to get pretty loud during events, and there always seems to be at least one large gathering at any time. But that’s because they have a very active community, which welcomes gamers of all ages, genders, and other choices of personal orientation. It’s an extremely welcoming place, of which I’m proud to call my self a loyal patron.

I’ve been patronizing Guardian Games for 1.5 years running a regular weekly gaming group. We’re a positive element in the store and we always buy stuff, in addition to paying the overpriced weekly room reservation fee ($ 5.00 an hour for a room that seats 8, compared to $ 1.50 an hour for the same at Red Castle Games). Despite our good standing in the store, we are sometimes bumped from our regular ongoing reservation. When I emailed about the latest supposed miscommunication, I was given the run around.
First, I was told we had no reservation whatsoever and never had — that we operated solely on the pity of the group that had the room reserved all day every Sunday whenever they deigned to leave early. Naturally I found this surprising since our group name is on the door every Sunday lately (until now) and — as I also pointed out to her — we have been paying for a reservation every week. Then when I reminded her of past emails where she said that was only every other week, and only up till January of this year, where we started getting the room every Sunday 5 – 8, she suddenly regained her memory and said that she would coordinate with other employees to make it a priority in the future, blah blah blah. Then I got another apology and vague promise email from another employee that really did not make me feel like the problem had been resolved. But here’s the kicker:
One employee, in that second apology email, accidentally included a copy of the entire email conversation he had been having with his bosses at Guardian all afternoon. It portrayed a very different understanding of our reservation situation from the one they had been pedaling to me in emails all day. His boss’s last message was particularly incriminating. Here it is:
«On Tue, Feb 3, 2015 at 3:57 PM, Angel May (
) wrote:
I’m gonna let ****** handle this one. I’m also going to forward an email to you from way back when. This group is a royal pain in the ass. While we don’t want to kick them out, they really have unreasonable demands of us.
In the end, ****** should have honored Nolan’s reservation and just rented the room until 5pm. But he didn’t. And as soon as he made it about money, people got offended. Lesson learned I believe.
Angel May, president
A&E Ventures, Inc.
dba. Guardian Games
dba. Critical Sip»
In other words, I caught them lying. And calling my group a «royal pain in the ass» just for expecting reservations to be honored.
Well, I wasn’t going to stand for that. Here is my response:
«Hi there, fellas. You really screwed the pooch by accidentally including copies of all your private staff emails in your reply. You guys „sincerely appriciate“ [sic] our patronage, do you?
Is that why Angel says „This group is a royal pain in the ass. While we don’t want to kick them out, they really have unreasonable demands of us“?
And what unreasonable demands would those be exactly? The one where we expect to have a reservation honored? Is that the unreasonable one? Because I don’t recall any other „demands.“ In fact I don’t recall making a single demand in my entire 1.5 years patronizing Guardian Games. I admit I’ve made a few requests. But I’ve always said please and thank you every single time I’ve begged for a quiet corner for my group and every time I’ve paid for an over-​priced snack. I’ve even said please and thank you every time I’ve paid $ 5.00 an hour just for a f*****g room to sit in (by the way, your biggest competitor offers identically sized rooms with better décor for $ 1.50 an hour).
But here is one demand I feel very justified in making: Nobody talks s**t about my group. Nobody. My group is the best group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of gaming with. I will not stand for them being called a „pain in the ass“ just for asking politely for a quiet space or expecting a reservation to be honored.
By the way, Angel, thanks for admitting that this was all about money and that you guys should have honored my reservation for 5 pm last Sunday. You know. The one you just told me I didn’t have.
Please take my ongoing reservation and shove it up your ass, Angel. Unless it would be too much of a royal pain for you.
Thank you.»
Do not go to this gaming store. Do not give them your money. Their boss is two-​faced, and will talk s**t about you behind your back as soon as they have your cash in the till and you walk out the door. There are some good employees there who will take care of you if you deal with them — like Nathan — but you can’t count on getting lucky every time you go in there. Eventually someone might treat you like crap and feel entitled to your patronage. Their boss does it, and attitude often reflects leadership in a business.