Gator Games & Hobby

«I’m sorry, is the fact that my life’s falling apart interrupting your board game?» — The Big Bang Theory, Season 7, Episode 17
What a great game shop! The staff is super friendly and knows just about everything about every board game — if I don’t know what to buy, they are great at directing me to something great. Also, if they don’t have something in stock, they are happy to order it for me. My nephew is a huge Munchkin fan, and this is where I go to get all the expansion sets, trinkets, etc. to expand on what he already had — again, they are great and helping me pick out the best options for him (he’s 10).
I typically need a chaperone to walk in this store, or I will spend my entire paycheck in just an hour wandering around the place. If you love games, this is the place to go!
Play more games!

This place is great and the staff are awesome and nice. They’re always ready to discuss any game with you in case you have any questions or would like recommendations.

Great little game shop! They always have a wide variety of games in stock and you can usually find what you are looking for. The staff is very knowledgeable and can make recommendations if you are just browsing around.

One of my favorite game shops! I love how friendly and knowledgable the staff is as well as the fact that it’s within 10 min of my house! They have everything you could possibly want and if they don’t, they will order it for you.
Though I am guilty of ordering stuff online more often than not, when it comes to games I really try to shop locally first because places like this are too awesome not to support.
My ex’s son was into a really cool card game called Munchkin by Steve Jackson. You get to kick down a door, fight a monster, get treasure and hopefully beat your opponents to win the game. It’s a killer strategy game to play with kids! I have purchased several standalone games and A LOT of expansion packs from Gator. I think I miss having a little kid around so I have a good excuse to buy and play games!
I play other games with my son: Castles of Burgundy, Carcassonne, Pandemic, Forgotten Island, etc. and Gator is an excellent resource for me. I highly recommend you check them out! Support local!

Great selection of games, and staff is very helpful. There’s a good assortment of events going on each week, although I will admit that it’s the only store I’ve been to that makes people pay each week they attend Pokemon League. Great resource for all sorts of game expansions, rulebooks, and mini figures.

I just moved into the area and was eager to check out the local stores. Gator Games looked impressive– unfortunately I was not able to get far before the owner demanded that i check my bag, a policy that I find insulting. I’m an adult, I have better things to do than steal toys. My wife and I, avid hobbyists both, will not return.

Was a pretty average experience at a pretty average store with an average amount of service from the girl behind the counter.
I did not like the fact that you could not take MTG singles from the boxes to look at the cards. Made it tough to browse the cards, unless you knew what you were looking for already.

Great little shop packed with a wide variety of games, figures, and paints. I’ve been there twice and the employees were always very welcoming and helpful. Nice selection of Flames Of War vehicles/​figures too! Planning on going again!

For the area, there’s actually a surprising dearth of local board game shops — probably due to the sky-​high rents as well as the niche-​ness of the hobby. While Game Kastle (down in Santa Clara) has the space to run more events, I’ve come to really appreciate Gator Games for its vast selection of board games. They often end up having copies of the newest games/​those in demand — I recently picked up a copy of Sheriff of Nottingham from them despite it being sold out even on Amazon/​internet retailers. Staff are friendly, giving recommendations if needed, and it’s a pleasant experience overall — would recommend to anyone looking for a copy of a game and wanting to support local stores!
It’s also pretty convenient location-​wise — I usually am able to get there via Hillsdale Caltrain and a short bike ride, though finding bike parking in the area isn’t the easiest.

I’ve been to a lot of board game shops, so this place was a familiar sight with the shelves of games. However, this store is definitely the smallest board game shop I’ve been to, so if you’re looking to bring your D&D brigade, don’t bother — there’s really not that much space to lounge here.
The staff is really friendly and can help you answer any questions. It definitely feels like a local mom and pop shop.
The stock of games is actually pretty decent, despite its small size. We purchased Avalon, Love Letter, and Masquerade from them.

Super local game store that I always visit when in the area. Service is always great and Gator Games will help with special order of products. They also have a website where they sell used and collectible merchandise that doesn’t fit in the store. I’ve found many a vintage game that was made back in the day.
As everyone says, the shelves are chock-​ful of material. Staff is helpful and friendly.

Small little store, parking lot is somewhat small, but the people inside and the employees are very kind. Came with a friend trying to get back into card games and a player who just finished a tournament welcomed him back with a free card. Polite people like this makes the community of players to join in and have fun.

Everything I wanted was in stock. It’s so important in this day and age as a brick and mortar store to have what I want immediately. I’ve gone to hobby shops that had a lack luster inventory and I end up buying online.
The employees were very attentive and went out of their way to assist me in my needs. The store is smaller, so gaming I’m sure is an issue, but if you need something and you’re in the area, go to Gator Games & Hobby.

Great atmosphere, helpful and encouraging staff, and terrific selection. When I first arrived in San Mateo, I spent a lot of time combing through the miniatures on the shelves. As a miniatures guy, I was always pleasantly surprised by some of the more rare Warhammer and 40k minis they carried, as well as the conversion kits by Secret Weapon and MaxMini to name a few. Along with a very extensive RPG inventory and a huge selection of Board Games, Gator Games is where I go for my weekly White Dwarf and paint supply.
Unfortunately, because of space limitations, they cannot really run any large scale miniatures games. They have some tables set up at the front of the store, but these are usually held and reserved for their collectible card game players (Yu-​Gi-​Oh, Magic the Gathering, and the like). I’m not going to dock them any stars for this, as it is a circumstance of the space they are in and cannot be changed unless they moved to a bigger store, but it is something to note. Especially since I moved from Oahu, Hawaii, where we had some nice sized stores that could house anything from small intro games to large scale tournaments and escalation leagues in their larger and rented spaces. At Gator, I have seen one game of 40k where a veteran seemed to be walking through the rules with a new player, but overall, any time I’ve been in, if anything is going on at the tables in the front, it’s usually card games.
Also, I have to reiterate that the staff is top notch. All of them are either very knowledgeable or eager to help find someone who is, about any topic. They are always willing to help you find something, and even shoot the breeze about the newest games and releases. Whoever the manager is should be very proud.
They do have a calendar of events that they run at the store, which is also helpful if you’re local and want to see what’s happening in the week.
One final thought, most places in the area not at the big shopping mall close at 7pm. If you’re looking for a night of gaming, especially on the weekends, that’s not so fun. Makes me miss the 9pm game nights on Oahu at Other Realms and Armchair Adventurer.
Other than that, GREAT store if you’re in the San Mateo area. Check it out!
Pros:
+Great selection of board games, Tabletop RPGs, and miniatures. Also, CCGs, if you’re into it.
+Excellent Staff.
–Friendly environment.
Cons:
–Limited space means no room for warhammer fantasy or 40k tournament or game nights.
–7pm closing time.

Every once in a while a store grabs you by the balls, and sends you on a nostalgic ride back to your youth. Gator Games does this, and then some. Long gone are the days of cluttered, packed shelves of games/​toys/​miniatures. In a word where the vast majority of people shop on big name websites, it amazes me that places like this still exist.
The front of the store is covered in MTG, LOTR, and other fantasy posters. Once you step inside all you see is games. There are games on the walls, games in the shelves, games on tables, games behind the counter, games everywhere.
The staff is unbelievably knowledgeable. If you ask a question about a certain game, there is a very high probability that they will know something related to the game you are asking about. If they do not, they know of a different game that is similar and will direct you to it. I have been well taken care of every single time I have stepped foot into this store. Additionally, they are very knowledgeable about things outside of gameplay i.e. painting miniatures.
I have no clue how their prices match against other stores, but if you order games through them they give you 10% off.
I seriously wish video game/​music stores like this were still a thing. It is so much more enjoyable when compared to something like buying games online.
I believe they also host quite frequent tournaments, although I could not tell you which.
Totally worth stopping by if you are into any sort of gaming (outside of video, of course).

This store is really the only store I will by MTG stuff from. Being new to magic, I have only been to three or four other gaming stores for magic cards; they don’t even come close to this place.
A quick breakdown:
The staff: Very friendly and knowledgeable about all the products they carry. My friends and I have two favorite staff members: Girl That Wears Cloak and a guy we call Gildar cuz he looks like his name should be Gildar (we don’t know his real name). These two make shopping here so freaking fun! They give us advice about which cards to play, combos, strategies, and ideas for new decks. They put up with my newbie ass questions and really care about the people they are helping.
The store: Small, easy to get around, and have everything you might need. They pack A LOT of stuff in the little olde store! I have yet to not find the card I needed there OR been upset because they ran out of a certain MTG pack.
The customers: Always fun to people watch in this place. Olde school gamers, kids, freaks, and oddballs. I usually with end up shootin the sh*t with a stranger or two in there as-​gamers stick together!
Gator Games: Thank you for putting up with all my stupid Magic questions…

It’s a smaller store but they are packed floor to ceiling with games. They try to support a variety of games with events which is great. Though the big ones tend to be the most well attended.
If you want or need a game that they don’t stock they’ll order it for you and give you a 10% discount which is nice. Nice people and very into games that will have suggestions on new games to try.
Support your FLGS!

Full disclosure, this was my first true game store and I’m almost always going to see it as my home store. It’s because of these guys that I even grade other game stores the way I do.
For the record I judge game stores based on 5 criteria:
–What games they have stocked and how much is stocked (so you know what’s there and if you can play a game for fun with friends)
–overall layout of the store (if it’s organized, clean, etc)
–The regulars and the community that frequent it (while this may change, it’s important to know the people you could play games with)
— how knowledgeable and friendly the staff is (helps makes the store what it is)
— how tournaments are run (self explanatory on why it’s important)
Games:
Practically every board game I’ve ever wanted or asked for is usually stocked. But in all honesty, what has made Gator Games great for me and puts it above every where else I’ve been to is the ability to order a game/​miniature/​whatever what have you that they’re missing at 10% off. The speed may vary, but this option and the fact that they’ll call when it comes it means they are going to be stocked on what you need if you ask. Also, always check what games they have on sale. I swear this store is running a sale every other week and it’s amazing.
The store:
The size of the store itself is really small compared to Super Stars in Santa Cruz and some of the places I’ve been to in San Diego. But for how small this store is, it is probably the most efficiently organized. Finding a board game here is like looking for a book in a library or book store. Simple, fast, and no hassle.
40k occupies its own corner and is conveniently located next to the bitz box. Nearby are the other RP books and past issues of certain magazines like White Dwarf and No Quarter. Stapled onto the door are a bunch of papers showing the up coming releases they’ll soon be getting. But really the impressive part of this store is how they do their best to show off their large amount of product across all of these games and still keep enough room to make sure you don’t have to squeeze between anywhere unless the store is packed with people.
The Regulars and Community:
I’ve been going to Gator Games for a while, and in all honesty, there have been little to no qualms with the people I interact with there. You get a good mix from little kids and adults who are there for Magic to older folks simply looking for a new RP to spend their evenings with friends on. Whenever I do play games with people I’ve met here, if they do anything that seems a tad fishy in a game, telling them has rarely resulted in anything bad. I will say, that when a tournament rolls in though, expect serious, no mercy play from the competitors balanced out by some good cheer.
The Staff:
Gator Games and Villainous Lair in San Diego are the only places I can easily boast that I have yet to meet a bad staff member. Seriously. Everyone here has been an absolute pleasure just to interact with. I’ve gotten some of the best advice on tournament play here and painting advice. If you aren’t sure on what to buy for your army or what card to put in your deck, a good answer is just a short ask away. But the best part is legitimately the fact that they care for their fellow nerds and their passion for these games really shows.
Tournaments:
I’ve been in 2 40k tournaments here and a Game of Thrones LCG tournament. The tournaments are run at a good pace with no hiccups. The amount of competition in the larger leagues is very healthy, and will always help you get better. Smaller tournaments are definitely fun, with great prizes at the end too. But what matters is that these tournaments are small enough for you to get to know all of the individual players while still having a healthy amount of competition to get better. For seating, if there is not enough room in the store, Gator Games also sets up tables outside for people to play on. During tournaments, you can also check in bags behind the counters for safe keeping. This is an option I highly recommend if you brought a trade binder.
Overall, I love Gator Games. Definitely one of my favorite stores of all time.

I super like this place because the staff is way knowledgeable and the store has a huge selection!
What I like most is how I can ask about a particular board game and they’d most likely know a tidbit or two about it, which piques my interest more to buy the game.
I came here recently for Tabletop Day and it was super cramped, which allowed only two games to be demo’d on their small table in the front. That’s my only drawback with Gator.
Will most definitely come back to fulfill my board game needs!

Gator games is my go to store whenever I need a gift for a friend. That friend usually being me, because whenever I walk in I end up getting one game for them and spend the rest of my time going «shiny, I don’t have that expansion yet… You mean there’s a new game out I haven’t played yet… Well I guess I can get the card set…» And it all goes downhill from there. Downhill for my pocketbook, that is. Fantastic, yes?