The Guardtower

It's always a great place to go! They have so many different hobbies within cards, board games, models, and even have events like midnight magic! We go about every other week and the staff is very friendly!

A friend took me here for the 1st time and even though I'm not a gamer my son's are ..I can't wait to take them back! The variety of board games, cards, gamer supplies, D & D dice was just AMAZING! You could tell this is a regular haunt for the locals bc everyone was chatting to reach other and they have a comfy cozy looking back room for playing your favorite game with friends or 'strangers'!

Review Date: May 27th, 2023

The West location was successfully defended.

Everyone in our group is nerdy as hell so it was only natural we stopped at a nerd store while visiting friends in Ohio.

This was a nice game store with plenty of options for whatever type of nerd you are. The offering of board games, card games, Magic cards, paints for minis and your everyday accessories was plentiful and fairly priced. The staff was very friendly as well considering the place was swarming with people for some tabletop campaigns that were going on.

Sadly, we were only here for 10 minutes before we booked it to the Asian festival… so I don’t have much to comment about this place. I will say that there is a store cat running around! I only briefly saw it before it slalomed between our legs and dipped into the back room. So, no photo of the majestic beast. 😦 but I did snag a game called Trash Pandas that I can’t wait to play someday.

If I lived in Columbus, this would be the place I would come for my gaming needs. It reminded me very much of the store I visit at home called Just For Fun. There is a second The Guardtower and I hope to visit the next time I am back in town. Apparently one is referred to as East Guardtower and this one as West. Not sure why but if you plan to visit one of the stores, don’t be surprised if you hear them referred to in that manner.

Recently got back into paper MTG, Phil at this location was Amazing at giving me a refresher course on where and when for a few events upcoming.
Can't wait to see standard FNM start up!

This is a hidden gem. The people that work here are gamers. Keep this in mind when you shop here. They are not out going or even voluntary with their conversations. No gamers are. When you ask for help you get it. Now, these same employees are deeply knowledgeable about the hobby side of games. If you want to paint miniatures, go here and ask questions. They will lead you to the correct product and explain how to use it. This is where this gamer, introvert staff shines. Don't try to be a part of whatever deep club of gaming you think lies beneath the surface. There is none. The staff is just trying to get through the day and they are very insightful and friendly but you have to ask questions. The prices are very fair here too. That is very helpful. Lastly, they have genuinely honest and generous return policy. If a paint doesn't look right? Bring it back and talk to them. If card sleeves don't fit? Keep the packaging intact and they will exchange. I've never had a missing part in a game but I can only imagine the staff opening a box and giving it to you. Also, they will order things and then send you a text when it is in. Super helpful store and place to do all your game hobby shopping.

Absolutely wonderful locally owned game store. Friendly service. Welcoming (most moments) store kittens. I love the unique games they carry, and the prices are some of the best. I am a huge fan of the Jim Henson movies and was excited to see a couple of games based on those movies!! I didn’t even know a game for The Dark Crystal or The Labyrinth existed in the world until today.

Had some time to kill while in the area and found this awesome game store. They have all the games. Great staff and the prices were better than expected. A real nice place to pick up that next family game, or add to your existing favorites.

One of the best Columbus based boardgame shops around! Both this location and the East side location have plenty of space for casual and game events and have a great collection of competitively priced trading cards, board games, and tabletop accessories!

Great service. Even the customers were friendly. Bonus points for having cats! I wish I lived closer so I could take part in all of the events here.

My son loves to built models…to be specific Warhammer ones. The Guardtower almost always have or can order for me the ones he wants. The shop is relaxed, the staff friendly and helpful.

My husband and I quickly and surely fell in love with this store: it’s a 2-3 hour drive but we make it a goal to go at least every month, which our budget accommodates more easily than expected since they mark down from retail. A warm and relaxed atmosphere lends a “friends and family” vibe to a well-stocked, organized store that carries all the popular brands and more for TTRPG and TCG. The employees are sweet, helpful, and great for nerdy conversation, as well as recommendations on brands and systems to try out. Two gorgeous cats stroll the aisles and keep an eye on shoppers- I never have any issue with my cat allergy unless I give in and give them all the pets I can manage before I need to go wash my hands in their always-clean bathrooms.
If you’re looking for somewhere to play games, they have a back room with plenty of tables and free-to-use terrain/props, making for a wonderful place to try out your new buys or talk to other nerds.
I’m normally not a “loyal customer” sort of person, but I don’t buy miniatures, paint, or terrain from anywhere else. The quality of service and the quality of humans at the Guardtower is unparalleled!

Honestly this is the best place for buying mtg cards locally. Good single pack selection/pricing and they dont take themselves too serious. Its bad enough enjoying a product that continues the nerd stereotypes, but its even worse when you go to a shop like Soldiery Games thats so pretentious. They also have a killer boardgame scene. I am not really into it, but they always have people playing and painting miniatures. I don't live by the shop by stop by every time im anywhere near by. Support local.

Always great service here. Never feel like I can't ask questions about the products carried here. The staff has a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to table top, board games, pen and paper, and even the many TCG's out there.

amazing place with great prices, a nice selection, and friendly people working there. Cozy vibes and an awesome store cat make this place the blueprint for what a game store can be! Loved it

Cool little store with tons of board games, table top RPG materials/source books, and ccg games. Good selection of classic games like Catan as well as more niche and harder to find ones. Glad to have this store nearby! Photo attached is of their October 22 schedule.

Great selection, knowledgeable staff as well as friendly, great vibe in the store as people were playing dnd warhammer and painting minis

We always stop here on our visits to see family in Ohio. Love that they have a larger selection of certain tabletop games than our own stores here in St. Louis and also carry a line of paints that we use. Staff is always friendly and very helpful.

This is the best place for tabletop games of all types! There is a wide selection of cards, figurines, and sourcebooks for everything from D&D to Warhammer:40k or Pokémon to Yu-Gi-Oh.

I love going here to find any board game or cards I need. And they have good price on everything.

My favorite game store in the Columbus area! I shop here fairly frequently and they have everything! From D&D figures and books to MTG cards to amazing board games! Although my favorite part are the two cats that live in the store. They're so sweet. I love coming to look at games and seeing them take little naps or 'help out' around the store. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and I love chatting about stuff with them. Highly recommend coming here!