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Gamma Ray Games
Categories: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Shopping Hobby Shops Bookstores, Hobby Shops [Edit]
411 E Pine St(between Bellevue Ave & Crawford Pl)
Seattle, WA 98122
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
(206) 838-9445
- Hours:
Tue 12 pm - 8 pm
Wed-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Miriam H. said: "I use Northgate Rare Coins & Precious Metals regularly for my bullion and foreign exchange needs (they commonly stock Euros, Canadian Dollars, Yen, Swiss Francs, Pesos, not so much renminbi or rupees), and will use them for notarizing.…" read more »
34 reviews for Gamma Ray Games
Review Highlights
"They gift wrap awesomely during the holidays."
(in 5 reviews)
"The best board game store I've ever frequented."
(in 3 reviews)
"Everyone is always very friendly, and the employees are..."
(in 5 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Brian G.
11/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I highly recommend Gamma Ray Games to anyone who has a passion for board games. And when I say board games I don't mean Monopoly or Life. They have a fantastic selection of card games, independent and European style board games and various gaming supplies such as dice, card covers and paint for miniatures. What really stands out is the customer service here. Have a question about a game? They will tell you when the release date is, they'll give you their honest opinion if it's any good and they'll special order it if it's not in stock.
A knowledgeable and super friendly staff, a great selection of games and decent store hours make Gamma Ray Games the place to go. -
Review from Eric M.
Seattle, WA
10/4/2011
I'm glad to see this place is still around.
Gamma Ray has a good selection of board games, card games, RPGs and their supplements.
Can't find what you're looking for? They will do what they can to find it. They love their games and it shows in their customer service. Check them out! -
Review from Jason T.
Mountlake Terrace, WA
2/7/2012
Coll little store. Nice owner and even madae me a deal on some old miniatures. They have a game loft which is nice and good prices.
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Review from Daren D.
1/8/2012
I haven't gone deep enough to find out their selection of classic favorites, but they have a great selection on-hand from what I've seen on the shelves. I don't have a game and somehow I settled on getting the Scrabbles Classic. I asked about Apples to Apples but Cool Dude up front said they just ran out. Cool staff and unique space. For an early Sat afternoon, the upstairs play area wasn't crowded.
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Review from Tristan R.
Bellevue, WA
9/12/2011
I literally stumbled upon this when I went the wrong direction on Broadway to meet a friend. I stopped in because game stores are my thing and I always like to tempt myself with buying a game or to two. I must say that they had a pretty awesome space at Gamma Ray with a store front and then a play area upstairs. They had a collection of the usual Euro game suspects and a pretty good selection CCG cards, namely Magic. From what I observed, this is more of a place for card games of the Magic type but they sold their board games a pretty darn good price. I like this place but I feel like Cloud Cap is the golden standard for a 5-star game store.
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Review from Dana W.
Seattle, WA
4/7/2011
I get all my strategy/Euro games here. Whenever I stop in, there are always a few game aficionados hanging out in the store, talking shop with the staff. Everyone is always very friendly, and the employees are knowledgable and helpful.
I came in looking for 7 Wonders and was told that it hadn't been published in the US yet. They wrote down my email address and promised to save me a copy when they got a shipment of the game. I figured it would be months. Two weeks later I got a surprise email saying that a copy was waiting for me at the store. Hurrah! Thanks, Gamma Ray, for making my day! -
Review from Jess T.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2011
I love this place:
1. They have a fabulous array of great games.
2. The staff is really great. You tell them what you like to play and they tell you what to buy.
3. Nice hours
4. They gift wrap awesomely during the holidays
Seriously, best game store in Seattle!!!!!!!!! -
Review from Nathan Z.
Seattle, WA
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Price definitely depends on what you're buying, but at least everything I've purchased there has been under MSRP. They have customer service that you can't match and are very knowledgeable about games! Highly recommend!
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Review from sally B.
Seattle, WA
12/24/2010
Great shop, nice staff, and saves you from having to go in a big box toy store for 12 year old presents!
Super AWESOME gift wrap. -
Review from Connor L.
Seattle, WA
1/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a great store, with excellent staff.
For Warmachine/Hordes players, they carry a regular stock of minis, books and modeling supplies.
For everyone else, they have just about any board or card game you can think of, and can order them for you if they don't. -
Review from Erica M.
Seattle, WA
5/3/2011
This is a neat little shop. The staff is really nice and helpful. They carry a wide variety of games, both popular and a little less known.
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Review from Kiki H.
Seattle, WA
8/10/2011
I wandered in looking for a place to play Magic: The Gathering. The people who work there (and the players) are very friendly. We played the tournament in a restaurant accross the street. This was great as I could order a pizza and a beer while playing Magic!
I totally recommend this place! -
Review from Beth H.
Seattle, WA
6/12/2009
I am so utterly giddy about this shop opening up a block from my place. I popped in yesterday just to check it out and say welcome to the neighborhood but ended up purchasing (Bohnanza!) anyway.
The owner, Eric, was very friendly and eager to know what sort of games I enjoyed. I expressed that I was relatively new to the world of board games so he took down my contact information and said once they got some "Euro-card game" nights going upstairs, I should drop in.
Yes, the inventory is a little small right now but Eric said they would be getting new stuff in every two days or so. I definitely plan to go back and get my nerd on. I think the space has a lot of potential. I really enjoyed the light, airy feel of the place (same layout as Spine & Crown and Blue Bottle) compared to some other, dingier game shops. -
Review from Cassie W.
WA
6/10/2009
Oh man... I'm excited.
I know they are just getting started, but I'm still giving them 5 stars for potential and friendliness, and since they have gaming space upstairs. Oh yes, and they are next to a used bookstore with lots of graphic novels. This block is turning into nerd nirvana. :-) -
Review from Emily C.
Seattle, WA
6/3/2009
My heart is telling me to just give away five stars because I'm so excited to have a game store near my place but I'm going to try to write a real review.
Gamma Ray is a functional space but not my dream game store. It's on the small side, under-decorated, and doesn't have as large an inventory as some other Seattle gaming stores. However, anything they don't have they are happy to order for you. They also plan to accept used games as trade-ins, which I think is a cool idea.
The open play area is on the upper floor and can seat about 12 people. There isn't a game library available for use at this time but there most likely will be one in the future. There is decent ventilation (windows that open!) so I don't think they'll fall trap to the odors of gaming past. There's talk of selling refreshments, maybe even obtaining a liquor license. I want this train of thought to be encouraged.
The owner is friendly, knowledgeable, and eager for input. If you're interested in hosting a game night in the store, or need some help hosting a game night in a local business, he wants to hear about it. He's eager to establish working relationships with nearby business. Don't shy away from making suggestions either. With encouragement from the community I'm sure this could become a five-star gaming store :) -
Review from Nancy S.
Seattle, WA
8/10/2009
It's so refreshing to have a run in with such an enthusiastic shop owner as Eric is. He's not selfish with that enthusiasm either! It spreads to the community and even my ideas of hosting game nights in my bar. We had a great time brainstorming and talking (ps, can't resist the plug, Victory Lounge on Monday nights 433 Eastlake ave E with Nancy)
While yes, the inventory is low, and he's closed Sundays and Mondays (as of this review), the shop is _just starting up_. With help from the community and people stopping in and talking to Eric, we can turn this shop into what we want it to be. He's already ordering ahead for us for magazines and games we've told him we'd definitely get.
From the get go, we were asking for miniature inventory in the store too, but he had a good point about how it's hard to keep up a decent inventory without flooding the store with it.....still, you can email him or tell him your orders in person, and he'll get it for ya! If you have to make an order, why not go through a local guy so we can keep this awesome shop in business! -
Review from Ashley J.
Spokane, WA
9/16/2010
Gamma Ray Games is chock full of awesome. The most noteworthy awesome factor there is the friendliness... The owner is a super nice guy. The kind you are actually happy to talk to. The shop isn't too cramped either... Nice layout. I didn't have to shriek in fear of my toddler breaking everything within her reach. That was nice! I was happy to find a nice selection of Reaper miniatures, something that many stores are seriously lacking. Nothing was overpriced... In fact, there were some screamin' deals!
Overall, this place is fully enjoyable and, like I said, chock full of awesome. We will undoubtedly be back for more of said awesomeness. -
Review from Abby M.
Seattle, WA
12/28/2010
Rating really between 3-4. Interesting place. Can't really rate it appropriately, since I was only there to meet up with some folks to play some games in their loft. The owner/salesperson was very pleasant, and they looked to have a pretty good variety of euro-style games that I just started getting into, but to access the smallish loft, there are these metal spiral stairs that I wasn't thrilled about. Also, they lack sufficient chairs for more than 4 people, so people were sitting on buckets.
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Review from Donovan G.
Seattle, WA
7/14/2010
This is a great shop.
The thing that Eric does that I don't see in other shops is actual action on an owners part to get you to play games. He spends a lot of his time setting up schedules for his customers. If your a bit shy or no one is there when you show up he can connect you with folks to play with.
His game room is modest, but you'll often find people playing games and very friendly.
It's worth it to spend your money here. -
Review from Drew S.
Seattle, WA
12/16/2009
If Gamma Ray Games was a social gesture, it would be an Explosive High Five.
If Gamma Ray Games was a crazy sports play, it would be a bicycle kick into a 1 handed touchdown grab triple play.
If Gamma Ray Games was a character archetype, it would be a Samurai Cowboy Ninja.
Instead Gamma Ray Games is what it is. The best board game store I've ever frequented. Super helpful, super nice, and just all around awesome.
Seriously. Samurai Cowboy Ninja. -
Review from Mark S.
Kirkland, WA
3/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
On the small side but a nice selection of games --and Dominic is very helpful to match you up with the right game for you. Recommended.
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Review from Aubrey P.
Seattle, WA
1/18/2010
Gamma Ray rocks! Decent selection, great staff. They will order you anything and offer great comic book gift wrap. So happy to have a good games store in the neighborhood.
They hold game nights regularly, and have a calendar of events on their spartan web site. -
Review from Heather M.
Seattle, WA
7/13/2010
This store is pretty cool, mainly because the owner is an awesome person who remembers customers and seems to really know his stuff. He is also very down to earth compared to other game store clerks I've met.
I'll be honest, I'm not a gamer. I don't go into game stores unless my boyfriend wants to go there for some new item. My extent of gaming is partially learning Magic and I do love Dominion and Diplomacy. But I don't crave games or think about them unless someone else suggests playing one. (Though I do like the pretty dice.)
On that note, I've been in my fair share of game stores with my partner. And yes, I am pretty much always bored and inching closer and closer to the door.
While I can't speak to the selection or really anything game-related in this store, I can say that I have enjoyed the few times I've been in here. Talking with the owner is fun and he is very knowledgeable. There are usually some friendly people hanging out who talk about games and strategies as well, though I can't follow the conversation easily. It is more interesting to be here than other game stores for us non-gamers, and if I get bored, there are chairs with normal magazines to read. It's just like the chairs set out for men to wait for women trying on clothes. -
Review from Mercedes B.
Seattle, WA
1/16/2010
This place is great, it's a little on the small side but the location is great. The tables upstairs are a nice little out of the way gaming section. The owner is up for suggestions and input on what is a good seller and what the people want to play and own.
They have a rounded selection of board and card games and a nice bookshelf of role playing games. Pick up an awesome business card while you're there... they are cards from various CCGs with a business label on them.
Protip: If you're looking for a store in Seattle that carries Warmachine/Hordes in stock and on a regular basis with upcoming Warmachine nights, go here. It is the only place within Seattle that carries it on the shelf without you having to special order it!Listed in: Seattle
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Review from Laura N.
Chicago, IL
2/21/2011
Another win for the small and mighty. One of my favorite places to spend my paycheck, due to the excellent recommendations of the staff. This alone made Gamma Ray one of my first Christmas shopping stops. Plus, I love the comic book gift wrap.
They also have a great read on the neighborhood. After a few months, I noticed that they had created a "great two player games" section. Seems like a lot of hipsters who like playing with their significant others (like me!) had swung by. I love stores that aren't afraid to mix up the layout to improve the browsing experience. -
Review from Miles S.
San Jose, CA
1/23/2010
A fairly small, almost spartan, store that seems to be a good modern take on the traditional warren-like game shop. The owner (I think) was very friendly, and the upstairs gaming space has decent table space. All told, a solid game shop, and (judging from other reviews) it only is getting better. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes in the coming months/years.
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Review from Jon G.
Seattle, WA
11/30/2009
A great place for more "indie" board and card games. The owner is very helpful and will make suggestions for you or others. Also does awesome gift wrap!
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Review from Benjamin H.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 12/15/2009 5 photos
UPDATE: raising my rating from 4 to 5 stars. These guys are great - they've expanded their product line and they're reaching out to the community via Twitter and Facebook in fun and effective ways. Definitely one of my favorite places on the Hill to shop and/or drop by to chat with the staff and other members of the gaming community.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/4/2009
I agree with Emily C for the most part - there's a lot of potential here for some great community… Read more »
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Review from David B.
Seattle, WA
1/16/2010
No one else had scrabble on the hill and they did. Happy new year Gamma Ray!
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Review from Chris F.
Seattle, WA
10/8/2009
So cool to have such a great board game store in the neighborhood. Eric, the owner, is knowledgeable and friendly and his selection is incredible. I highly recommend dropping in and picking up a copy of... well... anything.
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Review from Jake W.
Puyallup, WA
1/23/2010
I've been in GRG a few times just to meet up and play, and come in to buy and sell games. Every experience there has been overwhelmingly positive. The owner and staff always provide top notch service to me and everyone I see come in, from longtime gamers to clueless parents looking for the next game for their children. They have even carried some out-of-print products and sold them for MSRP instead of jacking the price up. They maintain a useful calendar on their website and an active presence on Facebook. The free comic book giftwrap service is a great touch as well. I don't even live in Seattle anymore, so I have to drive 45 minutes to get there, but I still do because GRG is my favorite board game store.
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Review from Jeffrey O.
Seattle, WA
12/4/2009
As you can see I basically don't write reviews. I find it generally a waste of time as people find places they like and stick to them but today I entered Gamma Ray Games seeking some information relative to Magic: The Gathering after having not played in essentially 13 years. The store proprietor was knowledgeable, helpful, patient, well spoken and generous.
I spent several hours there while deciding how to restart my hobby. During that time I saw several people come in to buy gifts ('tis the season) for others. The man behind the counter (whom based on our conversation I assume is the proprietor) volunteered wrapping the package at no cost in fairly awesome comic book pages as well as offering nifty for cards like Japanese MTG cards.
While the store does look a bit spartan, to be honest, everything you need to setup a good table top game (or board game) is available there. Anything they don't have, so long as it's still in production is absolutely available for special order.
Simply put I'm very pleased with my choice of becoming a patron at this establishment and they will see my return business. -
Review from Andrew T.
Seattle, WA
6/26/2009
Small place, helpful and friendly service as soon as I walked in. I came looking for dice and he had singles and sets, which he helped me look through as we talked D&D. The place seemed somewhat sparsely stocked as other reviewers have said, but it seemed like the basics were there. Nice place, especially if he gets some more inventory.
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Review from Barry W.
Edmonds, WA
7/3/2009
I wish I could actually review this store, alas the two times I've tried to stop in it's been locked up, without any hours posted. I stopped in at 11:45, and at 12:15. How hard is it to post your hours of business? From looking in the window, it doesn't appear to have very much of anything other than boardgames and a few D&D books. Stores that carry boardgames and D&D books are a dime a dozen in the Seattle area. What Seattle DOESN'T have is any store that sells miniatures.
