Gamestoria

Gamestoria is a tabletop game store at 42-11 Broadway in Astoria, Queens, stocked with board games, collectible card games, puzzles and role-playing games. Magic: The Gathering is the center of its event calendar, with something on most nights of the week, and the store also buys Magic cards from customers. It suits players who want a regular Magic night near the subway and a place to settle in with a board game afterward.

What's on the shelves

Board games make up the core of the stock, alongside puzzles, role-playing games and collectible card games. Magic is the card game the store organizes around. A Star Trek prerelease is scheduled for November 6 to 8. Specific games can be special ordered, and the store sells online with a flat $9 USPS shipping rate within the US.

Customers who want to sell Magic cards can call or email the store. Sales of collectible card game products are final, with no returns. Other unopened purchases can be returned within 15 days with a receipt, and older receipts get store credit only.

Weekly play

Magic anchors the week, and the schedule runs beyond what the table below shows, with Commander pods on Tuesday and Friday and Dungeons & Dragons on Wednesday.

Thursday Modern is capped at 32 players, and preregistration saves a spot until 6 PM that day.

Commander pods on Tuesday and Friday form on demand for $10. Wednesday Dungeons & Dragons starts at 7 PM for $10, with a maximum of six players per dungeon master. Friday night booster draft starts at 7 PM for $25, or $32 for UB, and gets seating priority over Commander after 6:45 PM. Sunday Pioneer runs four rounds.

Organized play and events

A Standard RCQ is scheduled for October 24, and another RCQ is planned for November 14 with details still to come. The Star Trek prerelease runs November 6 to 8.

Open play

Open play lets players bring their own game or pull one from the store's board game library. Entry is $10 per person, or free with any purchase of $20 or more per person. Paying the $10 fee also brings 10% off other same-day purchases and one free drink or snack. There is no time limit, though scheduled events get seating priority, so calling ahead during event hours is wise. Event cancellations with 24 hours notice are refunded, and later cancellations get store credit.

Hours and getting there

The nearest subway stops are the M and R at 46th St and the N and Q at Broadway, which is the longer walk, and the Q104 and Q101 buses also serve the area.

The local scene

Broadway has several other game and collectibles stops within a short walk. Midtown Comics, Royal Collectibles Astoria and Game Champ are each about 0.1 miles away, and Rudy's Hobby Supplies and Paper Pop Cards (in Long Island City) are about half a mile off. Card shows in the area include Project TCG EXPO at Queens College on October 31, SUPERCON: Queens on November 8, the New York Evolving TCG Show on November 14 and a Project TCG Pokemon card show at Queens College on November 15.