The Brooklyn Strategist

Lawrence

Excellent! I really, really, REALLY wish that this place was closer to my home; if it was, I would come frequently. A huge collection of board games with staff happy to accommodate and recommend games if you are new. If you plan to go, you should probably visit when there is no summer camp session. This is because the inside of the store becomes very crowded and you will have to play in the courtyard, where insects, mainly ants, crawl around the tables and chairs. There is also a place to buy snacks at the front, but we didn't not get anything so I can't say anything about the price or quality of refreshments. The price is fair, being $10 for four hours per person.

Frederik Hejnfelt

Great atmosphere. They have most things that you would expect from that kind of shop + many active guests playing everything from RPG through card games to Warhammer.

Great spot to play magic! A good friend dragged me here for my first ever irl magic draft. Workers and customers are very friendly, and made me feel comfortable even as I made rookie mistakes like passing packs the wrong way. The community here made it so much more fun than the mtg arena drafts I had done before. It wouldn't have been half as fun without the amazing and friendly staff, so I'm happy to hear that the workers are unionizing. I wouldn't want to come if these wonderful staff weren't getting what they deserve. EDIT (5/17/2024): Very disappointed to hear that management is being rude and dismissive towards the employees and their union. Without the excellent staff, I wouldn't really have a reason to come to in-person drafts instead of drafting on Arena. Lowering my rating until I know that management will listen to the people who really matter -- the employees. EDIT (10/28/25): a bit late to the update, but I believe that as of June, the workers have a union contract! Updating my rating accordingly.

An incredible environment to play MTG. The staff's passion, knowledge, and desire to share that with customers is admirable, they always go above and beyond. Feels even better to support now, with the staff being unionized! A great store that becomes even better knowing their employees needs will be met in due course.

Great store with a positive atmosphere that helps lapsed players such as myself. A number of workers have guided me back into the game of M:TG and been incredibly helpful in making me enjoy my return. In addition I’m glad to see their hard work is paid off by being unionized. Grateful for this business and all of the staff involved.

Came here for the first time for an MTG prerelease and had a great time! The store was clean, well organized, and the staff were friendly. They had good prices and had a great store policy to have product for actual players of the game instead of annoying scalpers. Highly recommended and will be coming back for future events!

This is my happy place. Great card and board game collection, good coffee, great staff and the best community.

I attended the Edge of Eternities pre-release. The event was expertly run with clear announcements for time remaining, and round starts. The store is well-laid out, and the staff were welcoming and informative. I definitely recommend Brooklyn Strategist for anyone interested in attending a Magic the Gathering pre-release event. Also the Lemon Blueberry cookie is quite good. There was one bathroom (that I know of) that was clean and well-stocked. My only criticism is that the store layout can be a bit cramped to get around once everyone is locked into their seats playing matches. That said it's a reflection of the store's quality that the pre-release was so well attended. I am looking forward to exploring more Brooklyn Strategist Magic events in the future after this positive experience.

Great game store with lots of helpful staff. They have DnD game nights, Warhammer game nights, other TTRPG game nights and of course a huge collection of board games that you can just come in and play with your friends. I've been coming here on a weekly basis for a few years now to play DnD.

Really great game store in Cobble Hill, in a city that doesn't have enough of them. Have a great experience every time I come to play Magic. Employees are amazing and clearly care about the games and the customers; every time I'm there I get the impression of a vibrant and welcoming community. Really rad that they're unionizing too – beyond proud to stand with the workers who foster such a wonderful gaming community!

We visited The Brooklyn Strategist on our first night in New York while exploring with my son, who loves card games, D&D, and all things tabletop. It was easily one of the highlights of our trip. Jack, Will, and Francesca were outstanding. They took the time to walk my son through different games, dice, and the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer with genuine enthusiasm and care. They made him feel completely welcome and part of the community. The space itself is fantastic, with a dedicated game room full of friendly, engaged players and a truly inclusive atmosphere. You can tell this is more than just a shop, it’s a real hub for people who love games. Absolute five star experience. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Brooklyn, especially families or anyone curious about tabletop gaming.

Awesome store! Hosts a lot of community events, and has a great collection of board games-- helped me pick a copy of something I was missing day-of. Staff was super friendly.

If you ever wondered where Brooklyn keeps all its board-game energy, creativity, and low-key competitive intensity—look no further than The Brooklyn Strategist. This place is basically the beis midrash of board games. People don’t just “play” here… they analyze, they strategize, they negotiate like it’s a UN summit, and then they smile and ask if you want to play another round. I stopped in recently, and I have to say—what an awesome vibe. The shelves are stacked mamash from floor to ceiling with every game you’ve ever heard of and at least 200 you haven’t. You’ll see little kids learning chess, adults deep into some fantasy strategy campaign, and a few people who clearly came “just to watch” but got pulled into a game faster than you can say “your move.” The staff is super friendly and surprisingly patient—even when you’re that guy who says, “So how do you play this again?” for the fifth time. They’ll explain everything without making you feel like you’re asking p’shat on a Rashi you should’ve learned in third grade. Seating is comfortable, the atmosphere is cozy, and the crowd is a solid mix of families, couples, locals, and people who take their gaming more seriously than some people take Chol HaMoed outings. And everyone’s having a great time. Bottom line: If you’re looking for a fun, relaxed, screen-free activity—whether it’s a date night, a family activity, or just a place to unwind—The Brooklyn Strategist is a fantastic pick. You walk in a regular person; you walk out feeling like a grand strategist ready to conquer the world… or at least the next round of Settlers of Catan. Highly recommend!

Gabriel San Jose

This is my happy place. Great card and board game collection, good coffee, great staff and the best community.

Eli Geller

If you ever wondered where Brooklyn keeps all its board-game energy, creativity, and low-key competitive intensity—look no further than The Brooklyn Strategist. This place is basically the beis midrash of board games. People don’t just “play” here… they analyze, they strategize, they negotiate like it’s a UN summit, and then they smile and ask if you want to play another round. I stopped in recently, and I have to say—what an awesome vibe. The shelves are stacked mamash from floor to ceiling with every game you’ve ever heard of and at least 200 you haven’t. You’ll see little kids learning chess, adults deep into some fantasy strategy campaign, and a few people who clearly came “just to watch” but got pulled into a game faster than you can say “your move.” The staff is super friendly and surprisingly patient—even when you’re that guy who says, “So how do you play this again?” for the fifth time. They’ll explain everything without making you feel like you’re asking p’shat on a Rashi you should’ve learned in third grade. Seating is comfortable, the atmosphere is cozy, and the crowd is a solid mix of families, couples, locals, and people who take their gaming more seriously than some people take Chol HaMoed outings. And everyone’s having a great time. Bottom line: If you’re looking for a fun, relaxed, screen-free activity—whether it’s a date night, a family activity, or just a place to unwind—The Brooklyn Strategist is a fantastic pick. You walk in a regular person; you walk out feeling like a grand strategist ready to conquer the world… or at least the next round of Settlers of Catan. Highly recommend!

Michael Wasserman

I attended the Edge of Eternities pre-release. The event was expertly run with clear announcements for time remaining, and round starts. The store is well-laid out, and the staff were welcoming and informative. I definitely recommend Brooklyn Strategist for anyone interested in attending a Magic the Gathering pre-release event. Also the Lemon Blueberry cookie is quite good. There was one bathroom (that I know of) that was clean and well-stocked. My only criticism is that the store layout can be a bit cramped to get around once everyone is locked into their seats playing matches. That said it's a reflection of the store's quality that the pre-release was so well attended. I am looking forward to exploring more Brooklyn Strategist Magic events in the future after this positive experience.

Kirill Zolotaresvskiy

Great game store with lots of helpful staff. They have DnD game nights, Warhammer game nights, other TTRPG game nights and of course a huge collection of board games that you can just come in and play with your friends. I've been coming here on a weekly basis for a few years now to play DnD.

Adam Liang

Came here for the first time for an MTG prerelease and had a great time! The store was clean, well organized, and the staff were friendly. They had good prices and had a great store policy to have product for actual players of the game instead of annoying scalpers. Highly recommended and will be coming back for future events!

Jake Barszcz

Really great game store in Cobble Hill, in a city that doesn't have enough of them. Have a great experience every time I come to play Magic. Employees are amazing and clearly care about the games and the customers; every time I'm there I get the impression of a vibrant and welcoming community. Really rad that they're unionizing too – beyond proud to stand with the workers who foster such a wonderful gaming community!

Elle Ashby

An incredible environment to play MTG. The staff's passion, knowledge, and desire to share that with customers is admirable, they always go above and beyond. Feels even better to support now, with the staff being unionized! A great store that becomes even better knowing their employees needs will be met in due course.

Peter Melnick

Great store with a positive atmosphere that helps lapsed players such as myself. A number of workers have guided me back into the game of M:TG and been incredibly helpful in making me enjoy my return. In addition I’m glad to see their hard work is paid off by being unionized. Grateful for this business and all of the staff involved.

Brian

Great spot to play magic! A good friend dragged me here for my first ever irl magic draft. Workers and customers are very friendly, and made me feel comfortable even as I made rookie mistakes like passing packs the wrong way. The community here made it so much more fun than the mtg arena drafts I had done before. It wouldn't have been half as fun without the amazing and friendly staff, so I'm happy to hear that the workers are unionizing. I wouldn't want to come if these wonderful staff weren't getting what they deserve. EDIT (5/17/2024): Very disappointed to hear that management is being rude and dismissive towards the employees and their union. Without the excellent staff, I wouldn't really have a reason to come to in-person drafts instead of drafting on Arena. Lowering my rating until I know that management will listen to the people who really matter -- the employees. EDIT (10/28/25): a bit late to the update, but I believe that as of June, the workers have a union contract! Updating my rating accordingly.

Andre Mozeak

Very nice staff, food was tasty (had tot-chos and a Terrasque buffalo chicken sandwich), great beer/cider selection and a huge selection of games! The atmosphere here is better than most of the other gaming cafes in the city (exposed brick, wood floors, warm lights) - I felt more like I was telling adventure stories in a tavern than in a hospital cafeteria. They also have lots of social groups that organize on Discord and elsewhere. I'll be back!

Kid Glyde

Awesome place to play 40k. They have plenty of tables, terrain, and players to game with. They also have good food, treats, and tons of other board games to play. Real great community to stay connected with. Cool board games for family and friends. I come often with my daughters.

Large space, but too expensive for magic compared to other spots in Brooklyn. Theyre also stricter with prizing compared to other spots. Sadly I won’t be going again.

S R

Large space, but too expensive for magic compared to other spots in Brooklyn. Theyre also stricter with prizing compared to other spots. Sadly I won’t be going again.

Very meh experience, I called ahead and was told they had a massive selection of GW, they don’t, a good selection but not really worth the trip I had to take. They had a MTG tourney there which is fine but was blocking of the section I wanted to look at and he would not even acknowledge me when I asked him to move. Shame, lost out of a few hundred bucks I would have dropped.

Loafhimself

Very meh experience, I called ahead and was told they had a massive selection of GW, they don’t, a good selection but not really worth the trip I had to take. They had a MTG tourney there which is fine but was blocking of the section I wanted to look at and he would not even acknowledge me when I asked him to move. Shame, lost out of a few hundred bucks I would have dropped.

DO NOT BUY GAMES FROM HERE - they do not honor the return policy that is stated on the receipt. They will look for any opportunity to deny your return - even if the game is fully packaged and unopened and within the return period. In my case the plastic was slightly ripped in one corner which was enough for them to claim I tampered with it…

Mo Stephens

DO NOT BUY GAMES FROM HERE - they do not honor the return policy that is stated on the receipt. They will look for any opportunity to deny your return - even if the game is fully packaged and unopened and within the return period. In my case the plastic was slightly ripped in one corner which was enough for them to claim I tampered with it…