LGS on the Road - Everything Games

By: Dozer

This post is very late. I was here in January and it took me a long time to write this up because of things going on with me.

I've always believed that our hobby needs the Local Game Shops (LGS) to keep our games healthy. We need to support the LGS to keep our games on the shelf. We need our games on the shelf to keep the games alive.

Canada has a healthy relationship with their game shop and I want to post about my experience about the many shops that dot Canada.

This year I am travelling all across Canada  for my day job. When I stop at a new city, I will be visiting and playing at as many LGS as I can. 

When Yasha picked me up from downtown Victoria on Vancouver Island I was excited to see the place that allowed him to keep playing Infinity and giving him a sense of community since he moved to British Columbia. I was tired and I didn't have my minis but I was looking forward to catching a game if folks were able to lend me an army.

Everything Games is that local neighbourhood styled game shop. Small but packed with games and places to play with a great feeling the moment you walk in. You're welcomed with a smile by one of the two owners Rob and Kahzen while they plug away. Once you're in a for a few minutes and have taken some time to look at what they have, they will put down whatever card set they are organizing or finish with the customer at the counter and ask if they can help. It's very relaxed and when the games start up that does not change.

The father and son team of Rob and Kahzen have made a place easy to search for wares and even more so made it easy for folks to stop by, play a few games, and resupply. They start from the gamers point of view as they are both gamers themselves. Rob was playing a game of 40k with one of the locals while Kahzen was going through sales packing them up for shipping.

Games being played everywhere from D&D in the back to 40k, Firestorm, and Infinity.

The night I was there I saw a small group of gamers playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition in the corner. Up front three tables were set up, one for Firestorm Armada, one for Infinity, and one that Rob was playing Warhammer 40k on.

I spoke with the crew playing games and they were all friendly. Yasha was having game of Infinity while I scouted out the shop. I was able to borrow a force but there was only three Infinity players and Yasha had arranged this match before I had landed in town. So while waiting for a possible player to show up late I puttered in the shop.

I was really happy that I was able to talk to Rob and Kahzen. We chatted about Magic, 40k, and the current trends in their areas. After Yasha finished his game I chatted up the folks who we playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, more specifically the recent Castle Ravenloft adventure module. The group was new and enjoyed playing there because no one in their group could host the game comfortably. This was their second campaign and I was really impressed with the minis, maps, and various props the team was using the make their game unique and more enjoyable.

When the shop started to close up, with a few purchases Yasha drove me back in Victoria and dropped me off at the hotel.

Great shop, great community, great place to show up and play games.

- Check this place out.

Dozer