Games Unlimited

Games Unlimited is a long-running game store on Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood, open since 1979. It is a broad tabletop shop first, with board games, role-playing games, puzzles and accessories filling the floor, and Magic: The Gathering is part of what it carries. It suits families, tabletop players and anyone who wants a staff member to pick a game and teach it on the spot.

What's on the shelves

The stock leans toward tabletop games of every kind: family games, strategy games, party games, children's games, role-playing games, cooperative games, solo games, two-player games and journaling games. Dice, playing cards, magic tricks and jigsaw puzzles round out the shelves, and the puzzle selection is among the largest in the nation, running from 3,000 to 32,000 pieces. Used games are sold too. The store also carries Zola gaming tables, with a showroom in the store, and runs a trade-in program for games customers no longer play.

New releases are a steady draw, with role-playing titles and horror-themed games a visible part of the recent lineup. Staff picks for families, party groups and cooperative play help narrow the field.

Demo bar and Game Gurus

The staff are known as Game Gurus, and the work is matching people with games they will actually enjoy. A demo bar stays open whenever the store is open: a Guru teaches the game of your choice, and the lesson is free. A game-of-the-week demonstration program runs alongside it, and a loyalty program works as a digital punch card with in-store rewards.

Events

No weekly recurring events are set, but the store runs special occasions. Game Store Day 2026 brings seven different events to the store. The store also takes games on the road: game nights at bars, coffee shops and community spaces, team-building sessions for companies, private parties and one-on-one tutorials for a recent purchase. Estimated fees run $50 an hour for a public game night and $150 plus the cost of the games for a corporate session, while private party pricing varies. Nonprofits, schools and religious institutions can arrange games and staff free of charge, as long as they handle promotion and feature the store in their materials.

Store policies

Children under 13 need a guardian with them at events and demos, and smoking and vaping are not allowed in the store. Orders of $100 or more ship free. Unopened products from online orders can be returned for a refund within 30 days, while used games are exempt and shipped used sales are final.

Hours and getting there

The store is open seven days a week, 11 AM to 7 PM, at 5876 Forbes Ave in Pittsburgh.

History

Three friends founded Games Unlimited in 1979 with the aim of carrying games that were hard to find in the area. The store sold Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Pictionary and Rubik's Cubes before they caught on widely. A second location operated for six years in the Brentwood Whitehall Shopping Center, and a very short-lived third store opened at Station Square. One founder eventually bought out the other two, and the store changed hands again in 2015 when his apprentice bought the business. In 2025 the store was named Retailer of the Year at the GAMA Power Retailer Awards.

The local scene

Phantom of the Attic: Games is about 1.6 miles away in Pittsburgh, and Cohen's Collectibles and Mustang Comics are both about 1.8 miles away in Swissvale. New Dimension Comics sits 2 miles out in Munhall. For card shows, the Sports Card & Pokémon/TCG Show is about 6.8 miles away, with its next date on October 30, 2026.