By Savannah Brown 

As all indoor gamers are aware, one of the prevailing obstacles in the gaming world is finding people to play with. One of the most important parts of playing games is the community itself, and not being able to find your people can make the idea of gaming — whether it is starting a new fantasy card game, or going back to a beloved RPG (roleplaying game) — daunting. 

With that in mind, here are the places that indoor gamers in Eugene and Springfield can find their fellow nerds (said with the highest regards). There are some local gaming hobby stores that hold tournaments, free play and even offer lessons for tabletop games, RPGs and fantasy card games. 

So for all the current or wannabe Wargamers, dungeon masters and commanders out there who are looking for your people, this article is for you. 

Card Game Stores

Addictive Behaviors

The Addictive Behaviors hobby store in downtown Eugene holds a variety of fantasy card game events every night Monday through Saturday. Magic: The Gathering, a collectible card game that allows players to cast spells, summon creatures and defeat opponents, is its specialty. Addictive Behaviors holds drafting tournaments, Commander nights (a Magic format in which players have a 100-card deck with one “legendary” creature serving as commander and dealing commander damage) and Legacy Nights weekly, meaning that they cater to everyone from beginners to veterans. 

“One of the hardest things about playing in a group for Magic specifically, is making sure that everyone is on the same wavelength about what they want,” says Addictive Behaviors manager Austin Brantely. 

With its variety of Magic events for differing skill levels, Addictive Behaviors hopes that people are able to find like-minded Magic players. Aside from Magic, Addictive Behaviors also holds weekly tournaments and league events for Pokémon, Star Wars, Lorcana and other card games. The icing on the cake is that they also offer store credit prizes. 

Find Addictive Behaviors on Facebook, head to CCGObsession.com or 26 East 11th Avenue and call 541-684-8547.

Mox Valley

Mox Valley holds a number of card game events in various formats. From Standard, Commander and Legacy Magic: The Gathering events, to Yu-Gi-Oh! Digimon and Star Wars, Mox Valley has solid ground covered in the card game realm, while also giving adequate attention to Beyblade (a game that involves metal spinning tops smacking together). 

Mox Valley holds bustling, competitive tournaments, as well as casual meet-up days to just sit, chat and play favorite games with favorite people all day long. Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest, and the best chance to meet new people. Evan Silverman of Mox Valley recommends that anyone interested in trying out a new game before heading to an event should show up at the store on Thursdays to learn how to play. He says Thursdays are the slowest days, which allows the Mox Valley team adequate time to teach anyone what they want to learn before a big game day. 

Silverman acknowledges the difficulties of finding people to play with, especially “if you’re not already entrenched in the community or have friends who already play the game,” he says. “Finding a nice, neutral, safe space to come learn, to play and meet new people, it definitely helps out a lot.” 

Silverman adds that Mox Valley has been a good space for him as well. “I’ve met quite a few friends here when several of my favorite card games were played in events. It helps me get out of the house.”

For more on fantasy card game events, cover charges and tournaments, find Mox Valley at 1843 Pioneer Parkway East, Springfield, check out MoxValleyGames.com and Mox Valley Games on Facebook or call 458-239-4112 .

Tabletop and Roleplaying Game Stores

Funagain Games

Aside from its game parlor — with a selection of 300-plus games — that is open to the public (and free on Saturdays), Funagain Games regularly holds gameplay events for card games, tabletop games and roleplaying games. The store prides itself on the amount of events it holds weekly, garnering 20 to 40 people for every event. It has events Monday-Saturday save for Wednesday. Funagain also hosts two gaming conventions every year, which attract 300 people each.

Among all of these events, however, the one that Funagain Games holds dearest is the legacy event it has held for 12 years. “We have Beginners Board Game Night every single Thursday, and it’s our most important event that we do, because bringing new people into the community is really important,” says Rick Scoville of Funagain Games. “We recognize that gaming and community go hand in hand, and we spend thousands of dollars every month to make sure that we have that space and put resources towards community gaming.” 

He says that “one of the biggest barriers to gaming, board gaming and card gaming is learning the rules,” so they hire hosts to help teach new games to newer players every week. “Everything about what we do is inclusive, and we go to great lengths to keep people safe, and it’s, for the most part, a casual and kind and supportive environment, and we’ve even accomplished that,” Scoville says. 

For more about gameplay events and tournaments, check out Funagain.com, find Funagain Games Eugene on Facebook, head to 2817 Oak Street or call 541-505-8207. 

Castle of Games

This independent hobby store has regular events for, and specializes in, miniature tabletop games and roleplaying games. Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer are its greatest hits, but it regularly holds events for other games as well. For those uninterested in attending an event, a $5 drop-in fee allows guests to use the gameplay area and choose from Castle of Games’ large selection of tabletop and roleplaying games.

Castle of Games says it is unique because all of its events are community driven and hosted. The reason why is because owner Kimberly Buckmaster’s top priority is building the gaming community, and making sure that all gamers know they belong, regardless of skill-level. “We don’t believe in gatekeeping,” she says. “The only way to keep the games alive is to show other people.” 

If you’re new, Buckmaster promises a friendly and inviting atmosphere with community members who are eager to help first-timers learn. “Someone doesn’t have to come in and know everything,” Buckmaster says. 

Interested in hosting your own game night? Simply reach out to Castle of Games, either in person, or via phone or Facebook, with six to eight weeks notice and an idea of the type of game night you would like to host.

 Be sure not to miss Castle of Games’ grand reopening March 1, for an all-day Warhammer 40k event with raffles, prizes and giveaways. 

For more information on registering for or hosting events at Castle Games, go to CastleOfGames.com or Facebook, Castle of Games. Or head to 2100 Main Street, Springfield and call 541-654-5172.   

Warhammer

This is an official Warhammer store that offers all things Warhammer for everyone from experts to beginners. Any day of the week, the public is welcome to walk in and play any Warhammer game, but the store also offers free lessons for any aspect of the hobby, including gameplay or model building and painting. They also have occasional Warhammer events for both Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Age of Sigmar. All Warhammer stores have “figures of the month,” which is a free giveaway of a Warhammer miniature — paired perfectly with the aforementioned free model painting lessons. 

Check out Warhammer Eugene on Facebook, head to 440 Coburg Road, Suite 101 or call 458-261-4099.