It's Your Move Games & Hobbies

It's Your Move Games & Hobbies is a community-minded game store on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood, open since June 2003. It carries Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon, keeps a library of more than 1,000 board games for in-store play, and runs a full week of Magic events. It suits Commander players, families, and anyone who wants a place to sit down and play rather than just buy.

What's on the shelves

Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon are the card games the store carries, with new releases and limited-edition items among them. Board games and puzzles round out the retail side. The store teaches chess, Magic, Pokémon, Scrabble, Dungeons & Dragons, and board and card games of all kinds, to all ages.

The used game library is a feature in its own right: more than 1,000 titles that can be played in the store all day for a $5 table fee per person over 14. Library games are not for sale. Members can take them home for $2 a day, with no charge on Mondays.

Weekly play

Magic fills most of the week. Borrowable decks are on hand at Tuesday Enchantress, so newcomers can learn to play without owning cards, and the Wednesday and Sunday Commander sessions close with a raffle for promos and prizes.

A casual Legacy night also runs Wednesdays from 7 PM to 10:30 PM for a $5 entry; it is a full proxy format, with decks to borrow.

Prereleases and youth programs

Prerelease packs can be bought at the store or online and played league style at no extra cost. The store offers sealed and Two-Headed Giant events, and holds some Saturday prereleases at Oakland United BeerWorks. The Sunday Commander session pauses on prerelease weekends.

Younger players have their own programs. Every Wednesday during the school year, the store hosts a free Magic card sorting and learn-to-play session; kids who sort can find cards to build a deck to take home, and children need to be mature enough to be in the space with minimal monitoring. Magic summer camps run every week of the summer, as full days, half days, or half Magic and half role-playing. Magic and Pokémon birthday parties can be hosted in the store or virtually, for beginners or advanced players.

Membership and store policies

Membership is $50 a year ($40 to renew) and works as a family membership. It covers up to two members, with additional members at $10 each. Benefits include:

• 20% off most new items in the store
• No daily table fees for in-store gaming (scheduled events such as Magic are excluded)
• Game rentals from the library for $2 a day
• 30% off pre-orders of Magic: The Gathering booster boxes
• Occasional members-only events and rewards

Hours and getting there

The store is at 4920 Telegraph Avenue, Suite B, Oakland, in Temescal.

History

The store began as the project of Rue Kreber-Mapp and her husband, who owned it for its first year. Sally Amsbury then ran it for six more years. In 2010 a longtime volunteer, Chris Specker, became owner, and the store has since leaned further into community use and events. Volunteers and interns run many of the events, and local game designers use the space to playtest and demo new games.

Community role

The store takes part in the Temescal Business Improvement District and supports local schools, libraries, and teachers with educational games and donations. It collects games, money, and volunteer time for a recreation room project at San Quentin prison with the nonprofit SkunkWorks. With the Oakland Green Party, it hosts a free potluck and movie night on the last Sunday of every month, open to everyone, and distributes voter guides during election seasons. Comedy nights use the space after hours on Saturdays, from 7:30 to 10 PM.

The local scene

Several other game and hobby stores sit within a couple of miles: Dr. Comics and Mr. Games in Oakland (0.9 miles), The Escapist Comic Bookstore and Boss Robot Hobby in Berkeley (1.5 miles each), Special Reserve Games in Berkeley (1.8 miles), and SlugFest Games, Inc. in Oakland (1.9 miles). A card show is scheduled for November 7, 2026, about 60 miles away.