gamesIRL

gamesIRL is a game store at 192 W Main St in Avon, Connecticut, built around trading card play. Magic: The Gathering has a tournament on five nights of the week, Pokémon runs a Saturday event in a retro format the store's own players designed, and Disney Lorcana and Dungeons & Dragons are part of the daily mix of events and free play. The store also sells retro video games and vintage media, so it suits a player who wants a regular game night as much as a collector who wants to browse or sell.

What's on the shelves

The store carries Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana, along with the newest games, supplies and accessories. Trading cards share the floor with retro video games and vintage media.

The store also buys. It takes trading card games, video games and vintage media, and makes offers on collections. Appraisals are done by appointment, and a seller can call, message or stop in to schedule one.

Weekly play

Magic fills most of the calendar, with a different format each night. The Magic tournaments are capped at three rounds and pay prizes by record: in the $10 events, $40 to each 3-0, $30 to each 2-0-1 and $20 to each 2-1. Friday's draft pays $20, $15 and $10 by the same records.

Legacy night allows no proxies, and the Sunday draft is worth a call ahead, since the packs vary from week to week.

Pokémon and the WOTC-20 format

The Saturday Pokémon event uses WOTC-20, a retro format created and curated by the store's own players. It draws on cards from Base Set through Skyridge, with decks of exactly 60 cards and a limit of 20 Trainer cards. The format was conceived as a counterpart to Magic's grass-roots Old School '93-'94 scene. A short ban list covers Lass, Super Energy Removal, Psyduck, Chaos Gym and Sneasel, among others.

Saturday has two more Pokémon events. Trade Night starts at 4 PM for $5 and includes one free booster pack with entry; staff help newer players learn to appraise a collection and play the game, and collectors trade with one another. Pokémon Standard follows at 6 PM for $10, capped at three rounds, with each player receiving a booster pack and a prize pack, plus one extra pack added to the prizes per participant.

Events and store policies

Friday's Commander open play runs all day with players on hand at the table, and all power levels are welcome. Promo cards go free to participants while supplies last.

Sundays add a rotating schedule of larger events starting at noon, with entry varying by event. The Sunday Chaos Draft builds decks from a special selection of packs that can include Collector Boosters, premium expansions and hard-to-find, out-of-print sets, with high-value prizes for top finishers.

Hours and getting there

The store is at 192 W Main St, Unit C, in Avon, Connecticut 06001. It opens at noon and closes at 10 PM Tuesday through Sunday, and is closed Mondays.

The local scene

Several other card and game stores sit within a few miles, among them Silver Eagle Wargame Supplies in Simsbury, Brighton Collectibles in Canton, Two Guys Comics and Collectibles in Canton, and Omni Cards & Comics in Canton. Hard Hittin' Card Shows, about 12 miles away, has dates on October 30, November 22 and December 4, 2026. A show in Berlin, about 14 miles away, follows on November 8 and December 13, 2026.