Gather Your Party Games

Gather Your Party Games is a game store in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, at 219 N Hanover St, built around board games, trading cards, tabletop RPGs and gaming accessories. It is a woman-owned shop that runs a full week of organized play, from Pokémon and Star Wars: Unlimited leagues to a Thursday Commander night, and it suits players who want a clean, social space with plenty of room to learn a game.

What's on the shelves

The store sells board games, trading cards, RPG material, nerdy merchandise and the accessories that go with them. Stock comes from national distributors and local artisans, and the owners actively seek out local creators and artists to put their work beside the products of larger companies. Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Flesh and Blood and Star Wars: Unlimited are the card games the store supports with weekly play, and Riftbound and Gundam TCG nights fill out the calendar.

A rental library of board games lets customers borrow a title and play it in the store. Staff give one-on-one help to customers, which matters most for newcomers picking a first game.

Weekly play

Thursday's Commander night is the biggest weekday event and runs until 10 PM.

Organized play and events

Monday's Pokémon League runs from 4 PM to 8 PM and is free. It is pitched at beginners and traders alike, and each player who shows a Pokémon ID gets a free prize pack. On Tuesdays, Pokémon VGC runs from 6 PM to 8 PM for players who bring a phone, iPad or Switch, and Kill Team shares the evening with Riftbound.

The Star Wars: Unlimited League on Wednesdays is open to every skill level, and new players can learn during any league night. Prizing is awarded at the end of each month for completing challenges. Riftbound entry on Tuesdays includes a Nexus pack and a booster pack for every player, with prizing for round wins. Gundam TCG is the newest addition to Wednesday nights and has been growing week over week.

Sundays start earlier for the miniatures crowd. A war gaming and painting day runs from 11 AM to 6 PM, with Warhammer, Kill Team, BattleTech and D&D miniatures all welcome at the paint table. Flesh and Blood open play follows from 2 PM to 6 PM.

Beyond the weekly slate, the social hall hosts trading card tournaments, hands-on workshops, summer camps and introductory gameplay classes, with special events scheduled throughout each month.

Private rooms and campaigns

Groups can rent private rooms for gatherings and team-building events. The store also runs custom D&D campaigns led by an in-house Dungeon Master.

Hours and getting there

The store sits at 219 N Hanover St in Carlisle, in the heart of the downtown borough.

History

The shop began as an idea among a group of friends talking over a table at a Carlisle tavern during the COVID years, roughly three years before the store opened. Financing took persistence and finding the right downtown building took longer, but the owners settled in Carlisle and built the store as a community hub. The stated aim is a welcoming, safe and inclusive space where friendships grow around the table.

The local scene

Another shop, Comics and cool stuff, is about 0.4 miles away in Carlisle. Farther out, Game Room in Boiling Springs is about 4.4 miles away, and Sportsamerica Sports Cards, Grand Slam Inflatable Games and Gram and Pap Collectables are all in Mechanicsburg, roughly 8 to 10 miles off. The next card show in the area is at Susquehanna Valley Mall, about 44.5 miles away, starting November 29, 2026.