The Sword & Board

I have always been warmly welcomed and aided in my TTRPG adventuring with this shop. They’re very knowledgeable about a whole wide variety of games, willing and able to help. They also foster a good community because once I was in trying to branch off of D&D, with the employees and other customers all in a rousing debate about what matches my historical fantasy parameters the best. They also have gently corrected me when I wasn’t using the used gamebook boxes properly (there is a table you put the boxes on! Oops! Please use it!) In general, I have always had positive interactions - and never left empty handed. Good job lads!

This was a very uncomfortable retail experience. From the moment I entered the store, I felt unwelcome. I greeted the employee behind the counter and received no response. While browsing the D&D magazines, I found a second-hand issue from the 1980s that interested me. It was stored in a worn plastic sleeve secured with a single piece of Scotch tape, so I began carefully opening it to inspect its condition before making a purchase. At that point, another employee shouted across the store, "You can't open that!" He then rushed over, took the magazine from my hands, and returned behind the counter. The intensity of the response caught me completely off guard. I approached the counter and politely asked if he could remove the magazine from the sleeve so I could inspect it. Instead of simply helping, he responded, "May I ask why you'd like to see the book?" I explained that it was a vintage item from the 1980s and that I'd like to assess its condition before deciding whether to buy it. His reply was, "I guess that's fair," delivered in a noticeably irritated and dismissive tone. At that point, I told him that the interaction felt unnecessarily confrontational and that I was no longer interested. As I was leaving, he shouted after me, "You need to work on your social skills, can't you see it's sealed!" The item was not sealed. It was in a worn sleeve held closed with a single piece of tape. I completely understand being protective of valuable or vintage inventory. What I don't understand is treating customers with hostility for wanting to inspect a used collectible before purchasing it. A simple, professional response such as, "We're careful with these older items. I'd be happy to show it to you at the counter," would have resolved the situation immediately. The irony is that if protecting condition is the priority, many of the magazines were already being stored leaning against one another, which can cause spine damage and bent pages over time. This experience left a very poor impression. Good customer service doesn't require being overly friendly, but it does require basic courtesy and professionalism. Unfortunately, I experienced neither during my visit, and I won't be returning. As I was writing this review, I noticed a recurring theme throughout many of the other negative reviews. Complaints about unfriendly and unwelcoming staff. In several cases, the owner responds by saying the issue will be addressed or that steps will be taken to improve the customer experience. However, similar complaints appear consistently over a period of years, which suggests that little has changed in practice. That's particularly disappointing given the nature of the hobby. Tabletop gaming is at its best when it's welcoming, inclusive, and community-oriented. Unfortunately, my experience reflected the opposite. The atmosphere felt cold, confrontational, and uninviting, reinforcing many of the negative stereotypes that people sometimes associate with TTRPG spaces. To address the owner's response: My review was never about whether you have the right to restrict customers from opening protective sleeves. If that's your policy, that's completely reasonable. The issue was how the situation was handled. Your response focuses on defending the policy rather than addressing the behaviour, which was the reason for the review. Unfortunately, it does little to address the concerns about customer service raised in my review or by many other customers over the years. Based on my experience and the many similar reviews spanning several years, this review serves as a warning to future customers about the level of service they can expect to receive at Sword & Board.

As someone who recently started playing paper MTG, I found the store great and welcoming. Would definitely recommend joining their weekly events, they are fun with decent rewards. It may look small but they have a large underground space for playing. Never had any issues with the staff.

A great well-stocked neighbourhood games shop with emphasis on TTRPGs and miniatures that also hosts games in a large space downstairs. Warhammer and mini supplies seem to be a special strength. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable! Very close to Lansdowne TTC.

Hahah lol. These guys claim to buy used boardgames collections. They should call the service: let me tell you a joke. Or: why not come to the store to we can kick you in the face lol. I dealt with Bjarne. I am absolutely shocked that they would even make me an offer as low as they did for the games in the pictures. I was offered $325 cash. Or $650 in store credit. Like wow. I would avoid this place like the plague. Edit after owner Comment. LOL "taking the games off their hands for a modest price" there were over 160 titles in my collection, you offered roughly $2 a game regardless if it was sealed or not? How is that Modest. I am sorry my collection was worth more than your entire inventory. best of luck, not sure how people even go to your store with all the horrible reviews.