Cardboard Games

Cardboard Games is a trading card and board game store in Old Town Tustin, California, set up for casual and competitive players alike. It sits at 205 W First St #102, just north of Peppertree Park on First Street near the historic El Camino Real, with easy access from the 5 and 55 freeways. It suits Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Disney Lorcana and Star Wars: Unlimited players who want a roomy play space and a steady calendar of organized events.

What's on the shelves

The store carries Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Disney Lorcana and Star Wars: Unlimited, with both long-running favorites and the newest releases in stock. Accessories include card sleeves, deck boxes and play mats. Singles are sold as well, and board games, from family-friendly classics to complex strategy titles, are available to order.

Orders for online purchase are filled locally and picked up in the store. Only a limited selection of products is offered for online ordering and preorder, while the full line of products is available to walk-in customers.

Organized play and events

The store holds Flagship status and Organized Play recognition for Star Wars: Unlimited, granted early in 2024. It joined the Wizards Play Network in fall 2024, which brings Organized Play recognition for Magic: The Gathering. More organized play recognition for its other card games is being pursued.

Sealed prerelease events run for new Magic sets. The Reality Fracture prerelease ran on September 26 and 27, 2026, from 1 PM to 5 PM each day, played as best of three with a maximum of three rounds and a booster pack of that set awarded for each win. A prerelease for The Hobbit was held on August 9, 2026.

Riftbound has become a regular part of the calendar:

Skirmish entrants all receive participation packs and promos, with extra prizing for the top cut, while Pre-Rift play awards a booster pack for each match win.

The space

The play area seats 32 players comfortably. Weekly events regularly draw 16 or more players, and special events often fill the room, so a prerelease or Pre-Rift session is worth planning for ahead of time. Events can be registered for online.

Hours and getting there

The shop is in Suite 102, in an area of Old Town Tustin that dates back to the 1880s.

The local scene

Other card and collectible stores sit close by: Comics Toons N Toys (0.5 miles) and SICC POPS! & Collectibles (0.7 miles) are also in Tustin, and Elr Games (1.4 miles), Card Pavilion (1.7 miles) and Thunder'n Games (2 miles) are in Santa Ana. Among nearby shows, The Regional SoCal Cards & Collectibles Show is about 5.9 miles away and next starts on November 14, 2026. Wolfpack Collectibles TCG Show, about 10.6 miles away, has dates on November 3, 10 and 17, 2026.