Game Store Day, Saturday, November 7th, is a day to celebrate your friendly local game store, or FLGS for those in the know. Participating stores will host their own celebrations, such as free-play events, tournaments, round-table discussions with local artists, authors and board game creators, pre-release demos, special promotions, and, of course, painting events! In fact, we sent a whole load of paint to participating stores so you'll be able to try out your favourite paints from The Army Painter.
Local game stores have long been the pillar of this hobby community of ours. They're more than just a shop to pick up your favourite minis and paints, they're often many hobbyists' first entry point into the world of miniature painting and continue to act as a hub for events and community long after. They're a precious third space, and have led to new friendships, new passions, and new gaming groups aplenty.
To celebrate the impact these venerable hobby institutions have had on all of us, we asked a few of our staff to share a few words about their own friendly local game store, and what it means to them.
Adam: Although I no longer have a functioning local game store [fingers crossed one opens soon], I'll always consider Firefly Toys & Games in Columbia, South Carolina my hobby home.
Firefly was where I rediscovered miniature gaming as an adult, played my first Warhammer tournament, and, more importantly, found a community that would shape my life. Jasper and his team turned what had largely been a solitary hobby into lifelong friendships and experiences that ultimately led me to my career with The Army Painter.
I owe Jasper and Firefly for being a tremendous part of that journey. It's a reminder that local game stores don't just give us a place to play. They give us a place to belong.
Tyler: I've had a lot of game stores I called home over the course of my hobby career. Even now, there's several that I go to depending on who I'm looking to play a game against. My homebase, though, is definitely The Upkeep Games in Howell, Michigan. This store has it all. Great and friendly staff. An amazing selection of games. A generous gaming space, and of course, every paint from The Army Painter that you could ever want. Not only do they carry a variety of tabletop gaming minis, which I greatly appreciate, as it's nice to have hand-on access to some of the less mainstream games, but they host events all the time.
That's not even mentioning all the TCG goodies they have, plus a selection of board games that would make even a hoarder blush. They even just upgraded to an even bigger space with even more room for gaming! If you're in the area, I definitely recommend checking them out.
Jeremy: I live in the suburbs of Memphis, TN, which has lots of big local game stores. They're all amazing, and I'd recommend any of them. However, as a Mississippi resident, I have to drive at least 30-45 minutes to get to the nearest one. Then a few years ago The Players Keep opened up just down the road from my house. There haven't been many friendly local game stores represented in northern Mississippi, so it's been incredibly refreshing to see them grow into the store they are today and serve local hobbyists.
They've got just about every TCG imaginable, and lots of different tabletop games like Warhammer and DnD. They also have a huge amount of play space not only for TCGs, but several large wargaming tables as well.
I have been visiting there long before I worked for The Army Painter, but now I've even had the pleasure of running a learn to paint class with a big group of miniatures fans. It was a ton of fun, and I saw passion for the hobby that I've been craving this side of the state line for a long time. Jeff and the guys at the shop truly have a heart for the community, and I can't recommend them enough. Check them out if you're ever in the area!
Erasmus: Faraos Cigarer Aarhus is a place near and dear to my heart. Being the local game store to The Army Painter certainly gives me (and others from TAP) a certain bias, but I was also lucky enough to work here for 2 years.
Faraos Cigarer (named after the classic Tintin comic Cigars of the Pharaoh) is a real hobby mecca. The store oozes with personality and has everything a miniature painter could want. Multiple miniature lines, paints from all over the world, a huge basing section and a tool for every job.
The stores also have a truly insane number of miniatures on display. This is from both locals and famous painters from all over the world. Full armies, panoramas and competition winning single miniatures and busts. There are even multiple Golden Demons here. Despite this, it is also a gathering point for many communities, and the weekly game night is always very busy. I am proud to say I have made friends for life here both as a local customer and as an employee.
If you ever find yourself in Aarhus, be sure to stop by, but be careful! It is easy to lose track of time admiring the many display pieces or be lured to your next hobby purchase.
Thomas: Faraos Cigarer is, without a doubt, one of the most well-stocked hobby stores I have ever visited. It's a proper hobby haven, and one of those places where you can easily spend hours just looking around and getting inspired.
The store has a special place in my heart, as I actually used to manage it for four years, back when it was called Dragons Lair. Today, one of my close friends runs the store, and he has done an amazing job turning it into a highly respected shop with an incredible selection of hobby products.
One of the things that really makes Faraos stand out is the display cabinets. Over the years, he has managed to get artists from all over the world to display their work in the store, and honestly, even if you're not planning on buying anything, it's worth a visit just to see those displays.
I love visiting Faraos, both as a hobbyist and as a product developer for The Army Painter. There's always something new to discover, and I rarely leave without getting inspired by something. Before I started working for The Army Painter, we used to drive all the way from Aalborg to Aarhus every Monday for hobby nights. That's more than an hour in a small car packed with hobby nerds, just to spend an evening painting and hanging out with people who shared our passion. And I think that's what makes a store like Faraos so important. It's not just about selling miniatures, paints, and hobby supplies. It's about bringing people together.
Some of my closest friendships started in that store, and to me, that's worth more than any amount of products on the shelves.
Be sure to find the friendly local game store nearest to you using our store locator and let us know which stores you want to call out for being awesome in the comments on our social media posts!
