If you want a game store that runs tabletop RPG events, and not just one with a shelf of rulebooks, this page is the starting point. It covers the free store finder, what an FLGS is, where else to look for D&D and Pathfinder games, and our guides for new players and store owners.
Use the Store Finder
The Role Players Guild store finder lists game stores that host tabletop RPG play. You can search by store name, narrow by country, state and city, filter by store type or amenities, and show only stores with upcoming events. Each store page lists those events along with the store's hours, phone number and website.
What Is a Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS)?
A friendly local game store, or FLGS in tabletop shorthand, is a brick-and-mortar shop that specializes in hobby games: tabletop RPGs, miniature wargames, board games and trading card games. The "friendly" refers to a culture of open tables, demo nights and community events that sets an FLGS apart from a toy aisle or a big-box store.
The best ones work as community centers for the local hobby scene. They stock the books, run the events and seat strangers together until those strangers become a regular group. For a new player, a good FLGS is the shortest route from "I'm curious about D&D" to "I have a Wednesday game."
Learn more: What Is a Friendly Local Game Store?
Why Finding a Game Store Matters for TTRPGs
You can buy a Player's Handbook online. You can't buy a spare seat at a table, a GM who remembers your character, or the people who cheer your first critical hit.
That matters because the hardest part of the hobby for most people is finding a group, not finding rules. When we surveyed around a thousand people who joined our Facebook groups, the complaint that kept coming up was some version of "so hard to find someone willing to DM." One parent put it plainly: "my son got an essentials kit, but cannot find any groups." A store with a regular RPG night solves that problem. It supplies the table and the schedule, and often the GM.
Stores that run organized play add another advantage. Paizo's Pathfinder Society lets a player take one character to any Society table, at a store, a convention or online, and Paizo notes that most public Pathfinder Society games are run by a Venture Officer, a volunteer whose job includes helping new players. For someone without a group, that makes it much easier to start.
Explore the Store Finder Guides
New players looking for their first table and store owners building an events program will each find a guide below.
For Players
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RPG Stores Near Me: How to Find Local Tabletop Gaming - How to find and judge a store near you: where to search, what to ask before you go and how to tell whether its RPG community suits you.
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What Is a Friendly Local Game Store? - The culture of the FLGS, why players back local stores over online retailers and what a first visit looks like.
For Store Owners and GMs
- How to Run a Successful RPG Night at Your Game Store - Scheduling, system choice, table sizes, bringing in new players and keeping a recurring group going.
How to Use the Store Finder
- Search by location. Pick a country, state and city, or use "near me" with your browser location or a typed city or address to see stores within 25 miles, sorted closest first.
- Check the store page. Each profile shows upcoming events, opening hours, contact details and any reviews from other players. Sign in to save stores you want to come back to.
- Contact the store before you go. A quick call or message confirms there is a seat at the event and whether you need to register.
Own a Game Store? Get Listed
Players use the finder to look for a place to play, so a listing with your events on it puts your RPG night in front of them. If your store already has a page, open it and choose "Claim This Store" to take over the listing and add events. If it isn't listed yet, suggest it and the team will review it before adding it. Both take a free account.
List Your Game Store
Get your store in front of local players looking for a place to play. Free to list, takes a few minutes.
List Your StoreWhere Else to Look
The store finder is one source. These are worth checking alongside it, depending on what you play:
- D&D: The Wizards Store and Event Locator searches Wizards Play Network stores and D&D events by city, zip code or address.
- Pathfinder and Starfinder Society: Paizo's getting started page says to ask your local game store about Society events, contact your region's organizers through paizo.com/organizedplay/regions, or search Warhorn and Meetup.
- Everything else: Google Maps, local subreddits and Facebook groups often surface smaller stores that run indie systems on a single weeknight.
The Role Players Guild is a community resource for tabletop RPG players. The store finder is free to use. Browse all TTRPG resources
