Common Ground Games- Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas- Common Ground Games is a store that withstands time in the dying age of hobby stores. I never quite enjoyed trekking to common grounds to peruse game titles crammed together in their old store but their new store is worth a trip every time I am in Dallas. The store itself is one of the largest game stores I have been in with six distinct areas; Play area, Board Games, TCGs, Game Supplies, RPGs, and Miniatures. Walking through the store, Common Ground has demo tables that really sell games on their own. Looking at some of the Nemesis miniatures and already imagining fighting the monsters while shopping is a great way to get people on board with an abstract or 'better when seen on the table' game. This is the most impressive store I have seen in a while.
Common Ground Games has so much to offer that I spent way more time looking than I budgeted and spent more money than I had budgeted. Going this strong after nine years in a cramped store is not only going to save common grounds but allow it to thrive. The biggest change is the play area. The ability to host TCG tournaments will make Common Grounds a massive destination during pre-release weekends and start creating a new group of regular customers each Friday and Saturday. I have very few critiques of Common Grounds but only one is relevant enough to bring up; the board game selection needs more organization.
Conclusion/ Grading
Selection (S)- Common Ground Games has the best selection I have ever seen outside of conventions. It is hard to even summarize all the different accessories for games they have and the massive miniatures section with all kinds of dice, paint, upgrades, protectors...It will be rare to find another store like this.
Layout (A)- Common Ground Games is a massive store and it feels like it. You could spend an hour or so just walking through the different hallways of games they have. There are clear sections to the store that feel like different themes in a theme park. It is very obvious when I leave board game land and enter into wild accessory west. My only complaint is that once you are in a section, it was not easy for me to find a specific game. I looked for about fifteen minutes and there seems to be no clear organizaion for board games. Not alphabetical, not new to old, I am not really sure. The demo tables really are amazing and I didn't mind looking for my game as I discovered new demos at each turn to enjoy.
Location (C)- Common Grounds is on a strip in no man's land with no restruaunts, bars, or other places to visit around it. If I were not a gamer, I would not discover this store which is a shame because this store is near perfect for all who would walk in. I do not blame ownership for explaining into a larger space but I wish there was more to bring people and keep people in the area.
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