Game On

Colin Moore works hard and plays hard. As the sole proprietor of The Louisville Game Shop, the Highlands native knows a thing or two about fun and games. But he’s also put a lot of sweat equity into his store, spending five long days and nights in October restoring it to the days when taking out a board game on a rainy Sunday afternoon was the family pastime of choice. “It’s in a very old building with a railroad layout,” Moore says, describing the three contiguous rooms that lead to a larger game room in the back. “I just wanted to get it touched up.” 

 

After stripping decades of paint from the hardwood floor and applying new color to the walls, Moore is back in business. Established in 2004, the shop not only sells some familiar titles, but also offers miniatures and tons of off-the-beaten-path, hard-to-find games. It’s also a place for community. “The playing area is always open,” says Moore. “People can play any time.” Organized game nights are on the calendar twice a week in the evenings. Moore also hosts a monthly “all-nighter” for night owls. “Once a month I’m open until at least three in the morning so people can come in and play games all night.”

 

Although you can find some of the games you grew up with on the walls of Moore’s shop, there is a whole world of new ones to discover. “Mostly what I sell are strategy games and European games and designer games,” he says. “Basically, over the last 10 years in America there’s been a resurgence in board games.” Most are imported – Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan are two wildly popular German games that, Moore says, have spawned a small industry, including the Franco-American Days of Wonder game Ticket to Ride. “Compared to something like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit, there’s a lot more strategy, a lot more decision making, few random elements,” says Moore. “It’s not as directly competitive – it’s more about resource management and building and racing to have the most stuff rather than trying to take the other guy out.” And although most of Moore’s clientele are decidedly of the Generation X demographic, he also offers quality alternatives for kids, too.

 

“There’s a wonderful scene of people and supporters who come here and do events – tournaments, leagues, competitive play,” says Moore. “We give demos. When people are curious they can show up and if I don’t have the time, maybe one of my regulars can give a demonstration.”

 

The Louisville Game Shop is located at 925 Baxter Avenue in the Highlands, next to Molly Malone’s. Contact Moore at (502) 456-2734, or visit www.thelouisvillegameshop.com.