Social Saturday-Imperial Outpost
Imperial Outpost has been around for more than twenty years and is one of the most popular gaming stores in Phoenix. There is a reason for it is so popular. Everyone is friendly, from staff to the people there playing games to people just stopping in. My husband and I have known the owner, Darren Johnson, for years, having met and interacted with him at various conventions around town. Darren, or the IOgre as he’s lovingly called, has been part of the Phoenix gaming community for more than twenty years at least, probably longer. I remember my first time in the store, when my husband, roommate and I all went to Board Game night on Thursday. We were welcomed immediately by the other people playing and invited to join a game. In all the time we’ve spent there, there is always a group welcoming newcomers and making sure everyone has something to play when they visit the store. 
The store has expanded over the years, going from one room to two rooms. There are tables of every size for customers to play any type of game. They have dedicated nights for board games, miniature painting and role-playing games. There is extensive selection of the best board games, miniatures games, role playing games & non collectible card games with a staff that is knowledgeable about the inventory and as mentioned before, friendly. They have bathrooms and drinks to purchase. They even have a custom gaming area/table that can be rented by gamers for special events or weekly gaming. They have tournaments, demos, open gaming tables and games that you can check out from the store. The store calendar has nights for various types of games, like Thursdays for Board Games, Wednesdays for Painting Meetups, Fridays for Warhammer, and Tuesdays for D&D or Pathfinder. They literally have something for every type of gamer.
The best part about the store is Darren who continually finds ways to make people feel welcome and comfortable. He’s always been an advocate of welcoming everyone but his store is especially welcoming to families, women and gamers from all walks of life. Recently, he posted that the store will be participating in a RPMeTooDay to highlight building inclusion in the gaming community and stop sexual violence in RPG’s. This just adds to the supportive environment he has built and shows that this is a store that I want to keep in the Phoenix Valley, support and get all of my gamer friends to go visit. With a welcoming atmosphere, an incredible library of games, a calendar packed with events, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to go to any other game store.
The store is located at 4920 W Thunderbird Rd, Ste 121 Glendale, Arizona
Phone number: (602) 978-0467
Hours
Monday -Thursday 10:00am-9:00pm
Friday -Saturday 10:00am-12:00am
Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Imperial Outpost Facebook page
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