Recently, I took a vacation to Atlanta, Georgia to attend a wedding and to visit family there. Like I do whenever I travel, I like to check out the game stores in the area. Little did I know what a gem of a find I would make when I came across The Tower Game Center. It was as if I stumbled into the game store I once dreamed of opening. So what was it about Tower Games that made it so appealing? Was it the 5400 square feet of gaming goodness? Was it the considerable product in stock or the immense board game selection? Was it the calendar of gaming events or the dedicated tavern-themed role playing room?
In the end, it was the people I met there and the sheer pleasure of shopping where the owner truly connected with his customers. And to this I sincerely owe my thanks to the store's owner and operator, Andrew Phillips.
It has been my experience with game stores that there is a certain amount of "club house effect" inherent with them. By that I mean the regulars don't readily warm up to any new people who wander in off the street. I know I am guilty of this. This can create a little awkwardness and perhaps make the new person feel a little uncomfortable. However, from the moment I said "Hello" Andrew was very gracious and accommodating. He was playing a game of Warmachine at the time, but took time out to introduce himself and let me know if there was anything he could do for me just to let him know. While this may seem standard fare for retail, it was how he went about doing it that was impressive. Andrew was very courteous, helpful, and knowledgeable about products he sold. It was as if I were...a priority for him should I need his assistance. As a customer, this was how I should feel in any retail establishment.
The next thing that struck me was the size of his game store. There is ample space to play pretty much any game you can think of. There were booths that seemed ideal for playing card games, several dedicated gaming tables with an ample selection of terrain features, and a rentable room in the back for roleplaying. I really liked this, as the room was decorated and made to look like a tavern. I even hear that Andrew is making room for some pool tables, too.
In addition to the gaming space, there were other little amenities that really showed the store was tailored for gamers. The height of many of the game tables made playing on them easy on the back. There is a dedicated painting station. A computer with some force building programs on it to make and print out army lists, is also available. There are plenty of comfortable stools and chairs. You can rent a board game to try it out before you buy it, if you like. Several general purpose fold out tables and several snacks and drinks were also available. The store calendar was full of events, ranging from dedicated gaming nights to Pizza and Paint night to D&D Encounters to, if I recall correctly, a Magic pre-release tournament. No matter what your gaming poison, it seems you can find a time to play what you want to play at least once a month there.
The other noticeable thing was the amount of gaming product in stock at the Tower! The board games alone run the length of one wall and then some, from floor to ceiling. There are plenty of miniatures games to choose from, ranging from the usual suspects of Games Workshop, Privateer Press and Flames of War to some of the newer games like Malifaux, Uncharted Seas, Firestorm Armada and many more. There are several army transport and gaming bags to choose from as well as an extensive hobby and painting supply section.
I made several visits to the Tower and played many games of Warmachine. In fact, I played more games of Warmachine with many of the folks there over a few days than I have had a chance to play here at home over the past few months! And each game was a fun and enjoyable experience. I did get to play Andrew himself more than a few times (and I learned why I should hate Menoth Bastions) as well some other folks, many of whom I forgot the names of ( I am terribad with names). However, one particular player did stand out as super fun to play against, Mr. Kit Smith. He must have beat me six games in a row, all by the skin of his teeth. One game went on for well over an hour! He was very fun to play against despite being somewhat new to the game. There were many others I played that were very nice and we had some fun games. I got the impression that the gaming community at the Tower was very tight knit yet very relaxed and laid back. This made for a thoroughly enjoyable gaming experience.
So great product selection, fantastic customer service and shopping experience, and more room to game than one could possibly need are all reasons to check out Andrew's store. If you are in the Atlanta/Lawrenceville area of Georgia and are looking for a place to roll some dice and play some games, check out The Tower Game Center. You will be doing yourself a favor!
-Wicked
