Pandemonium Books & Games

This is a great shop for books and board games. It’s good to buy and sell magic cards and go to a draft, and I’ve never had a problem with the staff here and neither has my girlfriend.
So why 3 stars? The smell. I get it nerds are stereotypically smelly, fat (or rail thin), and socially awkward. It’s not like they can make people smell better, but there aren’t any steps taken to mitigate it. Bathrooms often have automated air sanitizer dispensers, but this place needs a dozen. If I need to warn everyone I recommend the store to that it smells like someone died during a D&D session in 2014 and they haven’t gotten around to cleaning up the corpse yet, there may be an issue. I bet they could crowdfund the sanitizer.
Honestly, I’m writing this review as a plea to the owner to just make an effort to fix this. Just because we play board games doesn’t mean our dungeon needs to smell like it.

Naw, Unilocalers, Naw.
You don’t walk up to a taco truck and give them 2 stars for not having burrito bowls on their menu. You don’t write a review about the French Laundry’s lack of take-​out options. You don’t complain about your rainbow roll being undercooked, so why do you go into a geek store and expect a socially-​adjusted and potpourri-​scented service experience?!
It’s a gamer’s store, run by gamers, for gamers. I’ve had perfectly fine service experiences every time I go in there, but then again, I’m a socially awkward male geek, so take that into account.
The best thing is that every Sunday they let any weirdo off the street come in and put their grubby fingers all over an impressive library of games. Totally free, you just come in there, play the games and leave. I’d say any place that opens themselves like that to the community deserves some appreciation. Enough appreciation, at least, to get past the smell.
This is a great geek shop. If you’re looking for sanitized browsing, go to Barnes and Noble.

If I was into board games, I probably would’ve been head over heels with the collection that they had on the shelves. Everything was organized pretty neatly and alphabetically as well for ease of browsing. There was even an extensive selection for those who wanted to demo any board games with friends too.
I had to stop for a moment and read a bulletin board on the way down to the games room which had notes posted by random people, looking to recruit fellow D&D players, notes from newbies who wanted to see about trying to get into these things, and notices about random meet ups, which I hadn’t ever really seen in person before. I’m so used to seeing online forums for this kind of thing. It was neat to see that the local area had that many people who were interested in this sort of gaming — enough so, anyway, that posting a sticky note on a bulletin board could even be considered as a reliable way of finding other players.
My only problem with this place was that the lower floor, which held the shelves with the board games, had a pretty terrible odor. As soon as we descended the stairs to reach the lower floor and explore more of the store, we were hit with this smell that I was pretty convinced must have been sewage-​related. I felt I needed to raise my cardigan to my face to block out the smell until I became kind of used to it, since I did want to continue browsing.
Ignoring the smell, it was a pretty nice place to visit. I can’t say much about the customer service, which others seemed to have a problem with, as my boyfriend and I had purchased an expansion pack for Doomtown without much fuss. It was missing a price tag on it though, and the staff seem surprised by that since everything else that we had looked at downstairs was priced. Figures the one item we wanted was missing one! It was what we expected it to be, and my boyfriend asked a few other board games related questions that were met as best as they could be by the staff. Even though I personally am not huge into board games, I think this place earns 4 stars, as even I can see that their available selection is impressive.

It’s sad what we gamers/​geeks will put up with to get to the fun stuff. This store isn’t terrible; they’ve got a really decent selection of books (mostly used paperbacks) and they put conscious effort into getting material from local authors. The game selection is good, though tabletop RPGs (most of what I play) has become more and more a PDF-​only business. But dead-​eyed cashiers who barely acknowledge your existence seem par for the course. The worst was the downstairs gaming area – it was so upsetting I almost turned around and left. Poorly laid out so you can’t help but be in people’s way when your browsing and the smell. .. well, it’s positively Lovecraftian.

This store is awesome and I’m so glad it exists. Great selection of games and books. I understand why some people have it a bad review, because there’s one guy that’s always there who wears a beret and has no social skills whatsoever. Everyone else is so nice and great at making people feel welcome but beret guy consistently snaps at people and rolls his eyes like he’s got better things to do. I worry he puts out a bad impression to an otherwise hidden gem.

really cool place to browse games and books. have yet to play games there but plan to in the future. friendly staff who are knowledgeable. also great way to built connections with fellow gamers.

The stock of the store itself is good, the space is fine but nothing special, but the customer service is the notable aspect: it runs from indifferent to downright terrible. I’ve come by just a few times and almost always found what I needed, such as specific expansion packs for games like Race for the Galaxy, Magic and Dominion, and new released sci-​fi novels etc. Every time it started by being ignored, and on the good days I’d be wordlessly rung up; on the bad I’d be condescended to or receive some snotty comment.
For example, when I bought the Gathering Storm RFTG pack, the guy sneeringly asked me if I was buying it for my boyfriend and if I meant to buy the game and not the pack. Are you even kidding me? Maybe he meant to make sure I knew what I was buying but the boyfriend bit was out of line. I was so shocked I didn’t say anything and I regret that.
Likewise, when I tagged along for a Magic tournament that my husband and some friends registered for last weekend (which I didn’t sign up for because I was already not crazy about Pandemonium by then), I was brusquely told «you have to leave because we simply do not have enough chairs.» I totally get that they were at capacity but there were a million other ways to convey that statement in a less obnoxious and more professional manner.
That time I started to argue back, but instead I left because I didn’t want to make a scene and stress out my husband and friends. But the larger deal is that I won’t come back ever again.
I’ll note finally that the service seems to be hit or miss among male reviewers on Unilocal,but it’s much closer to unanimously bad among female ones. They need to get with the program that it’s 2014 and start realizing women are part of their base too. I might not «look» like a gamer, but I am and would have liked to have been a paying customer.

This review is for selling Magic: the Gathering cards. I cannot imagine selling them anywhere else. They were quick and professional about it. Alex was a pleasure to sell to — knowledgeable and fair. They actively tried to give me the best value for my cards that they could justify, catching tons of cards that I’d missed. If you’re anywhere nearby and want to sell your cards, this is absolutely the place to do it!

A very good and a friendly place to hangout. I love playing games there and meeting cool people.

Good selection, nice location, but the staff is hit or miss. Some are alright but others are condescending and rude. I’ve come here several times for Magic cards and a couple other table top games, but it’s never an outright pleasant experience. This store gets the job done if you’re just in and out for what you want.

This review is based off of the vendor booth at PAX. I was trying to look at some merchandise that was placed behind a long line, which made it difficult for me to look at it without being somewhat intrusive. This is of course understandable as space is limited at an expo booth. What I didn’t like was how the guy running the line got an attitude at my being in the way — as if I had a choice — and then yelled at me when I tried to go to the back of the line because he thought I was stealing. I can deal with a somewhat snippy attitude, as I understand the stress of running a booth at such a large expo, but I will not tolerate being treated like a thief. I used to go to Pandemonium’s retail location to purchase all of my new Netrunner expansions, but I will not anymore.

Can I give this place 10 stars? For a certified boardgame, sci-​fi/​fantasy book geek, Pandemonium Books & Games is pure Heaven.
We came here last weekend as a last stop to our Geek Hunting day of wandering through comic stores, gaming stores and such within a 40 mile radius from Boston. I, in the recent years had been won over by the intricate mechanics and ever changing strategies derived from board games and an avid fan of Sci-​Fi and Fantasy books for just about forever, stepping into Pandemonium B&G is like a perfect dream for me and my reaction may have been a little over the top.
The first floor is almost solely dedicated to the ‘Books’ portion in its nomenclature, every major popular Sci-​Fi and Fantasy books that has been published in the past century can be found here. A shelf dedicated to Asimov’s writings, the time enduring Ender’s Games, the classic Dune series, collections of Legends of Drizzt, and of course Wheel of Time and GOT. The list goes on and on. Next to the book shelves are some casual gaming tables where on a Saturday is filled with people playing Ascension and Netrunner with friends.
Downstairs in the basement is where all the magic of Board Gaming happens. So many shelves of board games! I skipped from one shelf to the next, indulging in the board game goodness. Every single board game I’m familiar with either through playing or watching TableTop has made its mark here. The very best of the board games (Ticket to Ride, Pandemic) and variants (All that Catans and Munchkins and Dominions) are lined up neatly. It even has copies of Twilight Struggle that I haven’t seen in stores anywhere else. There are also gaming tables in the middle of the basement room. In the next room of the basement is the tournament room where a heated MTG tournament seem to be going on.
We didn’t buy anything this time around so I cannot comment on the service but the content in the store is awesome. Such a happy place for me and I’ll definitely going back this week on my Birthday!

Pretty much just a standard gamer’s store, with the gaming taking place in an unattractive smelly basement. The layout is poor and cramped. The book selection is mediocre, focusing on sci-​fi and fantasy. The staff varies from socially inept but not unfriendly to outrightly weird and hostile.
There”s nothing here that a good coat of paint, a better floor plan, and some basic business professionalism couldn’t solve. I hope whomever owns this place decides to get his act together.

I’m a big sci fi and fantasy fan so I’ve wandered in a few times to go through the books, it’s such a great selection. Even bought a few board games in the basement, lots of hard to find games for good prices.
But the place stinks. I’m not going to try and say I don’t feel comfortable there as a female but they need to do something about the odor. Scented candles? Febreeze?

Pandemonium Books & Games is a pretty great gaming shop in a great location. Pandemonium is located fairly close to the red line Central Square station. They have events for a large number of games. I came here mostly for their Magic: The Gathering events. I came a few times for their Modern Pauper events, which is a fairly unique constructed deck format.
The most impressive thing about this shop is the size of their gaming space. I cannot speak about their book section, as I came for the games.
This is a good location to pick up, or play, board games in the Cambridge area.

Thank goodness this store exists. It is a science fiction and fantasy bookstore, a role-​playing game (RPG) store, a wargaming store, a card gaming store, and a place to play tabletop games all in one. It does the job perfectly and is run by a really great, respectful staff who are a nice mix of geekiness and professionalism. Other local comparable stores are The Compleat Strategist (tabletop wargames) and The Games People Play (Euro games) since Family Hobby and Your Move Games are long gone. The basement and ground level gaming tables are awesome… join a
group in order to get in on the weekly or monthly role playing games and tabletop wargaming. This store makes Central Square a greater place.
If you like this place be sure to check out Hobby Bunker in Malden, and for gaming cards (like Magic: The Gathering) see Target in Union Square as well as Walgreens or Osco Drug around town.

I’ve been here two times, and felt super uncomfortable both times. None of the staff offered to help me or even acknowledged me, and when I went into the basement to look at the 40K stuff, the other customers sort of eye-​balled me. It felt hostile– like I didn’t belong and wasn’t welcome. There is no way I would ever come to a game night after getting these vibes. I’ll just buy the rest of the supplies for my Daemonettes online and fight my husband’s Orks at home.

Unfortunately, things have been going downhill for me at Pandemonium. I’ve been coming here since 2010, and I’ve been here for author events and just general sf book browsing.
A previous reviewer hit the nail on the head: this store, which used to balance itself as a sf bookshop/​gamer meeting place has since tipped the balance in favor of the gamers. I liked how it used to be in 2010: gamers downstairs, where they had ample space to hold a number of games; sf bookshop up top. Author events were both downstairs and upstairs. But, sometime last year or so, they seem to have cut their book inventory down big-​time and moved some gaming tables upstairs.
What this means is that I couldn’t find «Rendezvous with Rama» by Arthur C. Clarke — a double Hugo/​Nebula winner and obvious sf staple. Actually, I can’t find much of anything these days. The stacks are disorganized; and they’re missing a bunch of what I consider must-​have titles. Admittedly, the selection here was never great, even in 2010, but I still enjoyed browsing the aisles and seeing the staff picks — that’s how i found Cory Doctorow’s interesting non-​fic collection, «©ontext».
Another thing which has been going downhill — and I hate to write this — is the somewhat closed, unfriendly, elitist-​nerd vibe here. At least, the staff basically ignored me the first 4 – 5 times I came, and only warmed up when… what? I proved my nerd cred by showing I actually like science fiction? It just felt like I was being profiled and categorized: «browsing while female». (Dude, one of the previous reviewers even mentions that «there’s a good mix of females» in this shop! i.e. Being female here is noteworthy! Way to make me feel welcome.)
I think it’s important to support indie bookshops, especially those selling science fiction, but every time I’ve come in to make my obligatory purchase, it hasn’t felt good. I haven’t felt that warm glow of supporting my sf community. Instead, I feel like I’m paying a tithe to an institution that no longer represents me. Sorry, Pandemonium, but I think it’s time for me to break up with you. :(

«Remember how awesome that unventilated room full of gamers smelled?» said no one, ever.
I have a history with this store going back to its days above the Uno’s in Harvard Square. At that time it was an SF bookshop, and one of my favorite ways of blowing off class.
Over the past several years, it’s gone from being a bookstore with some gaming supplies to being a gaming store with a few books. I can’t begrudge it that — the area needed a good game shop — but it kinda sucks that my favorite bookstore had to go away to make room for it.
However, the last few times I went in, it’s been a fairly unpleasant experience. There are fewer and fewer books to be had, and the gamers have completely taken over. It was one thing when the gaming area was largely confined to the basement, but now it’s everywhere, and while I totally get the trash talking and yelling during gameplay, there’s no escape from it. You have to step over people to get anywhere, and… I hate to perpetuate stereotypes, as I’m a serious nerd myself, but… it’s called soap, people. Please use some. The place absolutely REEKS.

A decent gaming store with a lot of playing space, and I mean A LOT of space down in the basement. And a 7 – 11 around the corner for gaming munchie needs.
Location isn’t bad (in my opinion, but I also don’t mind the walk from the T Station). Parking SUCKS though, better to take the T.
A fairly ok selection of gaming material, A LOT of board games. Fair amount of 4^th ed D&D (I’m not a fan, so I skip over those shelves) the last time I was in.
Need dice or M: tG singles, you’re all set. Card games as well, all at the register, especially good for the impulse buyer.
Gaming-​related t-​shirts too.
On a negative note, unless Tyler is there, I don’t feel comfortable asking for any special orders. Actually, unless Tyler is there, I just browse, pay and go, and if I have any questions about pricing or material or anything, I generally won’t buy the item unless Tyler’s there too.
Reason for that is that I find the rest of his staff unfriendly, and unless you’re a regular, they seem to not care much about you. Some of them need some customer service skill training.
I live up in the North Shore and only hit Pandemonium when I am in the city, but I dread it when the owner’s not around, which is not the way customers should feel when shopping.
Yeah, the prices suck (uses MSRPs like a lot of businesses do), but they suck at all the local shops, unfortunately that’s the cost of business these days. There isn’t any extra mark-​up though over the MSRPs. I don’t mind spending the money at local stores, but I’d like something in return, at the very least better customer service.