BaT Comics & Games

BaT Comics & Games is a comics and tabletop store at 218 Broadway St in downtown Chico, California. It has operated in downtown Chico since 1993 and occupies more than 2,500 square feet, making it the largest comics and game store in the area. Card players will find Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and the One Piece Card Game, with a dedicated game space for open play. The store suits collectors who also read comics, and tabletop players who want room to spread out.

What's on the shelves

The card side covers Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering and the One Piece Card Game, with sealed product for Pokémon and Magic, plus Lorcana and Star Wars. Supplies include deck boxes, card sleeves and play mats for all the card games. Magic singles can be ordered online for pickup in the store or bought at the in-store kiosk.

Beyond cards, the stock is broad. The store carries new and back issue comics, graphic novels, Silver Age comics, manga, board games, role-playing books for D&D and Pathfinder, and Games Workshop products including Warhammer 40K models and paint. The dice selection is the largest in the North State. Anime and import items, Gundam models, pins, lunch boxes, Ty Beanies, apparel and replica historical and prop weapons round out a floor that rewards wandering.

Events

The calendar centers on One Piece and Riftbound, with an occasional tabletop session.

The $45 release events include six packs and a promo pack, and the regular One Piece tournaments are constructed formats where every player receives promo packs.

The store also hosts comic signings and big comic release days, and local artists can apply for Artist Spotlight days to show and sell their work in the store.

Game space and table rental

The game space is open for open play, and tables can be rented during store hours at $10 an hour, or the whole game space for $30. Rentals include WiFi, tables and padded chairs, a TV and a computer with internet, and terrain for use in games. Renters clean up after themselves, and reservations are made by describing when the space is needed and how many tables.

Store policies and selling

BaT Bucks is the store's rewards program: customers earn $5 for every $100 spent, redeemable on nearly everything including preordered items but not on sale items. Participants need to be in the store's system with a name, zip code and email.

Buying runs by appointment only with a valid ID. For Magic, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, the store is not currently buying individual cards but takes collections, giving a quick look at condition and rarity before making a cash offer. Comics are bought by appointment too, at about 25 cents each for comics in decent condition with covers attached, with older superhero titles sometimes worth more.

Monthly promotions pair purchases with free items, such as a free promo card with certain Pokémon and Magic buys or a free BaT d6 with a large dice purchase. Rising costs from tariffs have shrunk print runs for some card products and raised some prices, and the store aims to keep pricing fair given costs and availability.

Hours and getting there

Closures fall on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

The local scene

BaT shares downtown Chico with several other hobby shops. Chico Magic is practically next door, Piland's Cards & Games is about 0.2 miles away, and Norcal Collectables is about 0.6 miles away. J&r Sportscards is about 1.1 miles away and Max Level Video Games about 1.7 miles, so a card-focused afternoon in Chico can cover a lot of ground on foot or a short drive.