Whether you’re the champion of game night or have never touched a playing card, there’s likely a tabletop event in Corvallis made for you.

With how prolific card and tabletop games have become, it can be daunting to pick up a new game for the first time, especially games with such a long history. Learning and understanding endless pages of rules can be a struggle and lead to potential players dropping new games before they have any fun. 

In a climate of high-entry barriers, hard-to-understand mechanics and high-stakes tournaments, Guardian Games and other game stores in Corvallis seek to provide a friendly and welcoming environment for players of any skill level. 

“I joined because I wanted to play Magic (The Gathering), but I didn’t have anyone to play against,” said Reegan Dejong, a regular customer at Guardian Games who thought it was more welcoming than other game stores in town.

When a beginner enters Guardian Games, they can expect to find events that are open to anyone. One such event is Magic: The Gathering pre-release events. For a small entry fee, players are given a box of card packs and get to build their own deck from scratch. 

After building their deck, players can then face each other in randomized matchups for prizes in the form of more card packs. 

Opal Boggess, an employee at Guardian Games since their opening in May 2023, believes prereleases are organized with new players in mind.

“Prereleases are great because you don’t need to bring a deck. It’s specifically made to be a more casual event, so our staff are always happy to help people figure out how deckbuilding works or answer any rules questions,” Boggess said.

There are also events with less barriers to entry, such as open plays, which are free for anyone to join with no charge, but require players to bring their own game materials such as decks of cards.  

Aside from events, Guardian Games allows anyone to come in at any time and use their play space for any game, including ones from outside the store. They also have a supply of demo games that are free for anyone to try, and staff are always available to help with learning the rules. 

Gallery • 4 Photos

Sean Snyder

A selection of games on one of the shelves at Guardian Games on Madison Ave on Feb 5, 2025. Guardian Games carries games that appeal to a variety of skill levels!

Guardian Games isn’t the only game store in downtown Corvallis that runs events. Matt’s Cavalcade of Comics holds events like Dungeons & Dragons nights, as well as events for a variety of card and tabletop games. Additionally, Gamagora Geekhouse hosts board game events in their 21+ Geek Lounge. 

At these events, players can find a supportive community that’s ready to help each other. Tucker Jinkins, an employee at Guardian Games since October 2024, recounted a story about the community helping a father learn a new game so he could connect with his son. 

“We had a person show interest in learning how to play Magic: The Gathering recently. They are probably in their sixties and they were interested because they know their son played,” Jinkins said.

According to Jinkins, after this customer figured out which event was best for him with the staff’s help, he attended a weekly drafting event and was instantly welcomed by the community.  

“I was incredibly impressed with all of the players who were participating and how much care and effort they took to explain all the different card interactions and go over the rules,” Jinkins said. “It was very encouraging as a staff member to see that happen and to not have to help that individual because the community members had taken it upon themselves to do it.” 

Guardian Games posts its event schedule on its website or in the store exclusively, leaving many potential new players in the dark.  

Guardian Games runs their events on a variety of card and tabletop games every day of the week, Monday to Sunday.