Over the weekend, my husband and I had the chance to check out The Gaming Goat, a new tabletop gaming store coming to Parma this month! (Sorry, non-northeast Ohio friends, I'm getting local today.) I'm really looking forward to this store's opening and I'm happy to see my hometown get its own tabletop store.
What is tabletop gaming?
Tabletop games are games that are typically played on a flat surface: unique board games, dice games, card games, etc. Thanks to the creativity of the geeks of the world, we have seen some amazing games get produced and they've really picked up traction over the last decade. There's so many types of games out there to play! I've worked with friends to cure the world of disease outbreaks, battled my buddies in unique dungeons, rushed to escape a cursed temple before it collapsed, and much more.
What can I expect to see at The Gaming Goat?
The Gaming Goat is the largest tabletop gaming retail chain in the United States and this brand new Parma location will be the eastern-most store in the country! The Gaming Goat sells board games, role playing games, trading card games, miniature games and supplies for all your gaming needs. Find a new game to buy and bring home for your own collection!
My husband and I sat down with Parma store owner Eric Gergotz who is very excited about this opportunity. Eric has been hard at work for months to get the store ready for its big opening. I love how bright and welcoming the store space is — Eric is an electrical engineer by trade so he put his skills to work brightening up the store and installing a store-wide speaker system. "This store has really turned into a passion project for me," said Eric. "I wanted to create a welcoming space for anyone in the gaming community. People should be able to come into my store, whether they know everything about games or absolutely nothing, and feel like they will be welcomed and treated with respect."
Getting The Gaming Goat ready for opening has also challenged Eric. "One of the things I'm most looking forward to is helping find the perfect game for someone. We're going to have so many different games, even exclusive Kickstarter games, so I'm working hard to study up on them myself!"
We didn't forget you, TCG fans. People like my husband will be happy to know the store will also stock a selection of recent releases from the Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon trading card games.
In terms of games and availability, demand at the Parma store will help determine what new things will be sold later on. The Gaming Goat also has plans to host tournaments in the future.
Games and gear have been arriving by the shipments daily
How can I find out more?
Head over to The Gaming Goat's Facebook page and give it a "like." There you'll find the most up to date information on the store. The page is very responsive to messages if you have gaming questions.
The Gaming Goat's grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 12 from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. Stop by if you can and support a new small business.
To visit The Gaming Goat in person, you can find the address and hours below. If you choose to visit the store, let me know what game you buy to play at home! I'm always interested in learning about new games.
1132 W Pleasant Valley Road Parma, Ohio 44134 (Side note: The store does not directly face the street. The store front is on a side building that actually faces the Starbucks drive through in the parking lot next door. Keep an eye out when you're heading there to find it for the first time!) Store Hours (subject to change, please check with the store if this article is a few months old by the time you read it):
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fun story: Geek and Sundry's show Tabletop is what introduced me to all of these new kinds of games. After I saw the Ticket to Ride episode, I was hooked. We own quite a few of the games featured on this show and our entire collection can be traced back to seeing this episode!
Disclaimer: I was invited by the owner to visit The Gaming Goat for a sneak peek before the store opens to the public. I am not affiliated with the organization; these thoughts are my own.