If you ever have a free moment in your busy college life, I highly encourage you to explore the world of trading card games (TCGs)! Whether you’re a collector, player or someone just looking for a cool community, this is the spot for you! The Card Corner is a fortnightly column that will be covering major TCG news and events, specifically focusing on the Storrs area. In this first edition, I’ll be talking about how you can get involved in TCGs at the University of Connecticut.
For those who don’t have access to a car and are trapped in the wonderland of Storrs, hold no fear. There are plenty of opportunities in walkable distance to satisfy any of your TCG desires.
Let’s begin with the backbone of the Storrs TCG scene: Action Packed. This shop is located right around the corner from Huskies Restaurant and Bar in downtown Storrs. Within, you’ll find the home of thousands of Pokémon, Magic the Gathering (MTG) and Riftbound cards. You can browse dozens of binders, a wall of graded slabs or even purchase a sealed product to try your luck opening some packs! For collectors, this is your one-stop shop within walkable distance. Within the year, another card shop is slated to open next to Jefferson Fry Co., but for now, Action Packed has cornered the market.
For playing TCGs, there is much more! UConn has two home grown organizations, specifically for MTG and Pokémon players. The MTG club meets Fridays and Saturdays at 6 p.m. The location varies, so check out their UConntact page for more information. If you’re more interested in cute creatures than slinging spells, there’s also a club for Pokémon players! Their meeting times vary, but more information for those interested is also available on their UConntact page.
With that said, student organizations aren’t the only way to play. If you’re looking for more official competitions and organized play, going to a local game store (LGS) is the spot for you!
For those without a car, Action Packed will be your sole LGS. While there are no events for players currently, the store is planning to start hosting Pokémon tournaments at the end of September and possibly branch into other TCGs as well.
For those with access to a car, there are a lot more options! The shops I’ll recommend are each around 30 minutes away. A bit of a drive, but for those of you looking to compete in some real tournaments, it can be quite worth it!
Unsettled Geeks is my personal favorite, as it’s the one that I visit the most while I’m living in Storrs. It’s within the Buckland Hills mall and has an ample playing space. The staff are all very friendly, and tournaments are run quite well. Geeks has an incredibly wide assortment of TCG tournaments, so any game you play will probably have an organized event there.
While I haven’t attended the following stores, they’ve all come heavily recommended to me by fellow TCG players in the community. The Portal is in Manchester, relatively close to Unsettled Geeks. Following along with the Manchester theme, the third shop located in the area is The Grid Games. This trifecta of Manchester stores allows for some great variety in scenery if you ever want to switch up where you’re playing!
To end the list, I’ll adventure beyond the TCG haven of Manchester and go a bit further out. For those truly dedicated to the craft, Tabletop Gaming Center in Newington is my personal favorite LGS. While the trip clocks in at about 45 minutes, I’d say the drive is worth it. The staff is incredible, the play area is massive and it’s a great environment to learn any card game in. If you’re new to TCGs and want to learn, I’d easily recommend Tabletop — if you’re willing to make the trek.
In the next edition of Card Corner, I’ll be writing about more specific events in the TCG scene and my experience at the Baltimore Pokémon Regional Championships! Thank you for reading and I hope you have an amazing Thursday.