Around Indy: Game Paradise

Just one of the game shelves.

Yesterday (April 5) was the second annual International Tabletop Day, a day designated to celebrate analog gaming. I spent the day at Game Paradise in Fountain Square celebrating Frank from QuantumFit’s birthday. Game Paradise has been on my list of places to go for a while now so I was happy to have the kick in the butt to get down there.

Game Paradise is a gaming library located between Hero House Comics and New Day Meadery, and they have a library of over 1300 games. It’s a bit overwhelming to be sure. But, the games are organized well. There are DVD based games, card games, movie/tv games, classic board games, and RPGs. There are also plenty of games for kids as well, which is nice. It’s good to have a place where the Geekling can go and be entertained while Claire and I hang out. It’s also nice to have a space that is super family friendly in the middle of Fountain Square. Speaking of which, Tuesday is Family Night and kids under 12 get in free with a parent/guardian.

To access the library of games at Game Paradise you pay either $5 an hour, but no more than $12.50 for the day. They also have monthly passes for $35. They have some food and drinks available, but it’s more of vending-machine type of snacks. You are in the heart of Fountain Square though, so pick something up from one of the nearby restaurants and bring it in with you.

Trying to figure out Pandemic. Have I mentioned I’m not much of a tabletop gamer?

The staff at Game Paradise is incredibly friendly, and don’t make you feel out of place if you aren’t a hardcore gamer. I was asking if they had supplies to paint miniatures (btw, they don’t), because I have no idea what I’m doing, and they were able to recommend places to go that were very beginner friendly. Also as beginner friendly, they are around to help with games and rules. They’re trying to build the community in Indianapolis, and that’s always a good thing. They even have a pickup game section of their site to help you find similar gamers.

If you’re a hardcore tabletop gamer, I recommend heading to Game Paradise with your gaming group to check it out. It’s a fun social way to game, and social is the key to tabletop gaming culture.

If you’re someone who’s interested in just starting in the realm of tabletop games, I also recommend stopping by Game Paradise. It’s an awesome way to figure out what you do and do not like.  The staff will help you figure out what to play and how to play it. And if nothing else, they have these two gems which already makes it worth a trip: